boatbuilding

I was starting to prepare for painting a St Mawes One Design that has been getting a litle TLC  when I was prompted to think about how I use Tak Rags.  It involves, as many tasks in boatbuilding do, the use and discard of something after just a few minutes of use. Tak Rags are … Read more

Well, we went up to London on a wet and blustery day (April 2nd) for the Classic Boat Awards 2019 presentation at the Royal Thames Yacht Club.  True to form there was a lot more fizz than canapes to lubricate the crowd.  Once the well oiled throng of a couple of hundred (mainly) suits had … Read more

Fortuna II has been nominated and shortlisted for an award at the Classic Boat Awards 2019.  The winner, in each award category, is decided on the basis of public votes. If you would like  to see what I have done to Fortuna II during her restoration follow the link to Restoration: Fortuna II. Fred Parker Motor-Yacht. … Read more

The restoration work on Fortuna II was completed in late May 2018.  Her owners, John and Catherine, with the support of son Aidan,  took her off to Scotland in early June.  She comfortably reached Ardfern, her new summer mooring, without incident and on a single tank of fuel.  I was sad to see her go … Read more

After a long refit/restoration that has been consuming all my working time for nearly four years I’m pleased to say that Fortuna II has been launched and is in commission again. The last winter has involved a lot of fitout joinery. Fortuna II was moved out of the ‘long shed’ in early May to configure … Read more

The new toe-rails for Fortuna II are being made up with scuppers to the standard ‘Fred Parker’ scupper design.  A little more ornate than the original straight slots put on by Nunn Bros when they built her but, I think, reasonably in keeping. Compare it to the ‘Fred Parker’ cove-line signature. This example is one … Read more

I normally get round to writing up projects when they finish.  However, in the case of Fortuna II,  I think that a few interim ‘position reports’ are needed. After hauling Fortuna out at Baltic Wharf in August 2013 I stripped off her paint, removed a few obviously rotten planks and undertook a detailed condition assessment.  She had … Read more

The summer holidays are definitely over – even if the weather is still great. Work started today on M.Y Fortuna II. A rather shapely and well built Fred Parker Motor Yacht dating from 1959. She has been languishing for some considerable time in Exeter canal basin and is now showing the signs. Yesterday I helped … Read more

The sun shines briefly for a morning and I get Shotley Rose’s new lower planking fixed in place. Replacing the three lower planks was not quite as simple as working up from the garboard – and there was quite a bit of plank shuggling before all three new planks (on each side) slotted into place. … Read more

It is often useful to have at least two jobs to juggle. When one gets stuck – for lack of materials or client decisions or lack of money etc. the other can take over. This winter I have been working on two very different jobs – and enjoying the contrast. ‘Monty’ is a delicate 12′ … Read more