The major restoration of Chance (Token) James Silver Western Isles Motor sailer

jstarmarine

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Hi Tillergrirl,
The string gear is well over engineered apart from one of the wires as broken. Old age I think. Going to use the same method when re-instating it later the bottom heel fitting iswoorn out and will need re-brushing at the same time. Today jobs are to make blanks and patterns for the missing window glass.
 

tillergirl

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Tiller Girl had a perpetual bottom heel issue. Frankly the bottom pintle worked away in the heel socket lubricated by the salty and gritty Blackwater waters - or more accurately was 'facilitated by the thin grinding paste of the salty and gritty........' It was a service issue!

Dare I suggest you create a web site for the task ahead of you. I appreciate recording the record of the events will be very time consuming.
 

jstarmarine

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Hi Tilergirl
I do have a blogger page setup for the restoration and a tyouube page as well. Which I am uoloading videos and photos and text to as quickly as I can.
 

jstarmarine

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Hi Tillergirl,
These are the 2 pages you were asking abut

Blogger page tsmychance-restoration-project.blogspot.com

YouTube channel The restoration of TSDMY Chance

Regards

Simon
 

tillergirl

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That's very handy. For the past 48 hours (and a chum) has been busy rebuilding my comfuter (sic) following a major failure. Sometimes I feel it would be quicker (and cheaper) to rebuild the Chance than my computer.

Grateful.
 

jstarmarine

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These next two phots show the area of the interior which will be carefully dismantled to gain access to the hull so that the hull fixings will be exposed and will be able to be re=fixed in the same way they were when Chance was built in 1948



The major change in this area is to remove the diesel cooker and re-instate the cabinet work that was here when she was build and put the cooker back in the galley area on the port side where it was originally positioned



The port side of the main cabin is where there was a heater to heat the main cabin, There will be a heater placed there, however it will not be the only form of heating in the boat when she is restored as the there will be blown warm air heating to the whole boat.



This whole area will be re-build to look has close to its original layout and any changes that were done over the years removed and the interior design reconstructed



The foredeck hatches will have to be rebuild as the forward one is falling to pieces and is nailed down. So I will have carefully drill out he nail in the upper part of the hatch and carefully remove the hatch top and the base and take them back to my workshop to rebuild the hatch once more



The same is true of the galley and main cabin hatches, these to have been nailed down and will need careful drilling out of the nails holding the hatches down before ant work can be done on these beautiful hatches, They just elegant skylight hatches and show off Chances' beautiful lines



The position of Chances' main mast tabernacle which along with Chances; mizzen mast tabernacle will be re-instated towards the enf=d of the restoration when she will be re=rigged as the Ketch rigged motor sailer e=she once was



The vast foredeck which will be filled with the mossing deck fittings she once had when she was last in commission

 

jstarmarine

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These next two phots show the area of the interior which will be carefully dismantled to gain access to the hull so that the hull fixings will be exposed and will be able to be re=fixed in the same way they were when Chance was built in 1948



The major change in this area is to remove the diesel cooker and re-instate the cabinet work that was here when she was build and put the cooker back in the galley area on the port side where it was originally positioned



The port side of the main cabin is where there was a heater to heat the main cabin, There will be a heater placed there, however it will not be the only form of heating in the boat when she is restored as the there will be blown warm air heating to the whole boat.



This whole area will be re-build to look has close to its original layout and any changes that were done over the years removed and the interior design reconstructed



The foredeck hatches will have to be rebuild as the forward one is falling to pieces and is nailed down. So I will have carefully drill out he nail in the upper part of the hatch and carefully remove the hatch top and the base and take them back to my workshop to rebuild the hatch once more



The same is true of the galley and main cabin hatches, these to have been nailed down and will need careful drilling out of the nails holding the hatches down before ant work can be done on these beautiful hatches, They just elegant skylight hatches and show off Chances' beautiful lines



The position of Chances' main mast tabernacle which along with Chances; mizzen mast tabernacle will be re-instated towards the enf=d of the restoration when she will be re=rigged as the Ketch rigged motor sailer e=she once was



The vast foredeck which will be filled with the mossing deck fittings she once had when she was last in commission

 

jstarmarine

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My family's work list for Chance week b/w 9/08/2021
Sort out making temp floor boards for the fore cabin and main cabin from the chipboard in van and
Finish off making blanks for cockpit windows and doors and cabin windows five in the cockpit and one in the main cabin
Remove old diesel cooker out of main cabin and take off boat and put in van to bring back to workshop to be cleaned up and put up for sale
Wash down all the surfaces as they come clear of old paneling and mark off any problem areas, vacuum up cabins has we remove old paneling and floorboards and clean out bilge as we go along starting at the bow and working aft.
John to look at the wheelhouse roof to see if it can be removed in one piece or if it will have to be dismantled to remove the roof. Then john can make a start on the engine compartment and the machinery room, removing old wiring and taking photos as he goes along removing parts, Engines to be removed as soon as it is possible to get crane sorted out to get them out of the boat and brought back to the workshop to be worked on and cleaned up and sold.
Remove all the rest of the cupboard doors and locker fronts: remove all cupboards as possible to gain access to the hull to get access to plank fixings
Remove the aft toilet and pipe work and holding tank and deck fittings, clean up toilet and check to see if it can be made to work
Clean out bilges of dirty water and photograph the weights while they are in position and then they need to be removed to the van and cleaned when back at the workshop, then bilges can cleaned so it is possible to get to planking for painting and inspecting for damage or rot. Get tarpaulins’ to cover up rest of boat, use the sheeting I have in the van and screw in place with battens in van.
Try to get butterfly hatches off the deck as well as fore and aft deck hatches so they can be repaired back at the workshop. Make up plywood panels to cover the areas where the hatches are removed.

If I can achieve this list I will be happy and will take as many photos as possible to show how we got on at the end of next week.
 

jstarmarine

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First sight of the interior from last time I was on the boat.



The first of many dustbins full of old bits coming out of the boat and going in the skip of metal srcap bin



A small area of stringer with a small area of rot which needs cutting out and repairing



The hull planking as a area of rot which will removed when the planks are removed and the whole area is treated with fugal spore treatment to kill off any spore in the ribs or frames



The whole area of the hull above the starboard cupboard now exposed for the first time since Chance was build and now the air can get to the hull to help dry out the area



The galley sink is now removed and so is the upper cupboard so more of the hull is exposed to add getting to the plank fixings so that she can be re-fixed the correct way with copper nails and roves and not just screwed together which appears to have been done on some of the planking that as be replaced over the years.


The next three photos s show the galley upper cupboard being taken apart







My brother john adding me with getting the interior ballast out of the bilge so the area can be cleaned and dried out and inspected




The next few photos showing the condition of the bilges once the ballast weights were mostly removed some of the remaining weights are in need of a bit more attention to get them out of where they are wedged in position












 
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Simpson Lawrence catalogues frequently come up on eBay for a few pounds and are a great source of information on period fittings. They usually have excellent descriptions and pictures. I would recommend that you get as earlier a period as you can. They are useful for referencing if you're looking for period items or identification of parts.

For example, currently listed, a 1932 catalogue Vintage 1932 YACHT EQUIPMENT SIMPSON-LAWRENCE CATALOGUE Catalog Boating Sailing | eBay

Just typing Simpson Lawrence always brings up old Glasgow built stuff for yachts.
 

jstarmarine

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Simpson Lawrence catalogues frequently come up on eBay for a few pounds and are a great source of information on period fittings. They usually have excellent descriptions and pictures. I would recommend that you get as earlier a period as you can. They are useful for referencing if you're looking for period items or identification of parts.

For example, currently listed, a 1932 catalogue Vintage 1932 YACHT EQUIPMENT SIMPSON-LAWRENCE CATALOGUE Catalog Boating Sailing | eBay

Just typing Simpson Lawrence always brings up old Glasgow built stuff for yachts.
Hi Blowing old Boots,
It looks interesting but at a cost. Chance does still have Simpson and Lawrence original wheel as it says S&L Glasgow on it. So there is some original parts on her after all these years.

Regards
Simon
 

jstarmarine

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At the moment I am having to use my old small generator as the only form of electric power to power my electric tools and give me lighting in the boat. We I can get some funds available I hope to get a larger generator to give me more power to run more tools and lighting.



Cutting the first of many temporary floorboards for the inside, while I get the old floorboards out and cleaned and dried out and repainted.



The first two temporary floorboards down in position, it is a start just quiet a few more to make before I am finished



Three quarters of the interior ballast removed from the bilges. This was placed from the front end of the main cabin and through the boat to as far back as the forward bulkhead of the aft cabin bulkhead. We worked it out as amounting to about 1 ton of pig iron that was laid in the bilge.




Exposing the hull side in the main cabin exposed a patch of rotten wood in the stringer, thankfully it is localised and the ribs and frames appear to be in good condition. Now the hull planking as a can to dry out now that a cover is over the deck and the air can now circulate around the inside which as not been exposed since 1948.




The old diesel cooker is now removed to be serviced and sold on as it will not needed after the restoration in completed



First of many bins coming out of the boat as more and more of the old furniture and rotten wood comes out of the inside to help expose the hull planking to access the hull planking fixings to ensure the planks are re-fixed the original way., i.e. copper nails and roves and not like some of the past repairs just screwed in position.
 

jstarmarine

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While I try to get to Chance as often as possible, it is sometimes not always easy as this last two weeks as shown. About a month ago, I was able to buy a caravan to live in while up in the north West of England where Chance is presently in storage. I had to do a few things to the caravan to be able to tow it to be near Chance. Good plan, at first everything was going to plan, Bedding and other things needed to fit out our new home from home were sorted.
Then the day we had set to go up country to where Chance is presently in Storage came around. The trip up country when well for the most part apart from the part over the Pennines, this part proved to be a major headache as the traffic on the motorway was going at about 10 to 15 mph for the best part of 8 to 10 miles. My transit van was more than capable of towing our new home from home caravan. So I thought, I spent the first four days working on Chance with the aid of my brother John who had come over from his home in Yorkshire for the four days we were planning to work on the boat. That part of the week when well and we got a fair bit done and made plans for the next time I was going to go up to work on Chance.
Then the fun or not so fun part of the time up at Chance. When had found a place near to Chance to have the caravan for the time we were up there and also a place to keep it when were not working on Chance and we could move the caravan between the two places when we were up working on Chance. Then the Transit developed a problem with changing gears. At first I put it down to my tiredness. However, the problem got worse until the Transit broke down going for some shopping for breakfast, little did in know that this was going to take all day to get sorted out. My wife was with me and she was able to go back to the caravan while I stayed with the Transit until the recovery man and vehicle arrived. The first recovery man came and said he was not able to fix it on the roadside, however he was able to take my wife back to our caravan to get things sorted at tat end. Then I had a long wait until the second recovery man came and he was able to recover the Transit to our caravan so that it was with the caravan.
Next morning they removed the Transit to their depot and the caravan were able to put our caravan into their storage area until it will be possible for me to get up to the North West of ~England to move the caravan to its storage area that we had arrange for it to be in while not working on Chance.
So with Chance all covered over with sheets to keep the weather out of the boat and the caravan sorted at the caravan site in the their storage area, it was time to say farewell to Chance for a little while. Then make the 285 mile trip back home to North Essex and back to work or so I thought. We were a day late leaving the North West and before the trip up to the North West our car was in the local garage for repairs. When I got back home I when round to the garage to ask if the car had been repaired, only to get told that an electrical problem had developed and that they were trying to resolve the problem ASAP.
So the next chapter starts, had to hand back the lease car after we had made it home. The company said it should be able to find another car, but were unable to help out at this time. So then we had to find another car, this proved to be a problem as every local company we phoned did not have any available vehicles. Until at the eleven hour one local company came through and we now have a car until Thursday evening. By which time either my Transit van will be fixed or my wife's car will. As on Friday we have to go to a close friend's funeral. So I am hoping that the car problems are behind us.
Then I can make fresh plans for the next time I go up to Chance to work on her .

In between times it is back to my day job being a boat builder, repairing other peoples and keeping their boat in good order.
 

jstarmarine

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After also most two weeks without my trusty Transit van being off the road with clutch problems, I can return to working on Chance once more and get on with removing more of the inside wood work and loading up the trailer with the old diesel cooker, sea toilet and the large bag of scrap metal and died batteries. Clean up and service the diesel cooker and then put it up for sale the same with the vintage Baby Blake seas toilet which people have said some vintage boat owners wish to put in their boats.
This time I will hope to continue with the main cabin dismantling and work out how to remove the wheelhouse roof to get the engine out of the boat and on to a trailer to transport them back to my workshop to get cleaned up and put up for sale to any one who wishes to restore the engines for their own project.
I also have to work out how to get the fuel and water tanks out and get prices for replacing them as they have been in the boat since she was build and by now will be in a very poor condition. Having being able to see one of the tanks from the engineering room it can be seen that there is a fair amount of rust on the tanks. Although they are not leaking at the moment it would not take a lot to see that they may soon do so in the near future. So while the engines are out it is as gooder time as any to replace the metal tankage. Also to work out the pipe runs for the water system and also the wiring runs through the boat.
 

jstarmarine

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What a day, today has been travelling across the country from one side to the other side. Starting on the east side of the country and driving over the Pennines to the west coast.
Yesterday after a very tiring day driving up the country from my home in the south east of the country in North East Essex. Because of a car crash on the one of the major north to south roads in the country I was using to get to my brother's home and the fact the crash was between the two slip roads I could use to take a different route to my brother's home. That Life, Having had a good nights rest I set off to Chance to get a few things sorted and clean up round the boat. Namely cover up the cooker and the toilet which were not covered up properly when I had to leave last time because of the problems with my Transit van. The clutch problem which was to be repair this last week. It was repaired but then failed after a short while and now back to renting a car to keep working. However, that is a story for another day when I am not so stressed.
I did get to Chance this morning to find her in good order with the covers I put over her still in place and doing their job of keeping the rain and weather off the deck and keeping the inside of the cabins dry. So that next time I am up working on Chance the weather will not be a problem that will stop me and my family working on her interior.

I will be posting a few short videos of the boat in the coming days to highlight what as to be done over the next few weeks and months. The three main areas to finish off are the toilet room and the main cabin cupboards and settee areas to expose the hull in these areas and finally the engine room / compartment which has to have the engines and tankage removed and disposed of and in this area it is going to be completed re-designed to bring it is line with modern requirements.
Lets hope I get my Transit van back on the road soon and I can get on with my work on Chance and make a living doing my day job as a boat builder, which helps fund these early stages of Chances' restoration .
 
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