The Restoration of Mai Star II (Gadfly II)

jstarmarine

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Now we have almost all the parts that have been taken off Mai Star II over the past two years, it is time to sort out the parts we are keeping and which parts are just bring kept for use as patterns.



Having sanded back the cabin sides they will be given a sealing coat of varnish until such a time when they go back in place on the new deck structure later in the restoration project.



The hull as been given a good vacing out and got all the areas clear to make the new frame and to steam the five missing ribs so putting back the shape into that part of the hull.

 

jstarmarine

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Screwing together the broken parts into something that looks like the frame and its shape.



The two first parts of the four parts that make up this frame.





The frame now looking more like it should so we can take a pattern off this to make the new four parts of this frame.



This shows the small twist the frame had when it was originally made up and fitted to the boat.



Now it is time to put in the boat and see how far out of the shape this and the hull are and then make up the new frame with the correct shape and once this is made and fitted the ribs will be steamed in position and then we can move on to the rest of the hull and ort out any problem the hull as.

 

jstarmarine

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She's a pretty thing.

What is the motorboat with blue topsides?

Hi Ben,

Mai Star II is a pretty boat, she was designed by Bob Anderson of Anderson Rigden and Perkins of Whitstable in 1939. Much of the design was from other designs of the time with differences Bob Anderson made himself to Mai Star II design. Although Mai Star II was started in 1939, she was not launched until 1946 after the war work had been finished by the yard and there was time to finish her off and get her launched for the 1946 sailing season. We are now at a point where we can start the restoration with the hull in a position to start making the missing and broken frame and make a new oak four section frame to replace the old frame which you can see screwed back together with the parts that survived the frame being removed. So it is a start in the right direction now.

The boat with the blue topside is a clients boat which is in the workshop to get the deck re-veneered and a paint job on the hull and have a new engine bay hatch made and the engine and sterndrive leg refitted before it goes out on its first sea trail in over 10 years. So busy at the moment with these jobs and a couple of other jobs in other places.
 

jstarmarine

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This job can not be left any longer as I need to get on with the boat and get it back together and sailing again as soon. Because of other work commitments and life in general it has not been at the top of my to do list. However, Now that I have the workshop to myself and not having to share it with any one else I have to make plans to move some of the boats along and get them out of the yard.


One being Mai Star II which now that I have much of the wood needed for her restoration, I can get on and do the work. However, I start have to re-weld to together the framework shed to go over the top of Mai Star II and then get a cover to go over her and get the boat dried out again so that work can get done on her.

Over the past few weeks my son as removed the last of the deck beams and knees which were in the way of working on the tops of the frames and refitting the ribs which need to be replaced as a matter of urgency. As the longer Mai Star II is left the worse the shape becomes.

So it is time to act and get the ball rolling and get on with rebuilding the framework and get the cover over the boat again and get the work underway again.
 

jstarmarine

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These last couple of years have been a roller coaster ride for the team at the Mai Star II Restoration project. Having to keep going through the Covid 19 pandemic and the fall out from that which put pay to much of the work we wish to do on Mai Star II.
Mai Star II is close to our home and my workshop so that it can be work on during quite times while working on my other clients boat during the working week.

A lot of loose items are now out of Mai Star II and in the workshop waiting to be worked on when there is time to work on them between other work. One of the main jobs that as to be tackled is making new foredeck deck beams which were removed when the deck was removed and the ends were rotten or broken., so new deck beams are having to be made to replace the old deck beams.
Once all the items that were going to make Chance lighter were removed then we felt happy that it was time for Chance to move south. This happened on the 1st of November last year.
Now that there is more space in the yard it is planned that Mai Star II will be moved to the temporary shed in the yard so that it is under cover, so that work can get on with the hull over the coming months.
So at the moment we are continuing to do some of the smaller jobs off Mai Star II and when the weather gets better and the spring gets here then we will try again to get on with the major jobs we had planned to do last year this year.
These setbacks have made us more determination to push on with Mai Star II restoration and like it says we all need and we are going to give Mai Star II a second chance.
 

jstarmarine

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Yes Ben, Mai Star II as a very sloppy hull and when I had her in the water and rigged she would sail like the wind. May be because of her sailing rig and sweet lines.
 

jstarmarine

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Still waiting to get the framework repaired so that I can put a cover over the boat so that we can start work on Mai Star II.



In the meantime Simon as been sorting out the deck beams and other parts to be able in the near future, be able to start fitting new deck beams to Mai Star II to stop her spreading apart.



Some of the deck beams are in a poor condition in some cases cracked and full of holes where iron fixing were used and the iron rotted the oak away making the beams being able to move and when any load was put on them they cracked.



This pile is a mixture of cabin top beams and deck beams. These beams will be used as patterns and new laminated beams made which will be a lot stronger and give plenty of strength.



Another pile of deck beams and cabin side carlins as well as cockpit coaming carlins as well.



This pile is made up of much of the varnish work, namely the rubbing strakes toe rails and other trims from both inside and outside the boat

 
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