Newhaven Mitchell sea angler 23 project

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The Madhatter

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Mitchell Newhaven sea angler 23 project

Hi all,

New around these parts so forgive me if I am not up to speed!!

My name is Jonas and I have a Mitchel 23 that came to me as an unfinished project (very unfinished!) with a volvo penta 3000 series inboard that was not fitted and missing lots of bits............

She is clinker built but had been glassed over by the guy who was doing the project (i can hear the groans) and I have spent the last couple of months working on getting her ready for the water.

All in all it has been an adventure that has cost lots more than I expected and as for the time.........well........!

However soon I hope she will be back in Newhaven marina where she was built.

I will try and attach a couple of pictures for those who are interested.

Regards,

Jonas
 
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Good luck with the restoration Jonas, what sort of age is the boat and what is the timber used for planking and frames?
The hull is quite a classic shape, and seen a bit of action by the look of the repaired ribs.
Is the fore-cabin an original design, or could you work a new shape into the renovation?
 
Hi there,

I started out thinking I should just work with what I,ve got to have a useable boat on the cheap..........so it wasn't the intention to restore back to original but as its gone on I couldn't just paint over everything with the attitude "its only an old fishing boat!" She is still an old fishing boat but with some home comforts now!

The only history I have is that she worked as a commercial fishing vessel in the late 70's and 80's and charterwork.

I believe the planking to be mahogany (this is what I have used in repairs).

The wheelhouse was built buy the last guy and having spoken with a few people is not far off the mark but i have moved it forward a bit for more shape and so I could fit berths in there.

I moved the fuel tank into the stern housing and fitted a fresh water tank their too.

I am enclosing the wheel house with doors and putting a sink/hob combo in there for a bit of luxury!

I have attached a couple of pics of a couple of weeks ago.
 
You've been busy getting her tidied up then, the bow on shot with the new paint has got her 'looking the goods'.

When she goes back in the water, keep a close eye on ingress from opened plank joints for the first day or two, a couple of well charged up batteries and a
bilge pump with suitable water transfer ability. Watch out for strainer blockage on the pump pick-up after all the renovation debris, sawdust and shavings etc. in the bilge.

They are a labour of love, but rewarding when completed.
 
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Thank you and yes................pretty busy!
Do you think there may be a problem even though she has been fibreglassed over?
i have 2 x 500gph pumps just in case........and you know what they say about a scared man with a bucket :eek:
 
get a bag of fine -medium sawdust.
7-8foot pole with an empty paint can attached to the end.
when you first launch the boat.if you do get alot of water coming in while the hull swells back up.idealy you need to be on a slipway where you can get down both side's of the boat.
as i say if you get alot of incoming water.fill paint can with saw dust,hold near hull quickly turn up side down, the water preasure will hold the saw dust in the can now..
push can under boat as far as you can reach and turn the can back over, the sawdust will float up and seal any small gaps.
i have rescued a lot of woodern boat's this way.
but hopefuly you wont have any problem with been glassed over if it has been done right..
check water filter for engine before running if you do do this..

happy boating...!!!
 
The Madhatter said:
Thank you and yes................pretty busy!
Do you think there may be a problem even though she has been fibreglassed over?
i have 2 x 500gph pumps just in case........and you know what they say about a scared man with a bucket :eek:
Click to expand...

Sorry Jonas, forgot about the dynal sheathing, she should be fine. Might pay to repack the stern glands (greasey hemp) before she is refloated.

Enjoy your boat mate.
 
Thanks very much for the advice Andie and Moonraker, like the shavings trick and will re pack the stern glands.......I hope she will be dry ish.........I have put on lots of gloopy paint :cool:

I have a 2 hob burner that runs off gas, I was planning on having the cylinder in a locker on deck but someone expressed concerns about leaks going into the bilges..........can you see a better way though?
 
The Madhatter said:
Thanks very much for the advice Andie and Moonraker, like the shavings trick and will re pack the stern glands.......I hope she will be dry ish.........I have put on lots of gloopy paint :cool:

I have a 2 hob burner that runs off gas, I was planning on having the cylinder in a locker on deck but someone expressed concerns about leaks going into the bilges..........can you see a better way though?
Click to expand...

British maritime law may have certain requirements for gas installations, maybe a local bloke might set you straight.
I tend to be very particular about gas, including shut off each time I use it and a gas fuse (safety shut off) above the valve.
 
The Madhatter said:
Thanks very much for the advice Andie and Moonraker, like the shavings trick and will re pack the stern glands.......I hope she will be dry ish.........I have put on lots of gloopy paint :cool:

I have a 2 hob burner that runs off gas, I was planning on having the cylinder in a locker on deck but someone expressed concerns about leaks going into the bilges..........can you see a better way though?
Click to expand...

I had something similar on my boat.

Did away with the gas installation and bought myself one of these little camping stoves (about 10-15 quid from camping store) where the self sealing cartridge (about the size of a spray paint can) goes into the side. The cooker has a pull down switch which disconnects the gas when not in use.
If you just want it for making a brew or the odd meal here or there, they are great. Also, they have four rubber feet, if you get a piece of timber, drill two holes same size and position and fix that to the shelf of your boat the cooker feet can fit into the holes and stops it sliding around when it gets a bit choppy....plus if the weather is nice you can take your little cooker out on deck and cook out in the open.
 
If you want a permanent gas installation, then the standard way to do it is a self contained locker for the gas bottle with a drain that goes overboard. For use at sea, I don't think there any regulations apart from common sense, but for inland use there are rules aplenty.

We have a flexible hose inside the gas locker from the regulator to the fixed piping, and from there on it's copper all the way, pipe clipped every 50cm or so, and protected inside clear PVC pipe everywhere it passes through a bulkhead to prevent chafing. There's then a second isolation valve under the hob and flexible hose to the hob itself from there.
 
Wiggo said:
If you want a permanent gas installation, then the standard way to do it is a self contained locker for the gas bottle with a drain that goes overboard. For use at sea, I don't think there any regulations apart from common sense, but for inland use there are rules aplenty.

We have a flexible hose inside the gas locker from the regulator to the fixed piping, and from there on it's copper all the way, pipe clipped every 50cm or so, and protected inside clear PVC pipe everywhere it passes through a bulkhead to prevent chafing. There's then a second isolation valve under the hob and flexible hose to the hob itself from there.
Click to expand...

I think permanent is the way to go, locker can be right next to hob anyway.........when you say drain, do you mean something like a bilge outlet type of thing?
 
gas locker.
should encase the cylinder.with a drain (hole at bottom)to the outside.
you can fibreglass the inside ,then paint the inside with fire proof paint.
or mount the cylinder on the transom and you dont need a locker at all as any leaks will just vent to the outside.
 
The Madhatter said:
I think permanent is the way to go, locker can be right next to hob anyway.........when you say drain, do you mean something like a bilge outlet type of thing?
Click to expand...

The bottle does not want to be inside the cabin. It wants to be in a locker in the cockpit, designed in such a manner that any leaks cannot get into the bilge. LPG is heavier then air, si a leak get in the bilge and lies there waiting for a spark, to blow your boat up :D

Maybe make a small locker up, with the opening raised a little above the cockpit floor. Then fit a skin fitting so any leaks drain over the side. Same kind of fitting for sink outlets etc.
 
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