Pearl White and a hello.

[Ratty and Moley]

Hello one and all,

We are currently embarking on the restoration of "Pearl White". Thing is all we know is that she is approx 16ft stem to stern and has a beam of about 5ft 6 or 7.

She has a Stuart Turner 8HP P55 installed (in a rather sad state). We've sent an e-mail to the manufacturers of the engine to see if we can trace at least a year for the engine and possibly a boatyard or otherwise that it may have been supplied to. (Well unless you ask you will never know will you?) There is some suspicion that she may also be able to be fitted with a mast and sailed. The has a central(ish) mounted wheel to steer.

We know she has been laid up for about 15 years too. Made of wood the hull appears sound (so far).

Oh we also know that she was named after the B&W film star of the 1910's - 1920's with the same name.

Thing is we know nothing of her type or history and wondered if anyone out there may know something so we can fill in her rather blank history.

We'll post a picture when we can get a good clear side shot.

ATVB and thanks for any info or help you can give.

Ratty & Moley

 

[BlueLancer]

A very warm welcome to the crazy and expensive world of wooden boats. I can't help with any info , but one of my forum associates will be long shortly to help.

 

[oldsaltoz]

Welcome to the forums.

I do hope you love timber boats, they look fantastic but the hour and hours of effort required to keep them looking nice needs dedication, not to mention some cash.

Best of luck.

 

[Ratty and Moley]

Pearl White & a hello ** Now with pictures **

Thanks for the welcome folks.

We have managed to get some pictures when we uncovered her fully for the first time on Monday.

Hopefully they may help someone help us identify at least her type or builder...

Over to you and thanks for any help

 

[Romeo]

Whereabouts is the secret forest in which you found her?

 

[Ratty and Moley]

It is not actually a forest, rather its the bottom of one of our gardens, that is fortunately near a river.

 

[Ratty and Moley]

Quick update for you

We now have a blog: BLOG
and all the pictures to date have been loaded here: IMAGES

We just need to find out some more history...

Anyone got any clues?

MTIA

Ratty & Moley

 

[oldfrank]

Great! That'll fettle up a treat. Bin the lid. You'll have a lot of fun in that old boat. OF

 

[LittleShip]

It will make a very nice day boat when completed.......

Now having undertaken a rebuild job several years ago I feel I am of enough experience to advise you on your first important purchase.....

Ibuprofen and any muscle rub you fancy....

It's always much harder graft than you think it will be but the rewards well....... ?

All the best with the project

Tom

 

[Romeo]

Hey, good luck. Satisfying to start stripping stuff out. Agree re binning the lid. Is the fancy carved wood bit a seat back which slots in to the structure on either side of one of the thwarts?

 

[lesweeks]

You know, I'm not a MoBo man, but I can see why you've fallen for this old girl. I'm two years into a four year (hopefully) restoration job so I know what's in store for you; you'll end up knowing every nail and square inch of wood and have a great deal of pleasure - and some anguish - bringing her back to life. I agree with dumping the lid, that'll do nothing for her looks, be brave and go for it. Good luck, and don't be afraid to post a few pictures as you go along.

 

[elv_1986]

This could be a lovingly converted old ships lifeboat?

 

[DownWest]

Most life boats are double ended. Why do I smell a military origen?
A

 

[penfold]

Wow, just wow. You're a braver man than me taking that on. I can't decide whether the retention of water in the bilge is a good sign(shows watertightness) or bad(will have allowed rampant rot); on balance probably both. The switch box will just be a random addition from a surplus dealer, milspec equipment is usually robust and sometimes water resistant. The 'lid' looks awful, don't bother with that, although a fixed canopy like these would be nice for use on sheltered water.

 

[Ratty and Moley]

Hello again,

Oddly enough the day the day the comment about a lifeboat was posted I was trying to describe her shape to someone at work and used that exact phrase!

It is frustrating not knowing exactly what her original purpose was. Have had a brief look around at military launches etc but nothing matches.
The AM panel is indeed probably just from a spares box somewhere.

Given the tempermentality (so they say) of ST engines would they be used in a lifeboat? I've seen some lifeboats that aren't double ended.
Could she have been a launch or tender instead?

Oh we'll let you know on the rot front. She seems quite sound so far.

 

[penfold]

That era of ship's lifeboat were almost exclusively unpowered; just a gunter rig thing and death by oars(control of oar driven lifeboats curiously is still part of the STCW95 survival craft training schedule). The transom stern probably marks it as some kind of service launch.