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

Working on the forecabin planking and ribs and framework under the watchful eye of the ship's mascot



The first of the Chance Restoration mugs now on sale on website and we have other merchandise for you to buy and support the project.



The temporary galley area up and running so we can have a brew wherever we need one during the day while working on Chance,


 
These updates are of the restoration of Chance our James Silver Western Isles Motorsailer, now that we have Chance at Titchmarsh Marina in Walton on the Naze Essex. The restoration can and will be easier to do has Chance is now very close to my own workshop and small yard. Titchmarsh Marina will be Chances' home for the next four to five years while we restore her to her former glory with the aid of our family and friends.
This time I was working in the forecabin of Chance, removing the forecabin hanging locker bulkhead and front and then removing the forward end of the Galley bulkhead which had sections of or areas of rot in the panels which when I return to the workshop with the panels will be set out and get grading pieces grade into them and then refitted once the planking and ribs are sorted and the hull planking on the inside face is repainted with primer an the cream gloss as this appears to be the original colour of the hull planking when I have removed the coats of paint which was painted over the hull planking on the inside the forecabin and the back face of the hanging locker. Newt time I am down at Chance I will have to remove another rib and see how to remove the deck edge covering boards off the foredeck where I have to do a number of repairs and replacement of planks and beam shelf
 

These updates are of the restoration of Chance our James Silver Western Isles Motorsailer, now that we have Chance at Titchmarsh Marina in Walton on the Naze Essex. The restoration can and will be easier to do has Chance is now very close to my Workshop and small yard, I am now working on the forecabin of Chance. I have stated to sand down the planning and the crew's hanging wardrobe bulkhead, I have started on the Bulkhead to find out where the fixings are to remove the bulkhead to gain access to the forecabin bulkhead which needs work doing on it .I am having to replace the mahogany bulkheads with Mahogany Marine Plywood bulkheads as can be sourced easier than mahogany boards which the size I need with be outside my budget.One thing I have found out is that Chance was put together with steel fixings as can be seen where there is nail sickness around the plugs that have started to get stains appearing around the plugs. I have made a good start on this area and will be back during the week.
 
These updates are of the restoration of Chance our James Silver Western Isles Motorsailer, now that we have Chance at Titchmarsh Marina in Walton on the Naze Essex. The restoration can and will be easier to do has Chance is now very close to my own workshop and small yard. In this video you can see that Simon is .down at Chance sorting out a few things to be able to start to rebuilding the cockpit floor bears and be able to refit the cockpit floor down once again and be able to get in and out of the boat easier and also have somewhere to work in a area which is well lit. The main part of the next few days is to sort out the floor bearers for the cockpit and also the galley area and the forecabin where Simon is doing a lot of work sorting out the bilges and the sides of the hull so work can start on the planking and then get the staging up around the boat to take off the covering boards to expose the beam shelf and the tops of the ribs and the deck beams. So just got to sort out the wood for the deck beams and see where Simon goes next.
 

These updates are of the restoration of Chance our James Silver Western Isles Motorsailer, now that we have Chance at Titchmarsh Marina in Walton on the Naze Essex. The restoration can and will be easier to do has Chance is now very close to my own workshop and small yard. Working on removing the deck edge covering board to expose the port side beam shelf so it can be replaced and the fore deck beams which need removing an replacing as well
 
Having removed the panels of mahogany from the forecabin of Chance on the starboard side and got them all outside in front of Chance it was time to inspect them and see what can be salvaged and what will need to be replaced.



This one was the only panel that can be saved out of all the panels as the other panels are rotten in different places which it makes impossible to repair so it is going to be a hunt for some good mahogany faced marine plywood to replace the panels I can not source large enough panels of mahogany.



What I am doing is making sure the old panels can be used as templates for the new panels that are going to be made out of mahogany faced marine plywood



I did not expect to see this on my James A Silver iron nails nailing bulkheads in place. Bulkheads I have worked on in the past have been either screwed in position or bolted never nailed in position iron nails.



The sorting still going on as I get through the pile of wood.

 

In this video I start to remove the portside deck edge covering boards from the stem to the wheelhouse and uncover a mess of broken ribs and rotten ends on the deck beams on the portside of the deck which must have been like that when they fitted the replacement deck edge covering boards last time.The condition of the beam shelf and the deck beams is every likely the reason for the deck itself being the way it is now with a depression in places between the stem and the wheelhouse on the portside. The next course of action is to remove the deck planking to expose how far the problem goes and if any of the foredeck beam can be repaired or if I have to replace the deck beams. Only time will let me know this answer.
 

Back at my workshop in Walton on the Naze, now looking for equipment to use as bracing equipment to keep the bow of the boat together as i remove and repair the foredeck of Chance . I have to find a number of lengths of chain and bottle screws and eye bolts which I can fix to the frames and pull the shape back into the bow of Chance where the rotten ends of the deck beams and the rotten and broken beam shelf as let the top of the hull spread apart a inch or so. This chain bracing equipment will stop it moving any further and should given time bring back the hull to its original shape and position, so any new beam shelf and deck beams will keep the foredeck and shape in its original shape and position.

I will be doing this in the aft end of the boat to bring the starboard side back to the original shape and position at the same time.
 
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