If any of you are interested this is a big repair job as well as a deck stepping. A long way to go yet though!

Something to keep you busy as winter approaches!

Excellent. Really interesting stuff. Please keep us updated with more pictures as the project progresses.

Dear Jeremy,

She's looking a lot better than she did. I remember how beautiful she was when new so looking forward to seeing the end product. Suspect this project is keeping you out of the pub!!

I will keep posting pictures in this gallery and updating it. Is is keeping me well away from the pub Chris! I am looking forward to having her finished. I have some lovely stripy Sapele decks and maple Gunwhales to go her so she is going to look great (I hope!)

If any one has a carbon mast they don't want I will be in the market for one soon!

See Alex Jackson's post of 26th July.

Yeah I saw that one but I a don't really want to spend that kind of money and so that probably rules Chipstows out. A brand new SS is about that.

Jeremy

Fantastic job you are doing and look forward to the next set of pictures. Well done!

Do you plan to varnish internally or paint with 2 pack for low maintenance?

The plan is to varnish but I have to get all the white non-slip paint off that the previous owner put in it. There is quite allot of it and not just on the floor!

Dear Jeremy
You are doing a great job.
If I can help, after my experience with 1981, please contact me . Regards ,Mike.

Thanks Mike. My next big job is the keel and garboard planks. If I come unstuck I will let you know.

Jeremy,

I want to strip the inside of 1053 to remove some really poor varnish and paint (some of which is lifting). How did you do it and how was your back afterwards?


Terry

With Nitromors paint stripper a very sharp scrapper, lots of patience, sweat and yes a sore back!

If you can arrange to have your boat on her side then stripping and refinishing the interior is a much less back breaking job. However I fully understand that this is a damn sight easier to manage with the 5'6 wide 110lb boat as I have as opposed to doing the same thing with a Merlin. You can do a lot with ropes and pulleys from the garage roof and slabs of foam building insulation to protect from bumps and bashes.

3 stools, one for the bow, 2 for the stern.  Boat upside down thereupon.

Sit up inside the boat on a milk crate and crack on with it.  And maybe ventilate if the garage door is shut....

That is all well and good, but with no thwart, tank or deck beams and with the planking coming away from the transom, I would not advise anyone to try and put the boat on its side or upside down! It was hard enough to keep her in shape sitting upright on a trolly.

looking good in the latest photos. Best of luck.

Just posted the latest pics.

What style bilge keels are you fitting jez? ;)

Well at the rate it is going I figure I might just hang out till the next AGM and take them off completly!!

I did think about doing something with them but I am not sure there is enough advantage to faf that much!

Jez did you consider using one piece of ply to form the vertical of the bow tank,the girder of the shroud position and the inwhale of the foredeck ?

I did consider that mate, yes, but I decided that it gave me more flexability to incorperate other things to do with the rigging if I did it seperatly, not to mention it made it alot easier to form the right shape on the bottom edge! That is my next job so we will see how it comes out when done!

For those of you who are not bored by this project yet, here is the latest instalment of pictures and comments for you. 

This one is really keeping me going!

Great pictures and a lovely job. I envy you your skill, workspace and time! :)

Thanks Brian. Sadly the space is not mine! It belongs to my parents who very kindly allow me to use it. As for time, that is tight too but I am one of those people who gets fidgety if I am still for to long so this keeps my evenings full! Hope you got my last email. Let me know what the situation is when you can.

Great work Jeremy. Its good to see a championship winning boat being restored. 
Did anyone take on the restoration of another significant Merlin, Summer Wine?  It looked in a woeful state when it appeared on the forum before.

It is always sad to see these historic boats left to go rotten but sadly it is not cost effective to save them. 

Panatella was built for my father and was his when Pat won the champs in her. It was the first boat I ever sailed and hence I wanted to save her. I have spend more on timber than the boat would be worth with a standard rig on her and that is without a labour charge. I have no idea what a boat builder would have charged for the work I have done but it would be in the thousands. 

As a class we are lucky to have so many skilled carpenters and such devotion that these boats are regularly being picked up and put back on the water. 

Does any one Know if Summer Wine did get a new owner, or has she been destroyed?

I did enquire about 3090 but the wife put a stop on another boat appearing in the garden for renovation! The chap was only down the road in Uckfield. I think I still have his details so will try and find out. Shame if she was destroyed as she looked so graceful on the water especially the photo in the Merlin Rocket Book.

Another update for you all to see. A big step this time as the inside is now varnished and the decks are on. Just starting the gunwhales.

Jeremy I am full of admiration.  Can't think of a better use for a bulldog clip!
It also reminds me of why I shouldn't buy an older Merlin off eBay "just needing a bit of TLC" even if tempted!

Nice work Jeremy! There's nothing better than sapele decks and you're doing a great job with the gunwales and inwales, both of which are very tricky jobs

Last update of 2011. It is coming along nicely but there has been some major works that look like nothing now! Took alot of time and effort and an extra pair of hands for most of the gunwhales.

Happy Christmas everyone, I look forward to racing her next year!

Looking very good Jez. Nice job on the new decks.

Gunnel's looking nice too what wood did you use?

Just spent the year working on 3372 Diamond Smiles. The decks were in a bad way. Thought about puting carbon on, but decided to wait until we have had a sail, so I patched the holes, bleached the stains and gave it, one coat of 50% boiled linseed oil and turps(the real stuff), then one coat of 25% x75% followed by loads of varnish, looks great.
Linseed can be used without varnish. It is used on wooden yacht masts, no cracking protecs the wood even if scratched

Cheers guys.

Since Sycamore has proved so hard to get hold of I have used Maple. It is pretty much exactly the same bar a slightly more pronounced grain.

Broz, have you removed the shroud neumatics?

for future reference:-

or:-

Hydrolic shrouds gone

Another update. Should be the penaultimate post as she is not far off now. unfortunately Facebooks album has messed the order up at the end but you will get the gist of it.

Mast has now been stepped for the first time, just need to order some lowers and shrouds for it rather than string!

On the water for the start of the season I hope.

A really good job.  Well done. Can you please tell us your measurment from stem to front of mast? Thanks.

Not off the top of my head but I will have a look tonight and let you know.

Great job Jeremy, well done!

Just followed the pix from start to finish and all I can say is 'Wow'! She looks lovely, and I'm jealous not only of the boat but also the skills you obviously have to make her so.  Hope to see her on the water some time.  Great job - well done.

Fantastic job.

What a brilliant job Jeremy, no wonder you're pleased with the result.  Is it right that your Mum stripped the hull, did all the carpentry and painted it ...... and you just took the photos?

Yes John. I can just see Mum out in the garage scraper in hand!! I hope you have got Tumbling Dice back together in time for the new season, I am looking forward to racing her again.