Lovejoy Winter Works 2021/22

[AndyTBoater]

I have searched and searched the Forum to find a "Put it in a Skip" thread but couldn't see anything. I suppose it is a sort of restoration so her it is.

This is the initially sad, but ultimately uplifting (hopefully) tale of the 2021/22 winter works of 230Y Lovejoy

Built around November 1967 she is not quite as old as the 1942 born actor Ian McShane who’s character gave the boat its name in 1987.

For a 79 year old Ian McS is looking quite good. Unlike the 55 year old Bourne 35 which, in places, has seen better days.

I suppose that had Mr McShane spent 55 of his 79 years in the water he may look a bit rougher than he does now. So maybe Lovejoy isn’t doing too badly.

.

Anyhoo. On with the story.

Following a bit of work on the underside and a bit of a rewire the previous winter it was decided that this year we would concentrate on the topsides and decks. A dollop of paint here, a touch up of varnish there and a bit of new decking would see her heading back to her glory days and looking great.

The initial plan was to

1.    Replace the 6mm covering on the sliding canopy sides

2.    Remove and epoxy coat the fwd and aft coach roof

3.    Complete rewire of the boat

4.    Replace instrument panel with gauges and switches that matched and worked.

5.    Replace rack and pinion steering with something better

6.    Re arrange the cockpit dinette into an “L” shaped affair with sliding out double berth

7.    Paint the hull and fill in any scratches and dings.

We had allowed 3 months for this with a re-launch due around the first week of March. Loads of time to do it all and be ready for Mrs Lovejoy`s birthday in late March.

If only we had known what she had in store for us. The boat that is – not Mrs Lovejoy.

Kingfisher Robin had agreed to carry out the repairs and Janet Anne Dave would do the electrics. I was tasked with the job of removing all the Teak effect flooring which covered her decks and identify any bits of deck that needed replacing.

Armed with nothing more than a sharp knife I set to work. In reality I had expected it to put up more of a fight but within a day it was all off and in the skip

This I assumed was due to my skill as a boat de-restorer but turned out to be that the decks underneath were a bit damp and the “glue” had separated the covering from the plywood on the deck.

Once the Teak/Lino was off we could see how the rubbing strake/ deck/ cabin sides had been put together

The deck had been put in under the cabin sides and extended to the outside of the hull. The rubbing strake had then been attached to a point level with the top of the deck.

The lino was then attached to the deck and then a capping strip was put on to cover the join in the deck/cabin sides. Toe rails were screwed through the deck on the outboard side and the whole lot had then received a massive dollop of mastic to seal it all up.

A few years of people wandering around on the decks had caused the mastic to split and consequently any water running down the cabin side would not, as designed, trickle over the capping strip and run safely away but would dribble down behind it, run under the deck/ cabin side join and into the boat.

If, by some miracle it did run across the deck it would find its way behind the rubbing strake and down the outside of the hull.

As you can imagine, it was quite damp under there.

In fact, the decks underneath the covering were so wet that the moisture had soaked right through to the underside.

It was so wet in places that it was decided that the only way it would ever dry out is if we put it on the fire. So the task of removing all the decks commenced.

I poked the first bit near the Portside heads with my finger and clearly used too much of the massive power in my hands as the 20mm thick ply gave way and fell into the hull. I am clearly stronger than I thought.

I used a hand held circular saw, set to the correct depth so I could cut a line 2 inches from the cabin sides all the way around the deck near the cabin side where the wood was damp. This turned out to be the entire circumference of the boat. The 2 inch strip cutting thing was, apparently, the “proper” way to do it but I have a sneaking feeling Robin was a bit concerned about my power tool using ability and feared that I would cut off bits I wasn’t supposed to.

The deck was then levered up with a bar and I worked my way around peeling off ever larger chunks of sodden wood. This included some of the deck support beams which I could actually squeeze the water from

As I continued with my levering skills it became readily apparent that the rubbing strakes were quite moist as well. It had been hoped that at least the inner strake could be saved but after a quick once over from Robin and Janet Anne Dave/Ally this too was condemned and I was instructed to remove that as well.

This was now getting serious. I was 4 days into it and was already removing more bits than anyone though would be required.

As a note of caution to people who may be thinking of covering their decks with lino – DON’T. It was a good make and professionally applied but don’t. Just don’t.

 

More to come following a short sit down and a minor crying session.

 

[AndyTBoater]

OK – so last time I wrote I had the lino, decks and all the rubbing strakes removed and either skipped or burnt.

The rubbing strakes were quite messy and actually came off quite easily. This was good. Well, good for me as I had 80 odd feet of it to remove.

I was in the forward cabin tracing wires back for the upcoming rewire by JA Dave and Robin was on the outside poking about to see what the cabin sides were like.

Suddenly, and without any prior warning a rather large hand appeared through the cabin side under a window. This, I thought is not good. Surely having one hand on the inside of the cabin side whilst the owner of that hand was outside meant there were more problems coming my way.

Oh yes dear reader. So many more problems.

It wasn’t a large hole. Robin could get both hands through but couldn’t quite clap. Hi statement that “It’ll all be fine” was, I believe more to reassure him than me.

As he worked around the bottom of the cabin sides it didn’t appear too bad. My suggestion of trimming away the bottom 10mm of the cabin and adding another 10mm of deck on top wasn’t laughed at or treated with (much) derision. Yes I would have 30mm thick decks but it would allow us to cut out the rot and have a pretty new deck under an old but stable cabin side. All was right in the world.

And then Robin got to the inner deck beam that supported the sliding roof. A gentle prod with a chisel showed that this too had rotten away to almost nothing.

 

No amount of extra deck thickness would cure this. More mumblings of “It’ll be OK” came from Robin but this time in a slightly higher pitched voice. I have since been informed that a true boat builders voice will raise in pitch as the job list gets longer until ultimately it reaches a frequency that only dogs and bats can hear. We were not there yet but it was getting close.

We decided to walk away from the mess for a while and drink tea.

Lots of Tea

[BrundallNavy]

Robins “it will be ok” was the reference to his bank account. 

[grendel]

it was all wood, it can all be replaced with new solid wood- with time and money.

[JanetAnne]

It will be fine but.... just to add to your tale of woe, you are getting low on Cadburys Mini Eggs!

There is some good news though.  Parts of the original deck are now almost dried out enough to burn.

 

[Smoggy]

Just remember these 3 magic words and it will be fine.

Glass

Reinforced

Plastic

[AndyTBoater]

32 minutes ago, Smoggy said:

Just remember these 3 magic words and it will be fine.

Glass

Reinforced

Plastic

Aah. Yeah. About that. News on a possible grp conversion coming soon. 

[AndyTBoater]

In order for me to gain full "wooden" boat rights it has been suggested that we clad Lovejoy in 1 inch thick Utile planks. 

JA suggests 10 inch wide planks while Robin reckons cutting the wood down to make 4 inch tongue and groove. 

We have enough wood but I am undecided and would welcome suggestions. 

[BroadAmbition]

Why Utile?

have you done a deal on it or is there an excess quantity available?

Griff

[AndyTBoater]

1 hour ago, BroadAmbition said:

Why Utile?

have you done a deal on it or is there an excess quantity available?

 

There is always a deal to be done. 

It seems to have gained popularity with boaty people of late. 

African Mahogany 

Janka Hardness 1,070 lbf (4,760 N) The softest but still very close to Utile.

Sapele: Janka Hardness 1,410 lbf (6,280 N) The hardest of the three options.

Utile: Janka Hardness 1,180 lbf (5,260 N)

So harder than Sapele and nearly as hard as African. 

Half the price of African Mahogany,  very straight grain and looks beautiful when varnished. 

And at the moment a lot easier to get. As well as being sourced from sustainable forestry  practices. 

I like it a lot. 

[BroadAmbition]

Nice one and thanks for the detailed answer.

Come April we will be replacing the top, middle and bottom rubbing strakes as well as the toe rail on 'B.A'  I was advised by a knowledgeable chap to go for Meranti, but now have also been advised to use Utile

I need to consider crush strength, weather resistance. longevity and the ability of accepting varnish

Your thoughts?

Btw - availability / supply has to be considered.

Price is of no concern (I typed that one whilst blindfolded)

Also I do need to consider Grendel and his scale models, don't want to pi55 him orf, he is both bigger and way more uglier than me 

Griff

[TheQ]

Now I remember why I went for a plastic fantastic, having maintained much smaller wooden boats I knew I didn't have the time nor money for a wooden broads cruisers maintenance.

Good luck with your rebuild though..

 

Odd fact about Lovejoy... 

The very first person to speak on the series, came from Horning, Nick Gardener, who was a very junior person at radio Norfolk, he was selected to speak the scene setting words at the start of the first show. Nick's now a TV producer in London but still escapes to sail at Horning when he can.. Helped me by my first boat a laser dinghy he did.

[CambridgeCabby]

They filmed an episode of Lovejoy at my old boarding school , Bishops Stortford College , using the playing grounds , cricket pavilion and a couple of the boarding houses .

The old head groundsman , Mr Wagstaff, literally stood ground the whole time the crew were there to ensure not one foot stepped on his precious 1st team cricket square (which was MCC rated and approved).

[AndyTBoater]

Robin still had another job on a small fishing boat that, as with all boats, had more work to do on it than was anticipated. This meant I had time to strip of the old canvas over wood cabin roofs.

 Judicious use of a Stanley knife, hot air gun and some powerful pulling had both front and rear cabin tops stripped in a couple of days. The glue that held the canvas on was not so yielding and it was another 2 days of scraping and thinners to remove the sticky residue and sand back to clean wood.

There were only a couple of small patches that needed attention. More because Robin said they were slightly hollowed than for rot or snot.

With guidance from The Master`s hand I cut and chiselled these out and will epoxy some Birch ply back in later.

I do have to say that the hands in the pictures are Robins. And despite him being a skilled, time served and knowledgeable bloke I was the one who had to tell him that this was not quite the bit of the hammer you should use to hit things. 

And probably not the correct hammer either. (Its my hammer BTW) 

The original roof bits are actually in good nick. As will be the rest of it when finished.

 

[AndyTBoater]

So here we go again. Its been a long time since the last report. Mainly because lots has happened to make it look like nothing has happened. Whilst I have been busy doing inside things (re routing the water supply, installing cable tray, cutting down the board behind the helm, removing the Fwd dinette seat and associated gubbins) Robin has taken over the removal of all the wet bits of wood. And there is a lot of wet bits. 

As the last bits of deck were removed (the bits I had been told to leave alone) it became apparent that the Runners for the sliding roof were also a bit moist.

 

So these will need replacing. As will all 70 odd deck support beams. And quite a bit of the cabin sides.

 

Leaving Robin to sort that out I turned my attention to the dinette. Mrs L had decided that she wanted an L shaped dinette with a pull out bed instead of the face to face seating and drop down table affair we already have. 

When we realised that Robin had enough on his hands with decks I have built a box type seat thing which will give her the l shape she wants. It is only a temporary fix and next years plan is to make tyhe pull out bed bit. 

 

BEFORE

AFTER 

Its a bit narrow as seats go but it'll all work out in the end. Probably

You may also notice that there are other bits (like the cabin sides) that are now a bit short of hitting the deck. I am assured that the IS enough mastic in the world to fill this. If we are careful

Honestly - its coming together

Join us next time for pics if the decks actually on the boat and also hear about the new discovery of bodginess that is the forward cabin and roof supports

 

Andy