Life's a Gamble, so lets take a Chance Restoration Project

The skylights are now covered with plywood while we work on the rest of the boat. The skylight hatches are now varnished and in storage until it is time for them to go back on once the base part as been restored to its original condition and varnished again. The sliding doors will have to be removed and repaired as necessary and new glass made and fitted once more. There is also some work to be done on the wheelhouse side where it as been damaged and not repaired very well in the past.  The aft cabin hatch top section as been repaired however, the bottom part needs a bit of TLC and rubbing down re-varnishing   

At last I have a galley work top to put the kettle on and make a brew while working on Chance. I just need to get the Microwave from my workshop and I will be able to heat up food while working on the boat without having to leave Chance. I do have a camping fridge onboard so I can keep food onboard over night when needed.   I do have my mug from my son onboard a present from a couple of years ago on father's day The window is blanked off as is the chimney hole which is one of the holes which as to be filled in as the cooker is going back in its original position in the galley space. I just have to build a new framework to sit it on after the other work in that area of the boat is done.  The port side window as been blanked off as well and so as the vent for the diesel heater which was fitted to the main bulkhead at the front of the main cabin. The diesel heater was originally fitted on this bulkhead below the restoration project sheets on the bulkhead and will be going ba...

The aft heads compartment appears to have faired reasonable okay . The main job in here will be to fill the hole on the cabin side and start to remove the loose paint and inspect the area for rot and sort out any holes in the deckhead where vents have been removed over the years and blanks need to be put over the holes. The engineering room needs a lot more work as there are a lot more holes to cover both on the deck which is missing and the hull planking as well The port side cabin side may be able to be sorted out with grading pieces in some areas as much of the cabin side is not badly rotten. Unlike the starboard side which is going to be needing to be replaced completely  I may well be able to save the aft cabin side as well just need to inspect more to see if this is the case. This port hand side of the hull is in reasonable condition and will need the paint removing and the gaps in the planks covering over until funds become available to re-plank this area of the hull Chance ...

This is the original Baby Blake toilet out of Chance completely dismantled and ready to be check over to see what parts are needed to restore the toilet back to a working toilet once more This is the second toilet which we got a few years ago and are now in the process of dismantling and doing the same checks on this toilet to see which parts are needed to restore this toilet back into a working toilet again. The design of this second toilet differs in that this part is different to the original toilet, We may have to change this part for a modern part which the company who own the Baby Blakes now have as a replacement part. This part needed a bit of tapping with a mallet and a piece of wood to come out of the pump housing. It is likely it as not been apart since it was build over 50 years ago. The original toilet as been clean and soda blasted and is now ready to go back together once the parts as ordered and the body of the toilet have been repainted. The bowl as got the original fac...

  https://youtu.be/F6xkAPTKnnU .After a long while doing other jobs on Chance. I thought it time to deep dive into the ship's toilets and show the inner working of these classic marine toilets. The one in bits is the original toilet out of Chance's aft heads compartment and the other two toilets are toilets that I have collected over the past few years in or=der to rebuild the original toilet. However there appears to be enough parts that stripping down the two other toilets there is going to be enough parts to make a second toilet for the toilet missing out of the forecabin of Chance. I am going to do a series of video's showing the dismantling of the two spare toilets and the rebuild of two of the toilets in toilets that will be back in working order once more. That's the plan !!!

Chance's Original Navigation lights back from the company (Davey & Co Ltd) which originally made them for her back in 1948 when Chance was commissioned. Just had to rewire them and now they are ready to be mounted on their backing panels before they go back on the wheelhouse roof where they were originally positioned  

https://youtu.be/ZMt_3mdRtaA   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. This update is continuing on with the framework pattern making and starting on work on the original Davey & Co Ltd Navigation lights off Chance. They have been loving restored to their original condition and have had all the missing or otherwise damaged parts replaced and in some cases have had new parts custom made to the original patterned parts from the original parts of the inner working parts. These lights will be rewired and new LED bulbs fitted to increase the strength of the lights. We are looking for a steaming light and stern light of the same design so that Chance will have a complete set of original design navigation lights once Chance is back in the water and th...

  https://youtu.be/QHUfLw3ykDY 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. Once we have her back afloat we hope to sail her back to the Silver's boatyard in 2028 which will be 80 years a since Chance was launched at the Boatyard. This video is showing Simon making the new patterns for the cross beams of the transom framework before he tackles the sternpost knee and then moving on to the outer edge framework that connects the whole of the framework together in one piece that can be fitted to the back of the hull in one piece the way it was originally made up when Chance was originally build back in 1...

Now we have the space to lay out the pieces of the transom frame work, we can see how much of the original can give us a good idea of what is useable as patterns and what will have to be made up. The plywood pattern is of the outer edge of the transom frame work which is missing and will have to be made up from some of the seasoned oak pile out in the yard. The old pieces were screwed on to the sternpost knee so that the shape can be remade. The sternpost knee is in three pieces and will put together so that it can be used as a pattern. The last floor bearer which will need made into a pattern and the angles to make it the correct shape to refit the hull once the hog is replaced. So let the fun begin on the major project.