Restoration of the classic 1930's yacht Gadfly II/Mai Star II

  Now after other projects have been finished and boats that have been clogging up the yard because their owners had not worked on their boats it was time to sort out the yard so that Mai Star II could be put where she had been needed to be put for such a long time under cover and be able to be worked on. The place where Mai Star II hd been for the past years is now got an Enterprise dinghy in its place, this Enterprise is in for some TLC before being put up for sale to aid the restoration of Mai Star II.   The grey shed now as the repaired cover over it again after a long time as it needed to be repaired as it spilt along the centre line along the peak of the roof. The preair was much cheaper than getting new cover and will help give us more funds to get the restoration of Mai Star II underway again. We know that in time we will will have to replace the roof, however, in the meantime as long as we look after the cover it should last a a good long while over the summer.  ...

Now that some boats have come and gone it will shortly time to move Mai Star II across the yard to its new home in the grey shed. One of the first jobs to do will be to clear the pace around Mai Star II to make the move as easy as possible across the yard.  The main job in the grey shed will be to put the cover back over the frame and fix it down again so that it does not get damaged again. The boats that are in the Greyshed at the moment will be coming out, one to go in the workshop to have some work done on it so that it can be used this summer exploring the local creeks and having picnics and after the mast and other spars are made go sailing as well. The Other boat will put up for sale as it is too much of a handful to sail any longer.  So we are going to get this space cleared ready for the big move shortly, then the work can start on Mai Star II over the summer along side Chance's restoration.  

At the moment Mai Star II is out in the open and not drying out at all. However, opposite this photo I have a semi permanent shelter in which to put Mai Star II into and so it can dry out and work can be started on her. The shelter as power and lighting and a work bench in the shelter so that work will be easier to do once it is moved across the yard. Also it the workshop there is a boat that is coming closer to the end of its major refit and where Mai Star II is now standing will be where the yacht in the workshop will be going prior to it being finished of and get loaded on to transport to be launched and sea trailed and then siled back to its home port in the North West of Scotland later this year. So it is time to start making bit move so that this plan can be enacted and that Mai Star II can be started on and be restored.

Still waiting to get the framework repaired so that I can put a cover over the boat so that we can start work on Mai Star II. In the meantime Simon as been sorting out the deck beams and other parts to be able in the near future, be able to start fitting new deck beams to Mai Star II to stop her spreading apart. Some of the deck beams are in a poor condition in some cases cracked and full of holes where iron fixing were used and the iron rotted the oak away making the beams being able to move and when any load was put on them they cracked.  This pile is a mixture of cabin top beams and deck beams. These beams will be used as patterns and new laminated beams made which will be a lot stronger and give plenty of strength.  Another pile of deck beams and cabin side carlins as well as cockpit coaming carlins as well. This pile is made up of much of the varnish work, namely the rubbing strakes toe rails and other trims from both inside and outside the boat  

 This job can not be left any longer as I need to get on with the boat and get it back together and sailing again as soon. Because of other work commitments and life in general it has not been at the top of my to do list. However, Now that I have the workshop to myself and not having to share it with any one else I have to make plans to move some of the boats along and get them out of the yard.  One being Mai Star II which now that I have much of the wood needed for her restoration, I can get on and do the work. However, I start have to re-weld to together the framework shed to go over the top of Mai Star II and then get a cover to go over her and get the boat dried out  again so that work can get done on her.  Over the past few weeks my son as removed the last of the deck beams and knees which were in the way of working on the tops of the frames and refitting the ribs which need to be replaced as a matter of urgency. As the longer Mai Star II is left the worse the s...

Screwing together the broken parts into something that looks like the frame and its shape. The two first parts of the four parts that make up this frame. The frame now looking more like it should so we can take a pattern off this to make the new four parts of this frame. This shows the small twist the frame had when it was originally made up and fitted to the boat. Now it is time to put in the boat and see how far out of the shape this and the hull are and then make up the new frame with the correct shape and once this is made and fitted the ribs will be steamed in position and then we can move on to the rest of the hull and ort out any problem the hull as.  

Now we have almost all the parts that have been taken off Mai Star II over the past two years, it is time to sort out the parts we are keeping and which parts are just bring kept for use as patterns. Having sanded back the cabin sides they will be given a sealing coat of varnish until such a time when they go back in place on the new deck structure later in the restoration project. The hull as been given a good vacing out and got all the areas clear to make the new frame and to steam the five missing ribs so putting back the shape into that part of the hull.