Motor Boat & Yachting — November 2017

foredeck was similarly affected as were the short curved side

supports leading up to it, and the teak deck itself was a complete

write off. The picture wasn’t any prettier at the stern, with another

soggy beam shelf, knackered teak deck and a batch of rotten timbers.

More worryingly, both the front and rear Samson posts used for

berthing her were rotten and unsafe while some of the planks had

started to part company with the supporting structure where they

bent round to meet the transom. The list went on and on but reading

between the lines, the only thing keeping her together was paint,

hope and that mysterious embalming fluid. Clearly this was going to

be a longer job than anticipated. The only good news was that they’d

anticipated uncovering a few hidden evils so there was no extra cost.

SLOWLY DOES IT August 2016

Six months on and progress was proving painfully slow. Most of

the new oak timbers had been carefully steamed into shape

and secured in place using traditional copper nails. A hefty new

deck support had also been fitted in the stern bilge. The quality

of workmanship could not be faulted but at this rate, she wouldn’t

be ready for at least another year. The IBTC admitted that student

numbers were a little lower than hoped and it was clear to see that

they’d also taken on a great many more boats in the intervening

months, most of which were far bigger and in need of even more

work than Isabel II. Part of it also came down to the college’s

necessity to take students through the full repertoire of skills so

once they’d all learnt how to steam and fix a new timber ,they’d

move on to something else rather than finishing the job in hand.

All entirely understandable and made clear to me from the word

go, but less easy to explain to my dozens of relations, all of whom

were hoping to use the boat that summer.

PATIENCE PAYS April 2017

After another long winter, I returned to the IBTC in April this year

hoping to see signs of encouragement. A change of management

seemed to have injected new vigour into the team and a

determination to get Isabel II finished in time for the summer

season. Nick Barnett had taken over project management of the

timeline, leaving Jim Brooke-Jones to lead the team working on

her. Crucially, student numbers were also up and many of them

had fallen for Isabel II’s charms, meaning they were as keen to get

her back on the water as I was.

At the time of my visit, one of them was busy fitting a new plank

to her starboard topside as part of his City and Guilds qualifications,

while others were busy making the new Samson posts. The new

beam shelves and risers were already in place, adding some much-

needed structural rigidity to the countless new timbers. At the

bow, a new waterproof plywood foredeck had also been fitted

and sheathed in epoxy ready for the teak to be laid. Suddenly,

she was starting to look like a boat again rather than a mere

skeleton. Even so, with less than two months to her proposed

launch date and a lot of work still to do including a complete strip

of all her remaining paint and varnish, before filling, fairing and

It seemed the only thing keeping her together was paint, hope and embalming fl uid

78

OWNER’S UPGRADE

With the new decks

in place, she starts to

look like a boat again

One of the students
gets stuck in with
a sanding board

Another measures
up one of the
cross beams

Back in the water and

looking like new after

months of hard work