Classic Boat – August 2019

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Above left to right:
the superstructure
has had the
protective grey
paint stripped and
been revarnished;
loading Mary Islay
in Jersey; the new
oak stern knee

Below: On the
cover of Yachting
World 1957

62 CLASSIC BOAT AUGUST 2019

MARY ISLAY


and towed to the yard. Nice and easy.”
The main items of known structural work included
the oak stern knee which had some rot caused by
electrolysis where it had been penetrated by the rudder
stock and stern tube and had to be replaced, also in oak;
the 10ft x 6in x 3in bilge keels needed to be repaired and
refastened; and the oak fenders on the topsides – all of
the lower ones and the aft parts of the upper ones – were
renewed in iroko after fresh water had penetrated and
led to rot between them and the topsides planking. The
planking itself was fine although some bronze screws
which had corroded were replaced. But an unexpected
structural issue was the Douglas fir stringers which, due
to fresh water ingress, had rotted both sides over a length
of 2ft 6in amidships. Had this been known, it would
have been another very good reason not to bring the
boat across the channel under her own steam.
The teak laid deck is original (albeit slightly worn)
and, more remarkably, so is the deck caulking. This

Mary Islay’s designer, John Powell, is much better
known for his mast making than his boat designs. In
his early years, he served his time as a boatbuilding
apprentice and was also employed by Laurent Giles,
Robert Clark and Arthur Robb. In 1948 he was
working for Sussex Shipbuilding Co when the ocean
racer Gulvain was built there, and he was largely
responsible for her aluminium mast which was
thought to be the world’s first. After several boats
were built by the company to his designs, he moved
on to Aeromarine in 1952 as naval architect and
yard manager. John Illingworth became a director
of the company soon afterwards and the two of
them collaborated on a number of designs. In 1958,
Angus Primrose joined he company (and he and
Illingworth subsequently formed their famous design
partnership and closed Aeromarine) at which point
Powell left and formed Sparlight Ltd so he could
concentrate on the production of aluminium masts.
In the mid-1960s he sold Sparlight but continued
to work there until 1973 when he left to start a new
company, John Powell Masts, which he continued
to run for more then 20 years.

So who is John Powell?


was described, in the 1956 Yachting World article, as
“a British Paints material new to yachts in this country”
which forms a “resilient long-lasting seal”. Although TSS
had to repair it locally to cure a few leaks, it has certainly
lived up to its billing. Some of the dowels had been
coming out in the foredeck planking, so all the screws
were removed, their holes counterbored ¼in deeper,
then refitted and re-dowelled.
The Simpson Lawrence SL500 manual windlass
had a fractured foot but, after much searching, Paul
managed to find another one on eBay. It wasn’t in
perfect condition but he combed the best bits of both.
The cabin and wheelhouse roofs leaked so all
the cascover was removed and re-sheathed in glass
and epoxy. The grey paint was removed from the
superstructure which was then epoxied and varnished
back its former glory after some splits in the panels
and framing were repaired. A new laminated plywood
coachroof lid was made for the engine room together
with a laminated beam which supports its forward
end and the mast step.
The engine itself was stripped down and repaired
by local company Marine Power Services. Power was
increased to 62hp ‘Light Duty’ rating at 1,500rpm, by
adjusting both the fuel pump and valve timing settings.
It was reinstalled by Kev Dixon who also rewired the
whole boat and replumbed the engine room.
During the course of all this work it was found that
there was some corrosion in the aluminium fuel tanks
where they were sitting on rubber bearers, so they were
replaced in stainless steel.
Mary Islay arrived in Poole in August 2016 but it was
another two years before she was relaunched. “I wasn’t
in a hurry to have her back as she was under cover and
I just wanted the job done properly,” Paul told me. “And
I am very pleased with the work that has been done.”
I met him during a beautifully settled spell of autumn
weather while he was loading up the boat ready to set
off back to Jersey – this time under her own steam.
“Yesterday we put the cushions and table on board,”
he said with some excitement. “We haven’t had them in
place for more then 10 years.” He was certainly looking
forward to the 12-hour voyage back to Jersey and the
boat’s new lease of life coinciding with his new hip. He
is even looking forward to keeping the restored varnish
in good order. “It is a labour of love, but now that I am
not working, I will enjoy it,” he said.
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