Its pretty bad, but not too bad

Paul Stevens sent his report in. These are his conclusions:

Robinetta is in sound structural condition insofar as sufficient structural strength remains. However this survey has identified some general deterioration to structural members and fastenings, and it should be borne in mind that any dismantling of this type of vessel inevitably reveals some further deterioration. However for her age she is in satisfactory condition and with normal maintenance will continue to give good service. She is a very unusual design with an interesting and well documented history and as such deserves some time and money spent on her now to secure her future.

Meeting the Surveyer

The day of reckoning! (in other words, the surveyor came). I’ll put his report in the folder when we get it, but basically all the bolts holding the keel saddle in place are gone, as are the bolts reinforcing the scarf joint in the bows. Amazingly this is not a huge structural problem (unless I misunderstood him) but they must be replaced before she goes back in the water or she will leak.

The sprung planks on the bow should be reparable without having to replace all of them, the hull below the waterline is sound and can just be anti-fouled, and the few areas of wood that need replacing are all above decks, including (unfortunately) ones on the port side of the cabin.

I’d made a replacement shelf for the one made of ply that was de-laminating, and I took it up to check it fitted before painting it. It does, as does the bunk end stop I also checked for fit.

The estimate for the repairs from the yard is over £6000 due to the high labour costs. They think they’ll need at least 14 days labour to get the keel saddle bolts replaced! This can be reduced by Julian and I doing things like taking the cabin benches out to allow access.

We had her surveyed

From Robinetta

The surveyor came to find out the bad news

working

Went up to Shotley with Julian. Another lovely day, weatherwise. I forgot the sugar soap, and the sanding block, so spent my time washing the internal paintwork down with fairy liquid. It was very grubby, and I found some more detachable bits to bring home, but the good news is that the ceiling paint is in good condition. I am not going to have to repaint that!
Julian traced the wiring, and ended up stripping it all out. None of it was marine grade, and there were “chocolate blocks” connecting bits of wire together all over the place. He’s going to redo everything, so when we left Robinetta in the evening none of her electrics except the bilge pump and engine starter were useable. The lighting was all caravan type, fluorescent bulbs in plastic housings; Julian’s talking about using LED lights everywhere to cut down the current needed.

Registration

I e-mailed Mike to check that the cheque had cleared. It has, so the change of ownership is now official.

Contacted the boat registry, since Robinetta’s registration has lapsed. Was told to just re-register her as class III, cost £25, with no need for proof of purchase! Sent off cheque for family membership of the Old Gaffers association, £23.

I've also started to make a wooden slatted base for the double berth out of the remains of a broken bunk bed base

The uncertainty begins

Drove up to Shotley, hoping to start on the anti-fouling, but found the paint on the bows had been stripped back then left. Talked to the boat yard, and got the bad news; the bows have already been re-nailed, and the wood is not strong enough to just do the same again. If we want Robinetta to last we need to get the bow planks replaced. I was afraid of something like this, but prepared. I have arranged for a marine surveyor, Paul Stevens, to come and have a look at her. We need to know how much work needs doing before she is safe to go back on the water. A full report will cost £500, but I think it is worth it. Julian says it will be my birthday present!

I took all the removable painted wood home with me, together with the sails, and anything else loose in the cabin. I shall paint the locker covers at home to minimise the paint smell in the boat. It is also far easier to do them in the garage than on the boat!

Taking inventory

Julian and I drove up together, and began the work of emptying out, and taking inventory. We intend to strip her internally to aid cleaning.

We started by removing the table, and taking up the faded carpet wedged beneath it. This revealed the timber floor, which we lifted, to find the bilges had about two inches of water in them. They are supposed to self drain back towards the engine where the bilge pump will reach it, but the slots through the ribs are narrow, and had blocked with rust. I suspect Robinetta lies differently on the water, so the bilges do drain more efficiently when she’s afloat. Luckily sponging them out cleared them, and showed the rust was only sludge. With the floor lifted it is possible to reach the lead ballast which is packed around the mast.

We took the table, carpet, and bench cushion home, plus all the crockery, glassware, cutlery, and galley supplies. We also took the port and starboard lamps and brackets off, then sorted the ropes and fenders.

We paid our first visit to the Shipwreck Bar (the marina’s food/drink outlet) and had a nose around the chandlers.