Enola - Boat Life in Dry Dock

Over the past few weeks I’ve been helping out on a boat restoration project down near Portsmouth.  

The boat itself is quite rare. Rare in so much that she is the last of her kind.  Built by a company called Thorneycroft (Now known as Vospa-Thorneycroft )1928 as a Gentleman’s Motor Yacht  for private owners. She was later requisitioned  during world war two and used as a naval river patrol vessel, mounted with a large gun on deck she would patrol the Thames and the Thames estuary  watching for the enemy. 

I don't know much else about the boats history, The current owners have a dream for her though.  To be fully renovated and made fully ready for Sailng once again.  This whole process should take around two years. 

 

I am only here for the short while due to unforeseen family commitments and  sooner or later the cabin I’m currently sleeping in will probably become uninhabitable as more and more of the boat is stripped  and the only place for me to stay here is in the cabin. 

Here are some pictures of the work that has been going on over the past few weeks

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This has been a team effort Mainly between me and Ade my host , ]

thought we have had some outside help on certain bits such as planking of the hull. 

We have been gradually stripping the interior including the walls and the flooring.  

Now the interior of the fore of the boat has been stripped Sanding down has been happening to prepare for painting of Damboline waterproof bilge paint.  The wooden beams are to be sanded down and either stained and or varnished  with the walls insulated and lined with wood cladding. 

 I depart  from here at the end of the month. I'm hoping to return at some point to come and help again.  Will be interesting to see the changes. I will be keeping an eye on the blog that has been set up for Enola to check for progress If you wish to do the same please follow this LINK to Enolas blog page. 

Thanks for looking 

Take care

#TheNoMoneyMan