3 Tonner

Just thought you might be interested in a progress report on IONA. At last I'm going in the right direction, fixing good timber back onto the boat rather than ripping rotten stuff out!

Had to make up a complete new transom, It's the swept transom, so had to laminate 1/4" Iroco around a ply form I made. about 6 pieces as I recall, glued together with epoxy. I'm seriously thinking of replacing the inboard rudder with a transom mounted one as you have done on 'Fiddler's Green', and so took the opportunity to beef-up transom with lodging knee's either side. Maybe overkill, but it wont do any harm either.

These show the new transom construction, Iona's is the swept version so I had to make a ply form. I used 3/4" shuttering ply cut to the correct curve. I got the dimensions and radius off the plan CD. The form glued and stapled together, with plenty of room for clamps!

Also managed to get hold of a copy of 'building chine boats' by Michael Verney. Some useful information in the book, well worth having if your doing major work. Unfortunately out of print now, but managed to get hold of a second hand copy off 'tinternet'.

The stringer, and sheer timber have been replaced from stern to amidships on the starboard side, I kept the correct shape by making 3/4" ply patterns copied from the port side of the boat, and screwing and bracing them to the bilge timbers, then bending the new timbers around them. (Photo shows)

Just recently I have started fitting the new panels on the starboard side of the boat, and also the ply panel for the transom.

I still have to replace a few panels on the port side, and various other sections, but as you will appreciate, I think I've broken the back of the hull repairs now. If I can have the hull & deck all repaired by the end of this summer I'm fairly confident that next season, I will have her back where she belongs, on the water! Although I'm no stranger to the fact that the 'fiddly bits' always take a longer time than anticipated.

I have good incentive to give it my best shot. Milford haven port authority will only allow you one season away from your mooring, anything longer and they re-allocate!

I'm still waiting for the swallows to vacate the barn, but in the mean time, I've been concentrating on the engine. It's looking much better now, but parts are fearfully expensive!

I have been concentrating on restoring the engine. A 25hp Volvo Penta MD2 B. Runs well but needed a good cleanup. Apart from the flaking rust all over the engine, some of the cylinder head bolts were dangerously wasted on one side and needed replacing. Not cheap at £25.00 each!! New cylinder head gaskets, new inspection panels fashioned from mild steel plate, a lot of hours with a heavy duty wire brush attachment on the mini-grinder, and a good coat of high temperature engine enamel paint, and she looks a million dollars now!

When I removed the inboard rudder I found that the shaft was badly wasted just above the blade inside the tube where you couldn't see it! It actually broke in half whilst removing it, one good heave on the tiller and I'm sure it would have sheared off! A warning for all with inboard rudders to check their condition on a regular basis!

Sorry it's been so long since the last update, work has been progressing steadily although not as fast as I had hoped. You may remember that I was hoping to have her afloat this season, but sadly this is looking very unlikely.

The good news is that the hull repairs are all but complete, only filling and fairing to do prior to finally getting some paint on! We have removed the bilge keels ready for shot blasting and epoxy coating, also plan to add 6" of depth to them as the main keel is 10" deeper, leaving her at quite an angle when she dries out. Bilge keel bolts were ready for renewing anyway.

Recently we have removed the rotten raised topside panels and made new ones. Fortunately we were able to remove the old panels in one piece, so just screwed them to a new piece of marine ply and cut around them, also drilled through the old screw holes, saving re-drilling the stringers. Hopefully as the days lengthen, and the weather warms, progress will accelerate, will keep you posted.

Sorry its been so long sending pics of progress, we've had a few setbacks but here are some pics to update you and the IONA page.

When removing the last patch of rotten ply panel from the bow, I found that the stem was rotten behind the planking. No choice but to remove the top half of the stem

I laminated a new stem from IROKO Half lapped into sound lower section of existing stem

Next, time to fit new stem for good. Only one section of the stringers completely rotted away where it joined the stem. All the others were O.K.

All faired-in and the panels replaced, also new cut-water laminated on and shaped.

All that's left to do on the hull is fill & fair, then ready for primer. Ryan preparing the hull BWL for paint

Here the last repair patch is glued in place and all bad sections have been repaired.

Time to stand back and admire the paint! Now the fairing and filling starts as each fresh coat of primer reveals more slight dents and the filler comes out again. worth all the effort though when that final top coat goes on.

Stand back and admire it Tom, and get ready with the filler to fair each subsequent coat of primer as it shows up all the irregularities. worth it when you admire the final top coat though!

Now where was the Waterline??? Soon be launching time, keep the pics coming Tom.

A few more pics for the page. We've started painting inside the boat now, especially in the fore peak and under the stern deck where painting will be difficult after the deck has gone down. I am using JOTUN marine paint system and so far I am impressed with the results. Covers well, dries quickly and relatively inexpensive.

Also laminated new forward deck beams and they're ready to start housing into the stringer as soon as the gloss is done on the inside. And last weekend I reached a milestone and fitted the first piece of new deck on the stern!! Not glued down as yet as I want to paint the underside first, A tip I gleaned from your old mate Nick Gates 'getting afloat'.

Ive decided to take the opportunity of lengthening the cabin to forward of the midships bulkhead and also making the cockpit slightly longer. I am planning on putting the companionway hatch to one side of the cabin as you have done on FG, mainly because the engine is quite large for the size of the boat, and when the engine cover and steps down into the cabin are in place half of the cabin is taken up! So hopefully coming down to one side of the engine will make more room.

Speaking of tips, what would you recommend for bedding the bilge keels and skeg onto? Ive been advised sikoflex, but what if I need to remove them again in the future! I would appreciate your advice.

My advice would be to use Sikaflex. It is great stuff, the bilge keel on FG were bedded on it 20 years ago! If you ever did need to remove the Sikaflex it can be cut through with a cheese wire.

I spoke to the previous owner Geoff Bonner yesterday, and he was reminiscing about his adventures on Iona, sailing from west Wales across to the South coast of Ireland, Dumore East, Waterford, cork. And also across the Bristol channel to Padstow and down the south west coast. His tales have spurred me on to keep going and get her back on the water ASAP!

Further to this conversation with Geoff, we have had the grand daughter of the original builder on, with this picture! We have been able to put her in touch with Tom. Ray Allsopp is coming up for his 90th birthday shortly won't he get a surprise to learn his Iona is still cared for! John.