We secured a contract to move a ship this month but got held up at Haven Bridge.
‘Quando’ out of the water for the first time in 15 years.
‘Blackthorn’ and ‘Silver Wraith’ sit side by side on our quay.
55′ Barge: Topsides, coach roof and wheelhouse shine new after preparations and epoxy undercoat. Blast, prepare and epoxy hull, finish in gloss black.
A snowy day in our marina. Our dredger waits in the background until the storms and flood tides of winter are over, when she can continue her work restoring the salt marshes beyond.
A new addition arrived from Lowestoft by water. ‘Eastern Horizon’ A trader 44′ here for winter storage ready for a Spring launch.
‘Pearly Diver’ 45′ DeGroot on the hard waiting her road transport to Lowestoft.
A new boat on the yard she arrived from the South coast by road. She is an American built, petrol, 38′ fast cruising boat.
‘Sojourn’ a well known local Catamaran 35′ x 17’6″ on the yard for the winter.
‘Blackthorn’ home from a successful barge racing season undergoes winter repairs on the yard.
‘Wakey Wakey’ 33′ x 19′ and ‘Spirit of Europe’ 36′ x 18′ nestle side by side on our quay.
Hardy 27 after her re-prime and antifoul, new shaft bearings and anodes now going afloat.
‘De barra’ a 40′ Degroot shotblasted up to decks all of the hull and bottom, now in black epoxy now awaiting sand down, finish and topcoats.
‘Willsbury’ in primer waiting for top coat to be applied.
‘Willsbry’ a 30′ steel fishing boat arrives from Felixstowe Ferry for shotblasing and epoxy coating.
‘Mist’ adorning our marina with her graceful lines.
‘Windhover’ a Westerly SeaHawk arrives for osmosis treatment (blast, peel and gel coat)
‘Silver Cloud’ pops in for a quick anti-foul and polish.
After a major refit it is launch day for ‘Northumbria’.
A few repairs and a fresh coat of paint makes all the difference.
Our floating pontoons by the quay
Re-fitting a mast to a barge this size takes expertise, patience and precision.
VAHSTI returns from her winter quarters to have her mast stepped and take up in our marina, before heading off to her summer berth.
One of Simper’s fishing smacks has arrived with us for seasonal repairs by her owners.
Glimmering sunrise: where the sky falls into the water creating perfect symmetry.
The beautiful little ‘Eden’ arrives for a quick shot blast and then back to her warm winter quarters at home. We look forward to seeing her again in the Spring.
‘Will Laud’ Aquastar 33 – out for shot blasting and Osmosis treatment.
Roberts 58 – prepare and respray.
VASHTI ‘taking up’ in our marina. This 37′ Vashti class classic yacht has now gone back to her barn for the winter and further restoration; we welcome her return in the spring.
Freeman 41 out for stern gear repair and antifoul.
Tam Grundy’s ‘Ben Michael’ out for annual paint and repair.
Ex police launch ‘Northumbria’ arrives for refit – ready to launch Spring 2016.
‘Lisa Life’
‘Barnacle Bill’
65′ Dutch Barge ‘Japi’ arrives by transport for launching and towing to Woodbridge
Life on the yard
October 2015
After hot endless summer days, October brings a new sense of urgency to the yard. Just as the nights pull in and the days become shorter, the phone rings constantly with customers making arrangements for lifts and winter storage. It’s time to organise the yard, make up new cradles, and prepare the ground for old friends coming home to winter quarters.
The travel hoist has had it’s annual service and is busy working on every tide, while both workshops have jobs that are nearly finished with other’s queuing to come in.
The time for long conversations on the river wall departed with last of the summer sun and the arrival of autumnal rains.
‘Blackthorn’ at home on the yard.
Ex police launch ‘Northumbria’ under our all-weather mobile boat cover
Grand Banks 36 Lift out and transport to Wales.
Lady Ella
Ferro-cement 50′ yacht houseboat from Woodbridge receives grit blast.
‘Gemma’ a 29′ Mirage out for quick pressure wash and renewal of anti-foul.
‘Timberly’ in our small workshop stripped back to bare wood before receiving a fresh coat of varnish.
Hannah Rose receives osmosis treatment after three weeks of drying to get moisture levels within tolerance.
Live-aboard barge arrives on the quay for shot blasting, epoxy coating, preparation and finish to hull and topsides.
Simper’s ‘Three Sisters’ after refit and refresh.
‘De Uil’ in our small workshop for repairs to hull and lee-boards. Paint topsides and finish.
Simon Skeet making a puller to remove a seized drum off a capstan, in our workshop.
Our small workshop and office in fresh paint.
‘Shuffler’ Simper’s 1952 wooden rowing boat in for a gentle shot blast, looking tiny in the crane brothers, as she is loaded onto her road trailer.
‘Papillon’ 60′ widebeam canal barge on our quay, repairs to paintwork and launch.
70′ widebeam canal barge houseboat from Martlesham Creek out for grit blast and 5 coats of epoxy from decks down. Finish is shiny gloss black. New anodes and relaunch.
‘Ganges’ a houseboat from Woodbridge arrives for a grit blast and epoxy coating, finished in gloss black with black antifouling. New anodes fitted and relaunch.
Call out to Shotley Point for emergency caulking to garboard on a a classic gentleman’s yacht – one of the little ships.
‘Tudo-Bem’ receives electric polish to hull, fresh antifouling and new electric windlass before returning to her Deben home
‘Vagrant’ a Vagabond 41′ out for shot blast, antifoul, fresh epoxy and repaint topsides
‘Ostara’ classic 38′ yacht launched after winter ashore where she received fresh paint and varnish work
Sae Wyfling arrives to begin preparations for her move to Whisstocks new Sutton Hoo/Maritime ‘Long Shed’.
65′ barge in strops awaiting launch
28′ classic wooden Twister in for repairs and varnish
‘Second Simo’ arrives for gritblast, antifoul and refit.
‘Jubilee Joy‘ Cyril’s fishing boat up from Felixstowe for stern gear repairs.
‘Scooby’ having arrived from Spain, hangs in the strops awaiting her place on the hard.
Simper’s ‘Silver Harvest’ in for engine and gearbox repair.
Another local Deben barge comes out for her annual spruce up.
The combination of sunshine and rain have led to some spectacular rainbows.
It is June and yet we are busier than ever taking boats out! Space on the quay is at a premium.
Woodbridge Houseboat ‘Ganges’ out for a survey.
Dutch barge houseboat comes out for a full survey prior to sale.
‘Clio’ receiving her osmosis treatment.
‘Unshaken’
‘Lady Cate’ having a light sandblast to remove build up of antifouling.
Simon applying final coat of epoxy to a Bruce Roberts 58 yacht.
‘Silver Cloud’ after her refit, polish and varnish work.
Restoring ‘Gladys’
‘Gladys’ a Finesse 28, once the envy of many on The Deben, had lain neglected on a mud berth at the yard for several years. As the seasons came and went, it saddened many to watch her gradual decline; her beauty faded as green algae began to smother her torn covers and water seeped into her decks. With her fenders squashed, her lines loose and a bilge pump increasingly working hard, Simon eventually approached the owner with the words no boat lover likes to hear, “The time has come to save her or let her go”.
Click on the small arrows opposite to scroll through her journey through to complete restoration.
