Helping to bring a historic wooden boat back to life while providing veterans
with the chance to learn traditional boat building skills.
A traditional motorboat is undergoing major restoration at Turn to Starboard.
‘Tudora’ is a Rampart 48 built by the Rampart Boat Building Company in 1964. The 25-tonne cruiser was kindly gifted to the charity by a generous supporter in July 2018, yet requires extensive repair to its wooden hull planking and general repair work.
Restoration was able to begin thanks to a grant for half of the required funds from The Lest We Forget Association. The organisation has kindly donated £15,000 towards the project to help veterans in the region, with further support from Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group, Woodstock in Falmouth, Axminster Tools, RGB Building Supplies in Porthleven and Bradfords Building Supplies in Penryn. The charity is also seeking further sponsorship from grant providers, local companies and individuals.
Once completed, the charity aims to relaunch the boat to either provide motor cruising courses for wounded veterans, or sell the boat and use the funds towards providing further sailing opportunities.
Turn to Starboard CEO and founder, Shaun Pascoe, said: “We were astonished when one of our long-standing supporters decided to generously donate his beautiful Rampart 48-foot motor cruiser to the charity. However, there are some issues with the planking within the hull which require some work before the boat can get back on the water.
“We could have considered hiring a team of boat builders to take on the project, yet in line with our charity theme, we decided to offer the opportunity to veterans who have been affected by military operations who will be able to learn traditional and valuable skills and potentially start new careers in the marine industry.
“What we aim to achieve, in conjunction with a boat builder and boat surveyor, is to expand our small team of veterans to help replace about a quarter the planks on the hull to restore her back to her former glory. The project aims to be fun while offering the chance for volunteers to meet new people, make friends, learn useful skills and help bring a historic wooden motorboat back to life.”
To enable work to commence, a scaffold shelter was first constructed to help protect the boat from the elements. Project organisers also procured woodworking tools and machinery, along with green and seasoned oak for the replacement structural frames and planking.
Next, the fibreglass covering the hull was removed as well as half of the boat’s oak planks in preparation for hand-made replacements to be installed. Work has also commenced on the removal of redundant onboard systems, such as piping and electrical wiring. The boat’s internal floor has also been removed for ease of access and a major oak component of the bow structure – known as the stem – has been manufactured in-house and installed.
Renovation work on the deck and work upgrading the galley is now taking place by a core team of veterans, both skilled and under tuition, along with reconditioning and recommissioning the boat’s propulsion and instruments. Although there is no set completion date, it is estimated the project will be finished in mid 2020.
Anyone who would like to get involved, or make a donation, can contact Anne by email at anne@turntostarboard.co.uk, or by calling 01326 314262.