Aye messy work this keel painting ...says skipper!

Done the keels and now to sort the cabin out.

New rubbing rail going on ....50 *25 mm Iroko 26 ' long with centre splice that was done off the boat with epoxy. Rail then fixed to hull with 60 6mm bolts per side. No steaming was required.... just started at the bow and worked slowly aft drilling and fitting the bolts as we go . Very pleased with the results, makes the boat seem young again.

Head lining

Main cabin headlining going in ...felt and foam backed viynl covers a lot of the bumps in the cabin roof and sticks well with spray glue. would be much better if we were to do again!

Looking better with a new coat of Paint and Rubbing rail

Ready for a new paint Job!

All wrapped up in cling Film to sweat the paint stripper

into the enamel. Cook for 24 hours and then peel and

scrape. If only it was that simple, in practise it

was down to orbital sanding and scaping and a lot

of hard work over a six week period.

Underneath the top coat are 13 layers of enamael paint before we reached tge light brown gell coat.

Our Matrona Maris a 1965 Westerly 25

A we bit grubby

Here is our first attempt at a blog to promulgate to all interested, our latest renovation Project. Two years ago we sold our beloved Westerly Konsort Duo and moved South from Scotland to Knott end on Sea, Lancashire. After owing various yachts over the past 30 years, withdrawal symptom's were becoming acute to the extent that we purchased a much unloved 1965 westerly 25, found in the long grass at nearby Wardleys yacht club.

Matrona Maris (sea wife) I think!, had not been in the water for 7 years and was in much need of TLC after a good steam clean and wash. The boat is in good structural order built like a tank with no balsa core but solid GRP decks. The Westerly 25 was the first Westerly to cross the Atlantic in 1966. Matrona is number 81 of 130 built before the model was changed to the Windrush and the the centaur.

Thanks to a previous owner the boat has been fitted with a Vetus M2.04 11 hp diesel and despite no use for Severn years, starts and runs perfect. The main tasks before launch in April 2009 are ....

1.Strip off 13 layers of paint on the hull,undercoat and re paint Navy Blue.

2.Replace all the rubbing strake with Iroko

3.Scrape all paint of decks and cabin roof and re paint with non slip

4.Make good all wood work and GRP cracks and crazes

5.replace standing and running rigging

6.re design interior by opening out bulkheads and relocating cooker to Starboard side

7.Fitting headling and side carpets to both cabins and bunks

8. Epoxy coat the underwater hull and antifoul.

As of 10 December items 1,2,6 and 7 are mostly completed