Mk2 GP14 Dinghy Refurbishment | Strip & Re-Paint | Gunwale Repairs | Epoxy Fillets | Fill & Fair

In this video I refurbish a 1991 Mk2 GP14 which required a full strip and re-paint of the hull including a new layer of fairing compound, repairs to the underside of the gunwales and keel timber, repairs to the cockpit coaming, plenty of new string and hardware, re-painting the rudder, repairing the centreboard case, making transom flaps, re-positioning the gudgeon pin, adapting the combi-trailer and touching up the varnish inside.
I hope you enjoy watching her come back to boat-show condition and do subscribe to watch the forthcoming sea trials video!

[@awalk5177]

I have to admire the finish on the wood. I am just about to start renovating my old GRP GP14 and trailer. It has been laid up for at least 15 years. Now I am inspired.

[@AWg-yq3rs]

i am doing the same with an old enterprise similar to the gp14 however the boat is so old (and built of mahogany) that all the wood is now extremely dark😂

[@chrisevans7119]

Great choice of color, I also painted my gp14 that same toplac Atlantic grey. I must of made a mistake in the prep though as it wore away quite easy.

[@nomad_lad]

I landed here because i just bought an old wooden dutch dinghy that needs a lot more work than I realised and i was looking for a 'how to'... i have zero experience with this kind of work... but your video definitely serves as the perfect inspiration. Great work 👍

[@the-naked-sailor]

Lolololoololololololololol I think we are in the same boat, pardon the pun. I just bought a _Solo_ which is very similar to Corin's GP. Like you, it needs alot of work...... and I mean ALOT! Cracked (in multiple places) rudder, separated gunwales (both sides), rotten mast step, water ingress in a few places, all sheets need replacing, and the trailer and trolley need tlc! I live in a van in the bush and most of the work I'll be doing will be in open space in a friend's backyard. I'll be posting crappy vids of my progress. How is your rebuild going?

[@jbkstafford]

Fantastic work. I'm about to start on a Sabre (Australian design dinghy) which is older but in better condition. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@aloysiusjones3985]

What is your sail number? Mine is 733. Not in bad nick just started doing some repairs. Cheers. 🇦🇺👍🍺🍺

[@tomedom5107]

Good job, done in the nick of time to stop another old boat rotting out. I've seen the result and she looks just fine. See you in the dinghy park at Co**or next spring? BTW, doing inside, under the deck, with the boat inverted is the only way to see and get at all the hidden stuff that goes on in that otherwise invisible zone. So congrats for doing a proper job.

[@CorinNelsonSmith]

Thanks Tom. I'm in two minds about whether to leave her in the dinghy park over the summer. As I think I may have shown you, the sun on the dark blue cover began to separate the top layer of the the plywood decks in places so I brought her home, turned her upside down (again!) and drenched the (very dry) underside of the decks in thinned varnish before gluing down the peeling patches of veneer and re-varnishing. I have since bought a light grey cover which I'm hoping shouldn't get as hot in direct sunlight, but I'm still somewhat nervous about leaving her out instead of nice and sheltered in the barn. We'll see...! She did go for a brilliant week's sailing up on Coniston Water in the summer though, so she hasn't spent the whole time in the hospital wing! See you in the dinghy park at some point, possibly sooner than next spring in fact, as I've left a pico in the GP's spot in case I get any time to sail over the winter.

[@dunk856]

Loved the accompanying music 👍👍👍

[@fish-hawk5903]

Wonderful job, very well done. Thinking seriously about a wood GP myself, now. Just one thing: when I fitted rudder uphaul and downhaul lines to my Osprey, I used small blocks to ease the lines round the sharp corners. Much less friction. I also replaced the rudder downhaul clamcleat with a quick-release version, so no fear of damage to the blade or the transom fittings if it hits something solid.

[@CorinNelsonSmith]

Good idea about the blocks, I’ve been meaning to improve the uphaul/downhaul for the rudder as it tends to get jammed between the rudder stock and the rudder itself.

[@chrismartin5870]

In a world of rubbish DIY products, Epoxy is amazing, the golden goose that makes these kinds of restorations economic, relatively quick and achievable for an amateur. One thing I would point out (I'm sure you are aware) is that fairing the hull smooth really wasn't necessary unless you are going to race the boat....All the structural work you did though i am fully supportive of, nice job again Corin BTW.

[@philipwoods7020]

Corin, beautiful job with the ‘The Mastodon ‘ and also with another very informative video on boat refurbs. Very useful. I have just started my own project on GP#3001 and I was wondering how much paint it took for 3 coats on the hull?

[@CorinNelsonSmith]

Thanks Philip. From memory it was one tin of International One-Up combination primer and undercoat, and then annoyingly just over one tin of International Toplac!

[@philipwoods7020]

Thank you, that’s great.

[@AWg-yq3rs]

does anyone know what the boats origiginal colour ral no is?

[@rustyruthven5637]

Hello Corin, amazing job on the GP! I have just started my first restoration project on a 1960s E.G Van De Stadt Vaurien. Its quite a job. You make it look too easy! A question for you, how would you go about repairing spots where the veneer has begun to separate from the ply board on the deck? Its right on the stern above the transom, so rather unsightly.

[@CorinNelsonSmith]

Hi Rusty - Good luck with the restoration! It's always hard work but once you're over the prep stage and start to make the boat look better rather than worse, it all becomes worth it. As for repairing where the veneer is peeling, I haven't had to deal with that on any of my boats yet, but if the veneer is still in good condition I would put some polyurethane glue underneath, clamp it down, and then wipe off any excess glue before it sets. If it actually needs replacing then I would recommend watching some veneer specific KZbin videos as there are some tricks to getting it fastened down neatly.

[@colinprice712]

Just a couple of thoughts on your amazing refurb… Rudder downhaul - I always use one of the clamcleats that will release if/when the rudder hits the ground - it saves taking the transom off the hull! Second thought is for the stemhead - I’d prefer through bolting it to the deck - just a bit more secure. I’ve seen screws pull out of a shroud plate - all 6 of them. Not fun

[@CorinNelsonSmith]

Hi Colin - thank you for the tips. I agree a quick release cleat for the downhaul is a better idea, it didn't occur to me at the time but you're right, that could cause serious damage to the transom. I also agree about bolting the forestay chainplate, however as the GP14 has a watertight bulkhead under the foredeck, there is no way to access that area to bolt it through like on the merlin. Crossed fingers nothing bad happens...

[@ianbarnett5051]

Hello Corin, nice job you've done on this GP. Just one question, where did you get the syringes for inserting varnish in the screw holes?

[@CorinNelsonSmith]

Hi Ian, thank you very much, it was a lot more work than I expected when I bought her, but aren't all wooden boats like that? The syringes just came from my local chandlery, Marine Superstore. Very useful, and as long as you leave them with no varnish blocking the hole they can be reused over and over.

[@jakedonnely4094]

@@CorinNelsonSmith have u ever worked on a grp gp14. I've bought one outer hull looks great. But was wondering if their double skinned the grp ones. I think mine is MK2 as well

[@CorinNelsonSmith]

I’m afraid I’ve never even looked at a GRP one closely, let alone worked on one. I think the early ones are single skin like a MK1 woodie, but the newer MK2 ones are definitely double skin with a buoyancy tank in the floor.

[@jakedonnely4094]

@@CorinNelsonSmith thanks for reply. Do u know of a way of telling if it's MK1 or mk 2. Maybe through sail number? Thanks for the advice I'm new to these as u can tell

[@CorinNelsonSmith]

@@jakedonnely4094 I wouldn't know how to tell through a sail number but if it has buoyancy tanks in the side, at the front, and under the floor then it is a mark 2. So the self bailers will be set into a recess on the mark 2. Annoyingly where water then pools and causes rot as I've found on mine!

[@the-naked-sailor]

Nice job corin (interesting name). Ive just bought a _solo_ (which is very similar to your gp) and noticed the 2 rectangular holes in the transom. What the hell are they? Im assuming theyre to remove water from the cockpit. However, on yours, you seem to have them permanently sealed. Mine were flaps that were attached to a bungee located in the cockpit.

[@CorinNelsonSmith]

Yes they are transom drains to allow water out of the cockpit. No idea why mine were screwed on so I removed them and replaced with bungee retained ones as you describe. See 10:20 onwards for fabrication of new adjustable flaps and 13:38 onwards for a picture of the bungee holding the flaps on.