Reviving an Idler - A wood boat restoration - Getting Stuck in - Episode 2

Second instalment of the restoration of the classic boat Idler. Built in 1940.
I remove the deck and point out the 4 main issues that currently need attention.
If you feel the urge to be more connected to the project you can support Idler at: www.patreon.co...
or follow for "my story" updates at www.instagram....
My warmest thanks to you for watching and contributing to my adventure!

[@trep53]

Boats like this have such character and grace it’s a good project. Whether it’s called a repair, restoration or rebuild is not important, think of it as 80 years of maintenance done all at once, simple really. Enjoy your project and think of how far you’ve gotten not how far to go because you will get there.

[@baccussailing1]

Love watching wooden boats come back to life. I helped my buddy restore his Allan Buchanan designed folk boat. I spent days leaning on a hammer while he roved the copper nails. I have a plastics one now for obvious reasons. A wing 25’ . Don’t give up! Most of all enjoy it!

[@BothanboatsIdler]

Haha, yes we are already enjoying the "dolly boy" role! still 32 ribs to go!

[@type2ryder417]

Huge project. Pace yourself and don't get pressured on timlines. I look forward to following your journey, Cheers.

[@BothanboatsIdler]

Wise words! thanks you!

[@JMc.D]

In summary, the bits that concern you are the stern, the bow and the middle. Sounds like a boat to me! 🤣 only joking good luck with the resto

[@clinkerboats]

Looks like a worthwhile restoration project. Given when she was built her hull planking looks like pitch pine which makes her worth saving as it is probably still sound. The loose planks at the forward hood ends are probably caused by the failure of fastenings into a soft apron behind. The transom looks like it is planked in elm. Keep up the good work.

[@BothanboatsIdler]

You are absolutely right, the pitch pine planking is in exceptionally good condition! Im feeling positive about her! Thank you for watching and supporting 🤙🏻

[@49otterhound]

Liking this project. Reminds me of myself when I was younger and had a lot of energy lol!

[@BothanboatsIdler]

I do, i mention it in this next episode ironically! enjoy and thank you for following

[@timburnett6729]

My goodness you have done alot of work

[@markrutlidge5427]

Small boat big project, I wish you the best of luck

[@TheTinski07]

Just came across this, takes me back a bit. Don't envy you too much. Just started a series of my own on the restoration of my Falmouth Quay punt, thankfully the worst of that is long behind me tho. Good luck with yours 👍

[@BothanboatsIdler]

Hey, great to hear from you! i followed your blog on Teal and have used it extensively as a reference! glad you are here to keep me right! If i can get Idler back to half of what you did for Teal i'll be a happy man!! Slainte!

[@TheTinski07]

@@BothanboatsIdler O very good, great that it's of use. 😁 I really enjoyed the restoration and take real pride in her, need to sort some stuff now but she'll be right again soon enough. If you ever want to find out how any particular thing worked out for me don't hesitate to ask as we have a little long term testing done now, keep up the good work 👍

[@thewatersociety375]

Ah! Losing footage is the worst! Sometimes I don't even think I've lost some of mine, but rather, have a made-up memory of having taken it in the first place. Also, keeping track of the work you're doing and documenting it is very difficult. Well done!

[@BothanboatsIdler]

It was very frustrating to say the least! thank you!

[@Finn-McCool]

Subbed, looking forward to more Sco-ish boatery fixin uppins! 😄

[@BothanboatsIdler]

Aye its fine n't it!? :D thanks for following!

[@backyarddew4531]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bammgnyEqbWhh8k

[@captaintoyota3171]

Id move those chainplates to bolt through the sawn frames. Just too risky attached to planks in rough weather.

[@BothanboatsIdler]

Definitly. There is curently inly one bolt on each going through a frame. The other two bolts are just into planking. Im not happy with that arrangement either, especially with a heavy rig like the gaff rig. 👌🏻

[@davidprocter3578]

I am sure I remember this boat sitting on a deep water mooring in the Emsworth channel Chichester during the 1970's. Harbour masters records should reveal if my memory correct.

[@BothanboatsIdler]

Oh! I would love to know more!! Keep me posted!

[@Rockyandhislolmoose]

I just subscribed to your channel because I really enjoy watching boat building videos. There are some that you might take a look at. Maybe they might give you an idea of a way to do something. Salt and Tar, Acorn to Arabella, Sampson boat company. Good luck

[@BothanboatsIdler]

Hey, great to have you along with me! I hope you enjoy the progress. Thanks for the heads up on Salt and Tar, i have’nt come across them yet, i have subscribed! 👌🏻

[@newtowndevelopment1714]

HI Idler What an impressive project and ambition. Its great to see it all stripped out and see what has to be done. Ive bought a 38' Hillyard Bermuda Cutter myself with a lot of cockpit rot. Hoping to start on that in April. Im going to bury it int he ground and backfill with gravel to let it free drain. Probably for about 5 years before I shift it again. Ive the land and machine to dig so thats the easy part. Any comment on putting wooden hull (Mahogony on Oak frames) in free draining dig?

[@BothanboatsIdler]

Hi, thank you for the support and kind words. I'm not sure I understand your question. Are you planning to lay a boat in gravel as an ornament? if not why put it into gravel?

[@1armedguy4]

That's just an old rub-rail below gunwale don't fret if it splits ! Retired shipwright ! Cheers🇨🇦

[@peterhiggins3329]

This task would have been so much easier with a multitool. I think most of the other wood boat restorers on KZbin came to that conclusion early in their builds

[@darrylmcleman6456]

Plastic frames a possibility,as seen on "Tips from a Shipwright* KZbin vids.CHEERS from Westcoast Canada!

[@BothanboatsIdler]

Thanks, im hoping to keep this boat as wooden as possible :D but its a very interesting idea. I admit I've seen the video but not watched it yet; He has a lot of ingenious ideas that man!

[@thewayiigo9886]

The boat was built mid WW2 so most likely did not come with an engine as resources would have been to the war effort. So that stern post would have been modified later on.

[@BothanboatsIdler]

Hey thanks for your comment, i absolutely agree with you, the stern post is not original, and the engine bed showed signs of being “retro fitted”.

[@backyarddew4531]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bammgnyEqbWhh8k

[@jdoo2252]

enjoying your videos. Good luck with it. Any chance of reducing the huge variation in audio levels?

[@BothanboatsIdler]

It drastically improves in the newer videos. Although it is still something im working on. Bear with me! 👌🏻

[@daleskidmore1685]

The difference between a restoration and a rebuild is very grey. I think Leo said that Tally Ho was a restoration because at no point was the boat completely deconstructed, each member was replaced whilst the rest was in situ. If T H had been maintained over the years she would still be a completely new boat, but the new parts would have been let in over the years. I have watched every vid on YT to do with boats ( well, it seems like it, lol ) and Idler doesn't look as bad as some. Things like the planks springing from the stem and transom are common, unfortunately the repair work is seldom if ever shown, just a plank end looking like Swiss cheese becomes a pristine plank sweeping gracefully into a well formed rabbet. Keep on keeping on.

[@BothanboatsIdler]

totally agree with his reasoning and i love his channel. Personally - for me at least its not a restoration but a resurrection- A phoenix from the ashes if you will! im hoping there will be enough of the old Idler left to save her "soul"

[@daleskidmore1685]

@@BothanboatsIdler If Idler was not such a good name, Phoenix would be....

[@MrDesperatedan]

@@daleskidmore1685 If ever you come across Fortuna 3 in your travels I would like to hear from you. She is a 7 ton Hillyard built in the early 1930s. I brought her in virtually the same state from Blackpool to Tollesbury on the east coast and spent 2 years virtually full time bringing her back to life. The last owner bought her for a pittance as the person who bought her from me died and excecutor sold her off eBay. I tried to buy her back but the owner withdrew her off eBay and sold her elsewhere. I loved that boat but being in the USA for long periods like a fool I sold her.

[@stephenhunter70]

Tally Ho to me essentially is a new build

[@backyarddew4531]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bammgnyEqbWhh8k

[@graemewilson8423]

Loving the project, just as a guide how much roughly would a boat of that size and condition cost?

[@BothanboatsIdler]

Prior to any restoration work? You can quite often find them for free, Or for the cost of removal... If you find one in excellent condition, then a couple of grand might be parted with but the power is with you and you’ll most likely be able to haggle the asking price down dramatically. 👌🏻

[@graemewilson8423]

@@BothanboatsIdler Thanks 😊

[@mickeybigbuds]

just a heads up reg audio you may want to sort out a mic as audio is up and down

[@BothanboatsIdler]

Thank you for sticking with me so far. Im awaiting the mic in the post and i have upgraded my camera set up as well. Hopefully ill have better quality audio and visuals in the near future!

[@mickeybigbuds]

@@BothanboatsIdler any time mate . i find what you do is great and if only you lived nearer london would love to offer any manual help i could,a day here a weekend here ect. all the best fella

[@AndyUK-Corrival]

Nice project, reminds me of my old Scottish Ringnetter and my restoration but she was 48’. Where are you keeping her? Andy UK

[@BothanboatsIdler]

Lovely old boats, we are in Fife (east neuk).

[@AndyUK-Corrival]

@@BothanboatsIdler Oh wow great. My old boat was built in Anstruther in 1937. There are some very knowledgeable guys up there if you need advice but it sounds like you know your onions! Best of luck.

[@BothanboatsIdler]

Hey, thats fantastic! What happened to her - if you dont mind me asking? I did abit of work in The Reaper and the White wing in my early 20s. They are still restoring boats down there. And i think they have a small scale apprenticeship scheme too. Check out: The scottish fisheries museum and Boats club. Thanks for following!

[@AndyUK-Corrival]

@@BothanboatsIdler sadly I passed her on and she was used for a TV programme The Floating Kitchen, it is on KZbin if you want to watch it. It’s a long story but after that someone took her on the River Seine South of Paris and she later sunk on a mooring and was dug out with a JCB. She still had her original Kelvin K3. I have never watched the series as having had many promises from the TV company they didn’t keep them and it was pretty painful to see my boat get ripped apart and then discarded afterwards. I had always hoped to get her back to Anstruther. I have visited many places in Scotland whee she fished including IOM and met many of the family who had her built. She had a great history. Best of luck. Andy

[@passinthru4328]

Such a lot of work just to find out if it's still worth restoration.

[@macmcdonald9347]

How many boat have you worked on? I ask because you have command of ship terms. Having said that what is your time line and cost for the build?

[@BothanboatsIdler]

Hi Mac, thats very kind of you. Ill maby do a background bit on me, But its not very interesting! haha, ive done little bits and bobs on two historic boats that are local to me when i was younger. One is a 100 yr old herring drifter "the Reaper" and a Baldie called White wing. Everything else has been a mild obsession with building and maintaining wooden boats although i have built a skin on frame kayak, a hollow wooden surfboard and a clinker sail/tender. Im thinking that the boat will come in somewhere between £4-6k. Plus whatever engine I put in her. And im aiming to have her on the water in 2 years - budget and time permitting.

[@michaelfrench1351]

You should invest in a good microphone but looking forward to the rebuild.

[@connorw5756]

This is great advice. Along side it, whatever you edit on I would equalize the volume between clips. If I turn it up to hear you, I am deafened by a hammer blow two seconds later. Looking forward to the project, but hoping you get some audio sorted!!

[@ericprimrose7369]

Consider a microphone. Between the wind outside and the echo inside, and the tone of your voice, you are hard to make out.

[@BothanboatsIdler]

Im on it! 👍 thank you for your support!

[@MikeAG333]

Damn. Tally Ho, Acorn to Arabella.......... and now Idler becomes compulsory watching. Your videography will get better with practise.:)

[@suburban404]

Couldn't watch due to the audio

[@BothanboatsIdler]

I do apologise, it does improve with the episodes.