Day One of Restoration work 2016

First day doing some positive work of restoration at last.  Feels good to me to be doing something practical instead of admin and funding bids.

Storm Imogen raging last night and still quite fierce today.  Very cold and windy - see video footage!  But a  very successful day with Gareth and Sam putting up scaffolding that has been loaned to us by James Youngman, owner of the yacht "Lutine" - thank you very much James!  So it took most of the day to find all the scaffolding, and get enough boards.  Had to be a bit creative at times - pallets fit quite well too.  So by the end of the day the stern and whole 60 feet of starboard side are now scaffolded ready for work to start in earnest.

Everyone feels happier to be able to start some restoration at last.  The last two years have been spent mostly trying to remove rotten timber and stabilise her to prevent any further deterioration. Also raising funds to pay for her storage.   Hopefully this week we will be removing the pin rails, bulwarks and rail so that it can be restored, salvaging most of the hardwood with which Sam built them all in Bristol docks over 30 years ago...

Britannia's stern was also raised up another 2 inches where she had dropped and remedial action to right her was not taken, so she has been that way since the new deck was laid a few years ago.  3 Acros and a lot of muscle went into raising her.  I guess she must be feeling better already with her backache relieved.  Off to the pub now to quench a thirst with a pint of Doom Bar!