THE RESTORATION OF FOLKBOAT 520 “SWIFT”
J
ust wandering around a boatyard is a very pleasant way to finish off the day helping
a friend antifoul his fishing boat. This particular boatyard in Yarmouth has a sort of
grave yard section largely filled with old wooden boats that are crying out to be saved.
It was there that I found such a boat, but not just any sailing boat, a Folkboat. Her
design going back to 1942 and a true classic of her time, still admired by many. I
exchanged £1 for a bill of sale and a boat; just the hull, deck, rudder, interior and a loo
that was still in its unopened box. A phone call to an old friend and we got it home
and, to my wife’s amazement, the boat ended up next to my ‘man shed’. My wife
promptly renamed her an HOJ 26 (Heap of Junk 26).
Nothing much happened for the first year, other than I put up a good cover and
stripped out all her interior and made up new floors. In boat terms, these are the large
wooden pieces that hold the keel on to the rest of the hull. I decided to start at the
bottom and work up, so the keel was dropped and the hull was checked for rot. All
seemed to be good apart from some minor sections that were replaced. New bolts
were made and the keel replaced with the help of my son, Tim.
Things weren’t progressing as well as I had hoped, despite me whispering to her every
time I walked past, “I shall save you”. So ... drastic action had to happen and another
good friend came to the rescue, providing a whole barn with lights and a radio too.
The man shed to beat all man sheds.
I must clarify that taking on a project of this sort should not be taken lightly. I did have
some knowledge, having completed a boatbuilding apprenticeship back in 1976.
The project could now start in earnest. I had given the boat a reasonable
examination before I bought her. She was in a sorry state but the planking was good,
about the only thing that was.
24
In the beginning
