I've just collected a rather neglected YW pram, complete with rig and a sail, but in need of some TLC. If the sun shines tomorrow I'll be able to take a longer look and see what needs doing, but I know others in the CVRDA have owned these little boats.
Any tips on what to look at first?
Has anyone ever fitted a bigger rig, I gather from the previous owner that they are a little under-powered.
I suspect I'll have more questions in a day or two, any thoughts much appreciated.
David
Restoring a Yachting World Utility Pram
-
meridian30
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 7:32 pm
Re: Restoring a Yachting World Utility Pram
Update on condition:
Overall not bad at all. Two immediately visible problems on which I'd welcome some advise:
1. A small patch of ply has delaminated on the bottom, about 6-8" square. I suspect the correct solution is to pump some glue under the outermost ply, and try and apply some pressure to get it to stick down again. It's in a place where I thing applying pressure is do-able. If I mix up a suitably runny glue and drill some 2-3 mm holes every inch or two all across the lifted bit I think that should work, but I've never done it before. Epoxy glue, or some of this one-shot Cascamite I have sitting here?
2. There are a lot of brass screws along all the joints, and not surprisingly they have dezincified, so there's no strength left at all. Attempting to remove a couple results in breakage and 1/4 to 1/2" of screw comes out. I'm assuming these were to hold the boat together while the original glue set, and that they can be left in place or removed with no ill effect, but it would be nice to have that confirmed.
I'm probably going to have to paint the bottom and sides, the ply is pretty blotchy and the screws have rotted the timber slightly where they've failed, but I'll ba able to varnish bow and stern and also inside, I hope.
Comments very welcome before I start on this.
David
Overall not bad at all. Two immediately visible problems on which I'd welcome some advise:
1. A small patch of ply has delaminated on the bottom, about 6-8" square. I suspect the correct solution is to pump some glue under the outermost ply, and try and apply some pressure to get it to stick down again. It's in a place where I thing applying pressure is do-able. If I mix up a suitably runny glue and drill some 2-3 mm holes every inch or two all across the lifted bit I think that should work, but I've never done it before. Epoxy glue, or some of this one-shot Cascamite I have sitting here?
2. There are a lot of brass screws along all the joints, and not surprisingly they have dezincified, so there's no strength left at all. Attempting to remove a couple results in breakage and 1/4 to 1/2" of screw comes out. I'm assuming these were to hold the boat together while the original glue set, and that they can be left in place or removed with no ill effect, but it would be nice to have that confirmed.
I'm probably going to have to paint the bottom and sides, the ply is pretty blotchy and the screws have rotted the timber slightly where they've failed, but I'll ba able to varnish bow and stern and also inside, I hope.
Comments very welcome before I start on this.
David
Re: Restoring a Yachting World Utility Pram
Hi,
Yes, I have one of these lovely little dinghies......not sure if anyone else on here has though. Mine is a resto that hasn't been started yet.....and probably won't be due to an ongoing family situation unfortunately (hence most of my fleet is for sale).
It's difficult to advise on repairs without seeing her in the flesh, but with regard to rotten fastenings I would be inclined to add some new ones in between the existing ones if she is in danger of falling apart. As for the rotten bits around existing fastenings, it depends on how bad it is, but I would have thought local removal of rot and then epoxy filler? I would tackle the de-lamination in the way you suggested, using epoxy.....but see if you can vacuum any of the inevitable dirt/dust out through the holes you drill in the outer laminate before injecting epoxy in. A friend of mine used to use medical syringes to do this, but I expect something similar could be made with a little ingenuity....bic pen tube and plunger maybe......or just gravity fed through something similar?
Regarding the rig, I would try her as she is before altering the rig, but I did wonder about adapting a simple windsurfer rig with a more square top, and maybe adding a small jib.....could be fun, and very cheap, as old windsurfer sails are being thrown out by so many people now.
Pics of mine below with original rig.....whole boat is original apart from dagger-board......she has a hole that needs repairing....simple job......and I would love to sort her out.....but, ...well....we'll see.
Yes, I have one of these lovely little dinghies......not sure if anyone else on here has though. Mine is a resto that hasn't been started yet.....and probably won't be due to an ongoing family situation unfortunately (hence most of my fleet is for sale).
It's difficult to advise on repairs without seeing her in the flesh, but with regard to rotten fastenings I would be inclined to add some new ones in between the existing ones if she is in danger of falling apart. As for the rotten bits around existing fastenings, it depends on how bad it is, but I would have thought local removal of rot and then epoxy filler? I would tackle the de-lamination in the way you suggested, using epoxy.....but see if you can vacuum any of the inevitable dirt/dust out through the holes you drill in the outer laminate before injecting epoxy in. A friend of mine used to use medical syringes to do this, but I expect something similar could be made with a little ingenuity....bic pen tube and plunger maybe......or just gravity fed through something similar?
Regarding the rig, I would try her as she is before altering the rig, but I did wonder about adapting a simple windsurfer rig with a more square top, and maybe adding a small jib.....could be fun, and very cheap, as old windsurfer sails are being thrown out by so many people now.
Pics of mine below with original rig.....whole boat is original apart from dagger-board......she has a hole that needs repairing....simple job......and I would love to sort her out.....but, ...well....we'll see.
Sami.
-
meridian30
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 7:32 pm
Re: Restoring a Yachting World Utility Pram
Many thanks for that, nice to know I'm not too far adrift.
I don't think the failed fastenings are a big problem, they aren't really there anyway, and as long as the glue holds we should be OK, but I take your point on putting some new ones in between the dodgy ones. Do you happen to know what size/length the originals would have been? They look like size 6, but I'd be guessing the length.
One new question. About a third of the way up the gaff is the fixing point(s) for the main halyard. It looks as though there used to be metal reinforcing plates either side, but not there any more. If you still have those would you be able to take a close-up so photo so I can see what I have to replace?
And good luck with the work, when you find the time. I'm mostly retired now so less of a problem for me
David
I don't think the failed fastenings are a big problem, they aren't really there anyway, and as long as the glue holds we should be OK, but I take your point on putting some new ones in between the dodgy ones. Do you happen to know what size/length the originals would have been? They look like size 6, but I'd be guessing the length.
One new question. About a third of the way up the gaff is the fixing point(s) for the main halyard. It looks as though there used to be metal reinforcing plates either side, but not there any more. If you still have those would you be able to take a close-up so photo so I can see what I have to replace?
And good luck with the work, when you find the time. I'm mostly retired now so less of a problem for me
David
Re: Restoring a Yachting World Utility Pram
Didn't someone find some nice footage of a YW pram online somewhere...
my memory was of some shots of one being sold in a small canal somewhere, but maybe this was something else?
eib
my memory was of some shots of one being sold in a small canal somewhere, but maybe this was something else?
eib
Ed Bremner
CVRDA
Jollyboat J3
Firefly F2942
IC GBR314 ex S51 - 1970 Slurp
MR 638 - Please come and take it away
Phelps Scull
Bathurst Whiff - looking for someone to love it
CVRDA
Jollyboat J3
Firefly F2942
IC GBR314 ex S51 - 1970 Slurp
MR 638 - Please come and take it away
Phelps Scull
Bathurst Whiff - looking for someone to love it
Re: Restoring a Yachting World Utility Pram
David.....Here is a pic of the halyard to spar arrangement on mine:
Just a hole that has a protective plate let into each side of the spar.....simple, but effective. The plastic looks similar to Tufnol (but isn't exactly that) and is about 2mm thick.
Fastenings..... not sure I'm afraid, I would just use what looks/feels right.....half inch to 5/8th length should be enough I think. I hope you can repair the de-lam. ply, as modern ply is metric, old is imperial, and is not easy to scarf in. I will have to double up on mine where it is damaged I think as the hole is across a frame......having just been out in the shed to take this pic, I feel a bit more inspired to try and sort her out.....they are such cute little boats! I have time at present too, but running out of storage due to facilitating family moves/storage in the garage shortly, but this one is small enough to keep in the shed, so she may escape the cull !
Ed.... there was a pic of one of these on a small canal/river used in a few books back in the day.... maybe that is what you remember....not tried Youtube yet, will when I have time tho.
Just a hole that has a protective plate let into each side of the spar.....simple, but effective. The plastic looks similar to Tufnol (but isn't exactly that) and is about 2mm thick.
Fastenings..... not sure I'm afraid, I would just use what looks/feels right.....half inch to 5/8th length should be enough I think. I hope you can repair the de-lam. ply, as modern ply is metric, old is imperial, and is not easy to scarf in. I will have to double up on mine where it is damaged I think as the hole is across a frame......having just been out in the shed to take this pic, I feel a bit more inspired to try and sort her out.....they are such cute little boats! I have time at present too, but running out of storage due to facilitating family moves/storage in the garage shortly, but this one is small enough to keep in the shed, so she may escape the cull !
Ed.... there was a pic of one of these on a small canal/river used in a few books back in the day.... maybe that is what you remember....not tried Youtube yet, will when I have time tho.
Sami.
-
meridian30
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 7:32 pm
Re: Restoring a Yachting World Utility Pram
Ahh, mine is slightly different. What I thought was discolouration of the wood is actually insets of Tufnol on both sides, but there's then a three-way adjustable system as you can see here, with a short L-shaped piece of brass which goes through and screws into the Tufnol, and presumably engages with a loop or shackle on the end of the halyard.
Not very different, and a bit heavier.
David
Not very different, and a bit heavier.
David
Re: Restoring a Yachting World Utility Pram
My first boat was a 9ft Yw Pram, great little boat. I remember running out of the Medway in my Dads Liz 23 she was towing behind, it was wind against tide & rough, the dinghy came charging down a wave & ran straight into the stern of the Liz, bouncing up the retrousse stern & nearly ending up in the cockpit!
-
Simon Lewis
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Thu May 23, 2013 4:43 pm
Re: Restoring a Yachting World Utility Pram
Hi David,
Good luck with the YW Pram. I attach a couple of photos of the one that my father built in the basement of our house over in Germany. I learnt to sail in her - happy summer holidays in Bembridge and the last time I sailed her as a kid was on a trip to Norfolk when the rest of the family were on one of Hunters boats with me following on by sail or oars - strange child!
We cleared out Dad's garage a year or so back and I reckoned that "Merry" needed a bit of tlc. Only repair work I had to do was grafting in a patch of marine ply to the floor - pretty straightforward - used good length chamfers and plenty of cascamite - so I was lucky. My problem was finding a peice of ply the correct thickness so my patch sits a mill or so high on the inside - but as under the floor boards no big deal. Other wise a good rub down, refilling over fixings with brummer stopper and plenty of decent gloss and and varnish.
Hopefully you won't need them but I do have the original drawings that came with the kit if you need a copy (or anyone else for that matter).
We then went the whole hog and took her back to Norfolk and she spent a second week behind "Lullaby" about 34 years after the first effort - both the old ladys were looking good and attracted loads of compolimentary comments. Had a cracking sail round Ranworth Broad - she was very responsive with just a finger on the tiller and remembering to duck when going about! Oddly, Merry seemed to sit much lower in the water than when I was 12 - not sure why that is!
Best wishes - keep us posted.
Simon
Good luck with the YW Pram. I attach a couple of photos of the one that my father built in the basement of our house over in Germany. I learnt to sail in her - happy summer holidays in Bembridge and the last time I sailed her as a kid was on a trip to Norfolk when the rest of the family were on one of Hunters boats with me following on by sail or oars - strange child!
We cleared out Dad's garage a year or so back and I reckoned that "Merry" needed a bit of tlc. Only repair work I had to do was grafting in a patch of marine ply to the floor - pretty straightforward - used good length chamfers and plenty of cascamite - so I was lucky. My problem was finding a peice of ply the correct thickness so my patch sits a mill or so high on the inside - but as under the floor boards no big deal. Other wise a good rub down, refilling over fixings with brummer stopper and plenty of decent gloss and and varnish.
Hopefully you won't need them but I do have the original drawings that came with the kit if you need a copy (or anyone else for that matter).
We then went the whole hog and took her back to Norfolk and she spent a second week behind "Lullaby" about 34 years after the first effort - both the old ladys were looking good and attracted loads of compolimentary comments. Had a cracking sail round Ranworth Broad - she was very responsive with just a finger on the tiller and remembering to duck when going about! Oddly, Merry seemed to sit much lower in the water than when I was 12 - not sure why that is!
Best wishes - keep us posted.
Simon
- Attachments
-
-