A real barn find - via this site and my next restoration project. This early 60's Broom Rapier has been in the same ownership virtually from new. It was used on Windermere and will be back there soon..
Originally towed by a Triumph Herald - the reg number still painted on the transom- KJM 46. It is all original paint, matching water skis, paddles and bright yellow buoyancy and lifejackets. The paint is lovely and faded but is peeling away and the bottom needs refastening so I will have to repaint it.
Power comes from a '61 Johnson 18Hp which thanks to the extreme kindness of Nick (Rapier here) has had a full service and seems sound.

Seems the bottom is attached with nails

Woodwych wrote:Power comes from a '61 Johnson 18Hp which thanks to the extreme kindness of Nick (Rapier here) has had a full service and seems sound.

Was a pleasure - see if you can hunt down a starter motor and bracket for it - will make the job easier than climbing over the centre-deck to pull start it.

Grip fast?

It is an interesting dilemma about how to strengthen the bottom especially since much is nailed. Removing them will just destroy the original ply base. I will likely add extra screws and epoxy to any clearIy deficient joints. I am considering epoxy cloth but am very hesitant as I think I'll balls it up and am not sure that it will add a great deal of structural support- as always advice always appreciated.

Originally towed by a Triumph Herald - the reg number still painted on the transom- KJM 46.

Seems the car no longer exists - or at least the DVLA have no knowledge of it. Shame, would have been good to reunite them for a picture.

I suspect the Herald had a bit more use!

Paint stripped off now- and another plug for Screwfix No Nonsense paint stripper, maybe not as good as the olden days stuff but certainly quite good.
Now I am following the excellent West Epoxy restoration guide and adding back stiffness to joints and seams with the judicious use of epoxy and extra fasteners. Most the existing screws are stuck solid but clearly a bit rusty and unreliable.They can't be removed without damaging the integrity of the ply sheets so I am fitting new screws in the gaps. The ply sheets are sound with only the odd gouge from a trailer block..
Lots of screws heads to fill- anyone used the Plastic padding marine filler? I am was thinking of giving it a go.

Don't use plastic padding, it will fall out, use West epoxy with one of there filler powders, it may be a bit more messing about, wetting the screw heads first with Epoxy , then going round with west/filler, but the end result will be far better.......not a bodge..!!

You have stripped the boat this far, do it properly , you won't regret it, plastic padding will get you out of trouble in an emergency , but won't last.

We like to think that a main benefit to leaving the EU will be the resumption of sales of 2-stroke outboards with greater sales of synthetic and bio-degradable 2-stroke (for we don't have the vast bodies of fresh water the Swiss, Germans and Austrians like to keep pristine..) and the re-inclusion of dichloromethane in paint strippers.

Going great guns though - Winderemere 2017 the launch date?

Thank you - I'll not cut corners! I assumed PP was a similar epoxy based product to West.
And I must slow down! Windermere 2018 - maybe no speed limit by then..

PP marine filler is a ready use polyester filler like their car body products as opposed to west system which is an epoxy resin to which you need to add a thickening agent such as colloidal silica or micro fibres to bulk it up. In its defence PP marine filler lasted over 20 years in some gouges and as a screw head filler in my boat without falling out shrinking or cracking. Not bad at all. As with all work of this type, the important thing is to get a good clean well keyed surface to apply the product to.