Welcome
Welcome to the National Historic Ship Chance-restoration Project
Chance is registered with National Historic Ships as Chance is a one off design by well renowned boat designer John Bain.
Latest News and Updates on the National Historic Ship Chan
National Historic Ship Chance Restoration Project Update
The Chance restoration team are presently working in Simon's workshop in Walton on the Naze working on repairing or remaking parts for the interior furniture which are broken or rotten or missing from the interior. Some of the parts have been changed over the years as the boat when from owner to owner over the years and owners ideas changed and the interior was remodelled. This was especially true of the aft cabin which has been totally changed from the original. However, in Chance's case the original design was able to be seen when the more modern interior was removed to show the original design. The Chance restoration team are also rebuilding the port side galley unit so that it can be refitted in the galley area as soon as the hull as been repaired and the hull and bulkheads mare painted before both units are refitted. There is a bit of work still to be done on the starboard side galley as the holes where the sink taps were fitted need to be filled in with a grading piece and the whole of the units need to be re-varnished.
We have set up a production line for the revarnishing of many of the parts which were looking a bit in a poor condition and had lack any sort of varnish on them for sometime.
Much of this work has been undertaken by our new member of staff at Simon workshop.
We will also be cleaning off more paint in the forecabin and chain locker and making any repairs that need to be undertaken on the hull and frames before the forecabin is started to be rebuild.
So we are going to be busy over the coming weeks as we get on with these jobs.
Latest News and Updates on the Chance-restoration Project
Chance Restoration Project Update
We always look to keep you all updated on our progress of our project to restore Chance to her former glory.
Sometimes by a simple blog article or a short video showing what we have been up to over the past week or so.
We try to keep them light hearted in content and let you know how and why we are doing the job the way we are doing it.
This winter we hope to get more work done, As we hope we have a cover on Chance which may stay in place better than the last cover did. If the cover does stay put as we hope it does. We are planning to start rebuilding the forecabin after the structural work is done. Work such as some of the planking which need replacing and repairs to the top of the stem and the heel of the stem.
Inside there are a number of parts of the forecabin bulkhead that need replacing. Also we need to remove the old forecabin deck hatch as this is badly rotten that not much is holding it together and we need to make a completely new hatch from scratch.
We have to get some more cover to finish off covering up the stem area of Chance before long to ensure we keep the rain out of the forecabin of Chance over the winter and beyond.
Updates on Progress on Chance
Next major project on Chance, Starboard beam shelf and deck beams and transom framework.
The next major job that will be undertaken by the Chance Restoration team will be the removal of the starboard beam shelf the short side deck beams and the aft deck beams.
The first part of this job will involve removing all the teak laid deck along the starboard side deck and then across the aft deck and along the port side to expose the aft deck beams, so that they can be removed and new deck beams made to replace the old damaged beams which had been cut off when the starboard side deck beam was replaced at sometime in the past. The deck beams along the starboard side deck will have to be renewed as well as they had the same treatment as the aft deck beams, Cut off short and not refixed to the new beam shelf when the beam shelf was replaced. Also along the starboard side the tie rods that connect the beam shelf to the carlin were cut through and not remade and new tie rods fitted to connect the parts of the hull structure together. if this job had been done correctly we would not be facing this problem now.
At the same time as the beam shelf is being sorted the last frame in the starboard side will have to be remade and fitted. Once this is done the framework for the transom can be made up and once the starboard side as been brought back into its correct shape and position then the transom can be reskinned in the way it was originally made up.
The scale of the task ahead.
As with any major restoration you are going to find more problems at first which you were not expecting to find. however, some of the problems were known, however, the extent of the damage or the scale of the size of the repair can not be judge without removing a lot of wood to see the extent of the damage until you get to see it with bits of boast in the way.
Removing old poorly done repairs which caused many of the problems we are facing on Chance
As with any project there is a lot of removal work before you can get down to reconstruction work and that is where we are at the moment. a lot more removal work, however, when this is done then we can start to rebuild the damaged areas and put back the correct shape into the hull once more.
Life's a Gamble, So lets take a "Chance"
This is Chances' Story
The history of Chance from her launch to the present day
History
Chance was launched at the James Silver boatyard at Rosneath to a John Bain Design Chance was a change in direction for John Bain and James Silver's boatyard as Chance was a true 50/50 motor Sailer and not as many of the boats which came before Chance and after Chance were motorboats.
Chances' design was to be called a Western Isles after the nearby area where the boatyard is situated.
Chance was commissioned and launched in 1948 for her first owner Lovat Crosley at Greenock.
1951 through to 1955, Name changed to Token by Capt. (S) S. J. Read, Southampton
1956 – 1970. The Hercules Engineering Co. Ltd, Southampton
1970 – 1991. Edward W. and E.D. Boxall, other family members until it was sold in 1991. Southampton
After 1980 the Lloyd's register was closed to new entries, at which time it is not known who her owners were and how long they owned her until the present day.
Chance has had the same engines throughout the years from 1948 until 2021 when the engines have been removed to have new engines fitted towards the end of her restoration. They were listed as "2 oil engines, 4 cyl, 90 x 120mm, and Dorman diesels.
Chance had several owners after it original owner and spent most of her days in and around the Solent. Until later in her life which was spent a short time on the River Thames, then for a short while at Membury, then back to the River Thames at Egham where she had some planking replaced, then Chance moved to Wadebridge in Cornwall. Then she moved once more to Woodplumpton in Lancashire where she is presently stored in a Storage yard.
The plan at the moment is to do as much work as possible to get her in a condition to move her down to my yard in Essex so that I can continue the work near to my home.
Technology
Chances' construction was common for the time period in which chance was built. Grown oak stem made in section to go from the stem head to the front of the keelson and keel and apron and through bolted, grown oak frames and steamed oak ribs, Oak keelson and oak keel, grown oak floors which the iron keel is bolted through. Oak engine beds which run for 20 feet along the hull to which the two engines are bolted to.
Chance has two beam shelfs, one that runs from the transom to the galley area of the hull, and then the second beam shelf runs from the forward end of the cockpit to the stem. Chance has grown oak deck beams with lodging knees where the tabernacles for the both mast positions.
The deck is made of teak and is single skinned and screwed to the deck with bronze screws to the deck beams. The deck skylights are fitted to the deck beams and they have their own carlins which the deck skylights are screwed through from below up into the skylights.
The hull is planked in Mahogany and is fixed to the ribs with copper nails and roves and bronze screwed to the grown frames.
The construction of the boat was a common method for the period although the design of the boat was a change in direction for both James Silver and John Bain as they had not built a true motor Sailer before.
The engines that fitted to Chance was a common engine fitted to boats at that time, the only change was they were being used as auxiliary engines and not her main form of propulsion.
Chance is a rare example, as Chance was only one of two built to the western isles design and I have not been able to find the other western isles built to this boat design through my research.
Chances’ provenance is through the Lloyds register of shipping and the fact chance still has the official number on her forward deck beam.
Social Values
I am Chances’ latest owner and the owner who is going to get her back into commission after a long restoration project which will take between 3 to 5 years to complete.
Chance, as symbolic valve in as much as she was a change in direction for the boat builder (James Silver) and designer (John Bain), to build a true 50/50 Motor Sailer.
There is a class association for James Silver boats on Facebook and to which I am a member.
Aesthetic Valves
Chance as a well-proportioned shape to her and the design is pleasing to the eye and the design makes for an easily driven hull
Rarity
As for the rarity of Chance there are no other Western Isles in existence, as it has been impossible to track down the other Western Isles that was possibly built by James Silvers’ boatyard, if in fact the other Western Isles was ever built.
Integrity
At the moment the majority of the hull planking is original to when Chance was built apart from the some of the areas of the hull that have had replacement planking fitted to the hull over the years. However, the interior of the boat has been modified over the years and in places destroying the original fabric of the original interior, however, when much of the more recent modification were removed it was possible to see the original design of the interior and it is planned to reinstate the original design of the interior back as part of her restoration.