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Stirling & Son

26 July 2012

26 July 2012

Integrity's interior - the detail of the interior has been taken from photographs of Victorian Yachts.  The frames of the panelled oak bulkheads are mortice and tenoned together.  Loose panels are fitted in a rebate in the frame.  The lower panels are fielded the upper panels flat.  A beading or trim is fitted around the edge of each panel.  This gives the bulkhead a 3D feel.  The oak has been treated with Van Dyke crystals, a crushed walnut and water mixture which stains the wood and brings out the quarter grain (as you might find in panelled libraries).  Once stained beeswax is rubbed into the oak and then buffed.

Will Stirling has been collecting fittings for some time and has managed to collect a full set of brass clam lights with switches to suit, the sink is of hammered copper with a brass galley pump. The Blakes minor has a hand painted 'bird bath' basin next to it with a brass soap holder which came off an old ocean liner. 

We hope to be adding a new post shortly with some good sailing shots!

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20 June 2012

Will Stirling tells us that Integrity emerged from the shed a few days ago.  She was launched in Plymouth where they have been ballasting and rigger her over the last few days.

^{Source: Stirling & Son, June 2012.}

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8 May 2012

Stirling & Son have had 120 kilos of bronze cast to our own patterns as fittings for the yacht.  The patterns were made after studying the details of old fittings in photographs and books like Dixon Kemp's Yacht Architecture.  The castings include winch drums, chain plates, bollard fair leads and a main sheet buffer.  They have been made locally by Ian Major in Fowey (07897 924 005).

They have also been buying copper sheet of different thicknesses for various applications on the hull and interior. Brown paper templates are made before the copper is cut with a jig saw.  A hard board pad is put between the jig saw foot and copper so that the machine doesn't scratch the relatively soft metal.

A fairly unpopular job was the fastening of a 1/8" thick copper chafing plate on the heel of the boat.  A hole had to be dug in order to allow access for fastening. The chafing plate is a precaution against marine borers. Inevitably at some point the antifoul will be scraped on the heel and it may be awkward to antifoul under there in the future.  They have antifouled underneath the copper.  A copper band of the same thickness reaches from the ballast keel, up the stem and is forged over the stem head. 

The dead eyes were made by TS Rigging of Maldon and have been bolted on to the bronze chain plates.  The chain plates have been fitted to the channels and the hull pre-drilled.  The hull was painted with a grey gloss before fairing with a torture board.  This indicated the high and low spots for a final fairing in and then a good body of undercoat was been applied.  Now they have to wait for some warm weather so that the ivory white gloss paint will flow and set without brush marks and then the chain plates are ready to attach.  Almost a kit boat!

^{Source: Stirling & Son, 8 May 2012.}

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18 April 2012

Lead On is a new pilot's punt for Kindly Light, a Bristol Channel pilot cutter and National Historic Fleet vessel.  She was completed by Stirling and Son and delivered to her owner in March.

She was built to the owner's specifications following his extensive research into the pilot cutters' boats.  Will Stirling said: "She is built to both tow well in a seaway and also to scull well, and has very flat floors midships to provide stability, a little hollow in the bow under the waterline so that she cleaves the water with full sections above the waterline to give her good reserve buoyance forward.  Aft, she has a shapely transom above the waterline to reduce drag to a minimum."

This image (right) shows another new 12ft rowing dinghy that left the yard at the end of March, destined for a lake in Sussex, and varnished with gold leaf scrollwork and cove line.

A third 12ft dinghy, a Tideway general purpose sailing dinghy, came into the yard for repairs recently.  New sidedecks and foredeck were fitted, underwater repairs carried out and the boat was completely refurbished.

^{Details taken from intheboatshed.net, 18 April 2012}

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26 March 2012

Will Stirling has kindly updated us and we now know that sails have arrived for Integrity, the new build 20 ton gaff cutter of c1880.  The sails have been made by Steve Hall of North Sea Sails who works from the Ibex Sail Loft in Tollesbury. 

The sails are made from Clipper Canvas with brass eyes, hand stitched bolt ropes and leather work.  There are 2,000 sq feet of sail between the jib, staysail, jib topsail, square sail, mainsail and yard topsail.

These images were taken by Annikka Hall.

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24 January 2012

Belle Poule, a 46' Alfred Mylne yahct has arrived at the Stirling and Son yard.

She was built shortly after the First World War and shows every feature of a fine Mylne yacht.

Her plans have been identified amongst the original A.Mylne and Co. archive.  Her owner had her shipped back from America where she had been saved by Gannon and Benjamin and stored in their yacht at Marth's Vineyard.  She is due for an extensive rebuild which will include centreline, some framing and some planking.  The restoration will commence in the Spring of 2012.

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