The Workshop News

Filling seams in carvel construction
Filling Seams in Carvel Construction
Practical technique notes for filling plank seams in carvel-built boats with MAS FLAG epoxy and Workshop Mix, with step-by-step video demos. Read more...
Fuel tanks
Building Fuel Tanks from Marine Ply and Epoxy
How we build custom fuel tanks for the schooner from marine ply, MAS Fuel epoxy, and biaxial cloth — including baffle plates made entirely in-house. Read more...
A name and tribute to Maurice Griffiths
A Name and Tribute to Maurice Griffiths
The story behind naming our 38ft schooner Iracunda — a personal tribute to yacht designer and Yachting Monthly editor Maurice Griffiths. Read more...
Repairing the disaster
Repairing Hull Damage After a Turnover Mishap
How MAS FLAG and Low Vis epoxy held firm when our 38ft hull cracked during a turnover — and how we repaired the damaged plywood underneath. Read more...
Moving the schooner hull outside, part 3
Moving The Hull Part 3: Outside
Erecting our plywood hamster-wheel turning frame around the hull outside the workshop, ready to roll her the right way up without dragging her on the ground. Read more...
Turning the schooner hull over with a crane
Moving The Hull, the Turn Over
Lifting our schooner hull off the caterpillars and turning her the right way up with a crane, a friend called Paul, and a lot of tea. Read more...
Moving the schooner hull out of the workshop, part 2
Moving The Hull Part 2
Jacking the schooner hull up onto our two homemade caterpillar trolleys, then winching her out into the sunshine for the first time. Read more...
Moving the schooner hull out of the workshop
Moving The Hull
How we built a homemade caterpillar trolley and a plywood hamster-wheel turning frame to get our 38ft schooner hull out of the workshop, off the caterpillars and right way up,... Read more...
Bio-Solv solvent
Why We Switched to Bio-Solv
How Bio-Solv replaced MEK, acetone and white spirit in our workshop — for brush clean-up, spray equipment, parts washing, and more. Read more...
Hull prep continues on the schooner build
Hull Prep Continues
Sanding down and spraying three coats of primer filler onto the schooner hull, protecting the epoxy sheathing ahead of the top coats. Read more...
Preparing to move the schooner hull
Preparing to Move the Schooner Hull
Building a custom 16-tonne moving dolly and rolling frame to turn and move our 38ft schooner hull out of the workshop. Read more...
Drills ours died
The Drills We've Worn Out (and What Replaced Them)
16 years with our original Hitachi drills, the Makita replacements that burned out, and the surprising £98 eBay drill that's outperformed them all. Read more...