Ex-Navy Pinnace Liveaboard Project

Selling due to a change in personal circumstances that make a project such as this unachievable. Price is negotiable to assist a quick sale, viewing is available by arrangement and transport can be arranged at an additional cost if needed. After reading through if there are any questions, please feel free to contact me and I will be happy to assist where I can. The vessel is also listed for sale elsewhere. I have owned the vessel since August 2013, and although I intended to renovate it into being my home as a liveaboard, little work has been carried out on it since 2014.

It has been stored on a large trailer on a family property since I purchased it and has spent the last 5 years or so out in the open, exposed to the elements. In the pictures, I have tried to highlight the current state of the hull and superstructure, all the information below is based on a structural survey I had done in September 2013 (this can be provided on completion of sale) and from things found when carrying out renovation works. The vessel (Lucky Lady) has approximate dimensions as follows: Overall Length 42 feet, Beam 14 feet, Draft 4 feet 6 inches. Built in 1943, in the style of a Royal Navy Pinnace, it is believed that the boat was used in the D-Day landings to transport troops and ammunition, however the hull identification plate has not been located to be able to confirm this claim. Lucky Lady is a wooden motorboat that has seen some significant alterations to the amidships section of the deck and the superstructure in order to convert it's use into a houseboat.

The boat had a traditional frame assembly with double diagonal planking attached to the frames in the carvel manor and is thought to be Mahogany on Mahogany. This is when the planks are ‘butted up’ to each other and the gap between them sealed with a caulking material. The entire hull above and below the water line, the fore, side and aft decks and the boat’s superstructure had been covered in glass reinforced plastic. There are signs of minor damage to the bottom edge of the keel and the iron skeg, which extends from the aft part of the keel and supports of the rudder but these are to be expected on a hull that has been designed to be able to take the ground. Within the glass reinforced plastic that covers the outside of the structure, there are large areas where the bond between it and the timber planking has failed and the areas where the planking has softened by water ingress.

The following areas were found to have bonding failure: Port (left) sideBow + 1 meter - a circular area 300mm diameter 200mm up from the keelBow + 3 meters to bow + 4 meters from the edge of the keel 600mm upwardsBilge Keel outer face - from bow + 5.5 to bow + 6.5 meters Starboard (right) sideBow + 2.5 meters to bow + 4.75 meters from the edge of the keel 100mm upwardsBow + 10 meters to bow + 12 meters from the keel 600 mm upwardsBilge Keel outer face from bow + 6.5 to bow + 8 metersAlong the edge of the keel from the bow to bow + 3.5All measurements are approximate. The bow section of the deck is in good condition with no signs of delamination. However there are also bonding failures in the decking. Both side decks have delamination, with a large area of rot in the plywood on the port side decking which would benefit from replacement. With the exception of the port side forward corner, around the deck drain, the bond between the glass reinforced plastic and aft deck boards is sound, with no significant areas of rot in either the aft deck boards or the aft deck support structure.

The boat was made in the traditional manner with a series of large curved wooden main frames running from the keel to the sides creating the boat's shape. Small wooden ribs supported the planking between the frames. Minor damage and various small cut outs and fixings in the frames were found but these are to be expected on a boat of this age. One rib on the starboard side opposite the helmsman’s seat was found to be rotten, which has been removed to be replaced, however the replacement has not been added. All the internal framework within the bow and forward section of the boat are original while some modifications have been carried out in the amidships section.

The original deck running aft from the forward bulkhead has been removed and the boat has a square section superstructure with side decks running aft from the original wheelhouse and an aft deck with access hatches to the engine and stern gear. From the forward bulkhead back to the amidships area of the boat on the starboard side there were three original 8 inch x 3 inch bilge planks (strengthening planks running fore and aft in the bilge area) equally spaced outboard of the keel wood. Three 6 inch x 3 inch wooden braces had been fitted between the outboard bilge plank and the upper edge of the hull to reinforce the boats side and support the starboard side deck. From the forward bulkhead back to the amidships area of the boat on the port side there are two original 8 inch x 3 inch bilge planks equally spaced outboard of the keel wood. The outer bilge plank on the port side has been removed to make way for an auxiliary engine at some point in the vessel's past.

A 6 inch x 3 inch bilge plank has been fitted outboard of the auxiliary engine position. However there have been no additional reinforcements added to the boat's port side amidships since the removal of the auxiliary engine. At approximately the amidships position the sheer clamps both sides are cracked and these have been reinforced with steel bolts which are now severely corroded on the inside of the boat and will need replacing or reinforcing further. The stern of the hull is constructed with the original bilge planks and replacement deck beams and vertical posts to support the replacement aft deck. The engine is securely mounted on substantial wooden engine bearers.

The aft deck has been made from plywood panels which had been overlaid with glass reinforced plastic. The steel rudder and the skeg supporting it appear to be original equipment or direct replacements. There is some welding present on the skeg suggesting a repair, however it still remains serviceable. Surface corrosion is present on the skeg, rudder and rudder shaft, with more severe corrosion found on the intermediate rudder bearing housing fixing bolts. The steering is by two 1/19 stainless wires running from the helm position in the wheelhouse, with an emergency steel tiller on board.

The steering is very stiff to operate from the wheelhouse and requires an overhaul during renovation works. The anodes on the rudder have lost about 45% of their size and require replacing while the ones on the skeg are serviceable. Some of the anodes have been removed in the small amount of work that I have been able to carry out on the vessel, but will be included in the sale. The through hull skin fittings are correctly fitted with seacocks, however the one for the engine cooling water has seized in the open position. All seacocks will require servicing and some may well need to be removed as they are no longer required, although I haven’t had time to look into this.

There is a single electrical pump mounted in the engine bay, unsure as to whether this is in working order as I have never tried it out. For sufficient discharge, the bay would require two serviced bilge pumps as well as making a provision to avoid contaminated bilge water from the bay being discharged. Although the timber is largely original with some modifications to the front and sides, the rest is constructed from softwood timber and plywood. The exterior of the wheelhouse and superstructure are covered in glass reinforced plastic with fixed windows. The windows set in the front, sides and rear of the wheelhouse are glass, while those in each side of the superstructure are plastic.

One of the glass windows at the front of the wheelhouse was cracked and was removed during the small amount of work that has been carried out on the vessel under my ownership. It was subsequently boarded over to minimise ingress from external elements. The glass reinforced plastic has no signs of separation over the wheelhouse plywood, and the frames underneath have no significant damage or rot. The safety rails along the side decks are made from painted steel. The rails on the port side are badly damaged and corroded, while the rails on the starboard side are serviceable.

There are also serviceable mooring cleats on the transom, however there are no further mooring cleats or Sampson post for the anchor chain fitted on the foredeck, so these would need to be added. The 6 cylinder marinised commercial diesel engine is securely mounted and correctly aligned with the stern gear. The engine turned over at the point of purchase, although it requires a new starter motor and has not been routinely maintained in some time prior to this. Engine control is via a Morse type unit mounted at the helm position in the wheelhouse. The electrical wiring running through the engine bay is not clipped down in several places, and will require an overhaul.

There are remains of a 240 volt electrical system, although it would be best and easiest to start again from scratch as it is all untested and incomplete. The vessel is very much a project but it is also very much a blank canvas and can be turned into whatever the new owner desires.