Ian Baird writes up his first boat restoration job after studying at the BBA – and it was quite a challenge

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Some time ago Ian Baird got around to finishing writing up his account of the restoration of Yoma II – the boat restoration that was his first professional project after completing his course at the Boat Building Academy, and it’s in this month’s issue of Water Craft. 

He tells me that he had what he described as the ‘rather wonderful’ pleasure of having a reader of the magazine, unknown to him, ring him up to congratulate him on the restoration job. It quite made his day.

Yoma II, I should explain, is a 1961 Burnham on Sea Motor Boat Company-built motor tender based on the company’s rather longer Sturdy 16 model, but built at 14ft to the owner’s specification.

Tackling such a restoration as a first professional outing as a one-man outfit sounds like a nightmare to me. Little Yoma’s bottom had rotted out, and everything from the fifth plank down from the gunwales had to be replaced.

But with a little help from some of his BBA ex-student friends she’s now back in the water, powered by her original 1.5hp Stuart-Turner engine and working as a tender to the motor launch Yoma, and if you read the Water Craft piece, it’s clear Ian is just a little misty-eyed about her and hopes she’ll now make her full century…

Read an earlier post about Yoma II here.

PS – Water Craft this month also includes a great interview with the charming and brilliant French designer François Vivier, together with a feature about a boat built to his sweet little 12ft 6in Morbic design.

PPS – the issue also has a piece about North Quay Marine’s spirited and clever little gaffer, the Spitfire 18. 

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