I will post a fuller account of all things engine when I get a moment and have got my brain in gear to describe all the technicalities. In the meanwhile, a few photos and closeups of it in all its glory. 

Geoff and Martyn at Marine Power Services have done an AMAZING job. Truly, properly amazing. It’s goes without saying that the engine now works like the finely oiled machine that it was when it was first produced. However, the added bonus is that it now looks absolutely sensational. 

Bronze, gleaming brass and a fresh coat of paint make it look proper smart. I can only imagine how much elbow grease, steam cleaning and hard work went into making what was a hunk of tarnished junk turn into this beauty. A real ugly duckling to swan moment. 

After an AWFUL LOT of agonising about paints for Betty, it turns out that – perhaps more by luck than judgement – we managed to go for a really good paint. Jotamastic, produced by jotun, is not cheap by any means but the results it gives in smoothing out the surface of the hull are amazing. It is super thick and really provides a thick coating on the hull. This is essential when you realise that any water needs to get through two layers of this stuff before it even touches the steel. 

The picture of the stick above is meant to show just how heavy duty this stuff really is. It was used to stir the paint and, over time, layers have built up on it. I kid you not that this thing is now more like a dumbbell and ridiculously heavy at the end where the paint is. Tough stuff indeed!

Full details of the paint spec here if you are interested: https://www.smlmarinepaints.co.uk/primers/jotamastic-range/jotamastic-80

I bought it through SML who were very helpful and nice chaps. 

In one of my other real jobs (when not being captain of a 1920’s fire boat), I have to be a bit of a social media guru and produce a Instagram feed full of inspiring pictures of stuff. I haven’t hooked old Betty up with Instagram but on my last visit decided to take a couple of Instagram-style photos of the old girl. Think vintage filters, arty angles and severe close up. She looks pretty good I reckon.

Full update to come, but in the meantime check this out…

http://www.marinepowerservices.co.uk/engines/past-engines/105-1956-gardner-6l3



Some rather fab photos from the 80s when Betty was being used as a tour boat around Kingston. Love the colours, now only achieved with Instagram filters.

Thanks to Ben from Liquid Highway for the photos. 



The boat might not yet be finished but my gin pennant has arrived and is ready to be hoisted! Officers of the Royal Navy apparently used to fly gin pennants to let officers of surrounding ships know they were welcome aboard for drinkers. How very social. 

Beta III featured in the edition from Sept 1926!

And a further picture of her in action…

So there you were thinking that I had given up and wasn’t doing anything with the boat. Not so! Inevitably work had slowed over the winter, what with the weather and all. But we have been making progress with the painting thanks to the amazing hard work of Led putting the hours with the paintbrush.

It is looking spiffing. The paint is quite a thick consistency so covers all the minor pitting and dinks excellently – like a good bottle of foundation one might say.

Despite the winter weather, progress has been made on the final blast and paint of the port side. It is looking rather good and, with both sides freshly painted, you can really see how it will look when finished. The grey and white are both undercoats… The final colour of the top coat is tbc!

As well as keeping me updated on the refurb, Martyn and Geoff have also been documenting the transformation on their site Marine Power Services.

The latest fourth post in the series is here. And, in case, you were wondering, previous posts one, two and three are here. And even more photos here.