A look at the worst

(originally published April 2005)

And this is what I saw when I removed the fendering! Having been towed around behind 40 foot hire motor cruisers for the last three or four decades, Lugg has taken a bit of a pasting on the stemhead. There are about 16 different holes where the towing eye has been repeatedly ripped out of the GRP and replaced, new holes being drilled each time; these dinghies lead a very rough life. The very top of the stem is missing altogether. The repairs over the years were quick and dirty, since most of them will have been done between one hirer bringing the boat back at 10.00am on Saturday morning and a new hirer taking it out again at 4.00pm the same day. Doesn't make for craftmanship.

Taking off the black rubber fendering took about four hours - it was held in place by all 56 stainless steel nuts and bolts which held the deck on to the hull moulding. Every single bolt had been nipped off close to the rubber under the gunwhale, making it very difficult to remove the nut. You can see the detail in this photo.