When we discovered ‘Jenny Wren’ was for sale we were eager to buy her back. Built here in 1957 she’s a charming example of a Broom Robb traditional wooden cruiser. But time and tide hadn’t been kind and she was in desperate need of full restoration.
We were delighted to discover that she’d retained many of her original features. Our challenge was to bring back her authentic charm but with a bold, contemporary twist.
The deck
We removed all deck fittings, screens and canopy, then stripped the deck back to bare wood and sanded every inch. All chrome work was polished, and davit and mud pit were removed.
The forward deck was covered in Trackmark, which was in poor condition. Underneath we discovered some gapping and uneven seams. All damaged parts were removed, and the edges routed out. We painstakingly inserted new timber to match the existing and also reworked the forward deck hatch to ensure each part was identical in finish before any coats of varnish were applied.
The aft deck was in need of considerable repair and so was removed entirely and a new one crafted from Iroko to match the forward deck and hatch.
The cockpit
The cockpit was stripped and fully sanded. The flooring was removed as were all switches, helm seat, dash panel and bench seating. Switches were replaced with traditional styled chrome versions and all existing chrome work was polished.
The helm seat was redesigned to incorporate a concealed fridge. The old vinyl flooring was replaced with solid wood and the dash panel was replaced with a chrome plated version.
The cabin
We completely stripped the cabin leaving the bare carcass. The bilge was scrubbed out, treated for rot and repainted. The galley area was stripped, ready for the installation of new cabinetry, worktops, hob and sink. The water filter was removed and a new one placed beneath the sink in the new cabinets.
The toilet was also stripped in preparation for a redesigned layout and installation of new vanity unit fitted against the bulkhead and a new toilet housed within a solid wood unit. The flooring was replaced with solid wood throughout the cockpit and cabin and galley, with a non-slip PVC composite floor fitted in the heads.
Interior varnishing
The last stage of the project was to varnish the interior woodwork, flooring and cockpit with eight coats to achieve a deep lustre. This is the time-consuming part as several days is required between coats.
The forward and aft decks were treated in just the same way and the hull and cabin top were repainted. The new upholstery was hand-made using a bold jade leather in the interior cabin, and complementary colour scheme for the helm seat and cockpit seating. It was finished off with a new canopy.
Light fittings were refurbished where possible and new fittings were in keeping with the traditional styling of the boat. New galley cabinetry with bespoke leather handles and light avonite worktops make this a bright and clean environment with a new calor gas hob.
‘Jenny Wren’ was unveiled at the Broom Boat Show in April 2016 and became star of the TV show ‘Holidays of our Lifetime’ with Len Goodman.
What we did
- Removed aft deck and replaced with new deck crafted from Iroko to match the rest of the boat
- Trackmark covering removed from forward deck, repairs made and new timber inserted
- Reworking of forward deck hatch to match existing timberwork
- All exterior sanded and prepared for repainting/varnishing
- Strip out of cockpit
- Removal of cockpit floor and replaced with new Iroko flooring
- Fitting of new design of helm seat
- Replaced switches and dash panel
- Removed and polished all exterior brightwork
- Screen replaced
- Complete strip out of cabin including galley and heads
- Bilge scrubbed, treated for rot and repainted
- Fitment of new galley cabinetry, avonite worktops, bespoke leather handles and gas hob
- Redesign of heads, new vanity unit fitted to bulkhead, new toilet and non-slip flooring
- Applied 8 coats of varnish to all timberwork
- Repainted hull and cabin top
- Fitment of new upholstery inside and out and complementary cushions
- Fitment of made-to-measure canopy
