Original LesRo Sportsman Restoration.
The original shape LesRo Sportsman is a model that had eluded me for many years, but I always liked the look of it, so when one came up on eBay, I matched the opening price with my first bid, and ended up winning it as nobody else placed a bid.
It could well be that everyone else was a lot wiser than me, but I have ended-up with it and it will be a long-term restoration project that will have to be fitted in-between a lot of other build/repair work that I already have stacked-up waiting for my attention.
This boat came with a fitted glow-plug engine of unknown size or type, so the first job was to remove the engine, fuel tank and silencer etc to see just how bad and fuel soaked the inside of the hull was, and then try to work-out how to dry it out and make any repairs that may be needed.
Bob.
It could well be that everyone else was a lot wiser than me, but I have ended-up with it and it will be a long-term restoration project that will have to be fitted in-between a lot of other build/repair work that I already have stacked-up waiting for my attention.
This boat came with a fitted glow-plug engine of unknown size or type, so the first job was to remove the engine, fuel tank and silencer etc to see just how bad and fuel soaked the inside of the hull was, and then try to work-out how to dry it out and make any repairs that may be needed.
Bob.
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These older shafts were often made out of silver steel, so they were always very straight and strong enough to resist almost any collision....and didn't need to be quite so fat as the weaker brass shafts that are used now.
The old type rudder blades were still only made from brass, and in the event of a prang the blades would often tear-off - leaving the silver steel shaft nice and straight, but in the boat on its own with no blades left on it.......just like this one was!
I am trying to do a little bit to this boat in-between all my other projects, but if find some time will make a new rudder to fit this original brass holder rather than swap it out for a new moulded plastic type.
Bob.
I took a look up inside the “pointed end” and was a little dismayed to discover that the keel was a bit ‘soft” right at the very front of the bows.
This came as a bit of a surprise as although the inside of the boat is suffering from being fuel soaked, I had no idea that it could actually rot the wood - if anything, I thought it would preserve it !
It was too cold to stay out sulking about if for too long, but I did shove a screw-driver up inside and gouged-out some of the soft wood - enough to convince me that I may need to get stuck-in to some fairly drastic surgery to cut away the bows and replace it.
Bob.