We knew the boat was rare and that it was a perfect match for our josher motor, Owl, which we were also restoring at the time.

However, the work needed to bring it up to a reasonable standard was huge.  The main areas were the footings and baseplate; the main undercloth cabin; the back cabin; the cloths and painting etc.  

We also decided that we wanted to be able to use the butty independently of the motor.  This meant adding an engine, but in such a way that the historic appearance of the boat would not be compromised.

The work has been ongoing for about twenty years.

One of the least attractive parts of the undercloth conversion was the very wide top plank.  This detracted from the elegant lines of the rest of the boat.  It would be several years before we were able to rectify this.  Also the shape of the forecabin was all wrong.