Fox’s undercover, heated workshops really come into their own during the winter months allowing the team to continue working whatever the weather has to throw at us!
All three main Fox’s workshops are currently full with a variety of interesting projects on a dozen or more vessels of all shapes and sizes, including the windfarm support vessel CWind Alliance, a Prout 37 cruising catamaran, a 10m local fishing boat, a Contessa 32 and Halberg Rassy 352, a pair of Squib keel boats and no less than three Oyster yachts between 56 and 72 feet LOA. Capacity has been further extended by the construction of a custom ‘poly tunnel’ within existing workshops space, allowing for the blasting, faring and refinishing of three, 30m alloy and carbon fibre spars.
Fox’s has always specialised in high-quality, custom bottom work, particularly the correct diagnosis of any problem, careful treatment and high quality repair and refinishing. Our blast bay allows efficient and essential preparation of everything from classic timber hulls, blistered GRP laminates to steel plating and ballast keels. From traditionally finished red lead putty seams and underwater primer, to solvent-free epoxy and Coppercoat, right through to the latest non-stick Silicone based coatings – we continue to develop our range of skills and solutions to suit every project.
Our composites team has been busy with gelcoat matching, repair and refinishing, compete topside rebuilds and epoxy bottom sheathing work. Next door, our shipwrights and joiners have been preparing two Oysters for decking, prior to vacuuming the new teak into position whilst also getting stuck into the repair and restoration of a beautiful American white oak Oyster 56 interior, following extensive water damage suffered during the Caribbean hurricane season. Outside a number of other projects are either underway or awaiting shed space, not least the splendid and very yellow steel-hulled sail training vessel James Cook and the much admired historical Thames cruiser Havengore – both back for routine, annual maintenance. On the racing front, a beautifully efficient looking J121 is having complete bottom faring and refinishing, whilst preparations are underway to accommodate the full repaint, keel and rudder install, rigging and re-commissioning of a 50’ carbon race boat.
With the new sailing season just around the corner, it’s full steam ahead at Fox’s!
