hughes shepherd

"Golde Olde", a 1957, 15 1/2 ft. Shepherd Junior

(owned by Dick & Charlotte Hughes)

Under the guidance of their son Rich, Richard & Charlotte Hughes began the restoration of their 1957 Shepherd Jr. in January in their garage. All the hardware was removed and the decks and reachable sides stripped of the old varnish before moving it to Rich's heated workshop. There, Rich put in two new frames, all new knees, a new transom and four new planks. The boat was turned and the stripping continued until ready for a new epoxy bottom. The hardware was sent out for re-chroming while Richard & Charlotte continued the final stages of stripping and Rich completed all the sanding to his satisfaction. Although side rails and a new floor covering will be installed later, the inside side walls and floor received new varnish and paint. While the work progressed inside the shop, Linda Hughes was busy redesigning and upholstering the seats. In a couple of weeks she will be starting on the convertible top and the mooring cover. As the varnishing and sanding continued Richard Sr. decided that a more appropriate name for the boat would be "Golde Olde" rather than "Kennebec" as was first chosen. Eleven coats of varnish and many hours of careful sanding took place next. With John Hendren's help, Rich fiitted a new windshield to the old frames, the hardware was put back on and Rich is presently completing the electrical wiring. The water line is being painted at present (one more coat of paint should do it). As the completion of the restoration draws nearer the excitement mounts.
For Richard & Charlotte it has certainly been a learning experience. They have gained a whole new appreciation for the expertise and skills of their son Rich, daughter-in-law Linda and others in the club who so willingly gave their time and shared their knowledge of wooden boat restoration.
" The anticipation of the launching of "Golde Olde"is creating a lot of excitement in the Hughes Family.