Just a thought, on facebook there's a group called "The Dinghy Cruising Association" that might be a good place to ask, several thousand die hard do it yourselfers there.

Bill F

Annie wrote:You might find the West Country yards more easygoing. Pete Hill is hauled out somewhere round Millbrook working on his boat. 

Hi Paul,

the Stour, Orwell and Blackwater estuaries on the East Coast in Essex have numerous creeks and backwaters that contain small boatyards that are usually open to the owner working on his boat. They also do not charge the earth and are helpful to the boat owner. This area also has good rail and road connections to London and the Midlands. A search on Google Earth of the places I mentioned in my last post shows that the boatyard locations I mentioned are still in use and have numerous boats that are obviously being worked on in the yards. My best friend from college rebuilt his boat on the hard in the boatyard at Mistley near Manningtree in the 1990's . He lived quite close so it was convenient for him, unfortunately he died in 2006 so I can not give you any up to date contact information!! He was the secretary of the East Coast Old Gaffers Association for many years and if you contact them they can probably help with up to date information.

All the best, David.

Thanks for the advice folks. 

I guess I'll look further North or West. I find the pricing structures eye watering :-) 

Could I ask for ideas on a wider location basis. 

I live aboard much of the time, but when I go to work I'm gone for a month or six weeks at a time. Location plays no real role.

I just want to get these modifications done and then move on to warmer climes, after a year in the Baltic.

I didn't realise that you pay these figures for boatyards in the south. 

I expected more expensive; but the figures I found are robbery without need of weapon or mask...

I better not rant too much as it might give a false impression. Being a new member :-)

Winds look good over the next week or so for a beam reach across to Norwich. Is that a more likely area.

They're just names on a chart to me. Thanks...

Paul

Just a few miles outside your Margate - Chichester limits, try the Ironwharf boatyard in Faversham. I kept a boat there years ago and a recent visit showed that nothing has changed. It is very much a diy sort of place, there are good transport links and Faversham is a lovely town, the Shepherd Neame brewery not the least of its attractions.