C&M Traditional Boat Repairs

C&M Traditional Boat Repairs Expert traditional boat repairs and award-winning wooden boat restoration. Skilled craftsmanship, honest advice, and quality work you can trust.

Services include fit-outs, painting & varnishing, custom projects, and general repair and restoration. Welcome to our page, it's nice to have you here! C&M Traditional Boat Repairs is made up of two Boatbuilders; Chris Murphy and Malcolm Jones. Based along the Thames, near Egham and they also offer mobile services. The pair have been working together since 2015 but between them have over 50 years

experience in boat restoration. The passion for boat building doesn't stop with work as both have restored their own boats; a Naval Pinnace and a Dunkirk Little Ship. Services we offer:
Restorations - Structural and strengthening, hull repairs, carvel, clinker, and double diagonal, re-decking, hatches, cockpits, and deck joinery. Narrow Boat fit outs - From planning the layout to lining the fit-out to help maximize the best layout for you and the space you have. Painting & Varnishing - Marine finishes, antifouling, blacking, stripping back cracked and worn varnish and paint and refresh paintwork and finishing coats. We would love to see what we can do for you. If you're in need of some repairs and restorations or just looking for some friendly advice. Give us a call to see how we can help!

28/08/2026

Meet John Kay — one of only 9 Sealion 42-footers ever built. Remarkably, three of them are currently moored here at Harleyford Marina, home of C&M, and the same town where she was originally built. Small world.

She was built in 1963 by J.G. Meakes of Marlow, a yard that traded from this stretch of the Thames for nearly 100 years, with her hull built in the Netherlands by Scheepswerf J. Hitters-Proost and shipped over for fitting out. At the time, the steel hull was considered state of the art, a step away from the wooden hulls most builders were still using.

She's now with us for a restoration that will run over the coming months. We'll be sharing updates as the work progresses.

Windsor to Bourne End aboard Sonbar - swapped the tools for the helm today.Sonbar is a 1947 motor cruiser built by Stebb...
21/08/2026

Windsor to Bourne End aboard Sonbar - swapped the tools for the helm today.

Sonbar is a 1947 motor cruiser built by Stebbings of Burnham-on-Crouch, double diagonal mahogany on oak ribs, powered by twin Ford diesels.

Sunshine and blue skies out, then a few dramatic clouds rolled in on the way back- the first break from the heatwave we've had in weeks.

Passing through the locks was the highlight, as always. Beyond being picture-postcard stops, they're remarkable feats of centuries-old engineering that completely changed how the river was navigated.

Where's your favourite place to stop or moor up on the Thames? And is anyone getting out on the river this weekend?

Let's hope the weather plays ball 🤞

🚤 Back by popular demand!This weekend, the Thames Vintage Boat Club's three-day rally is taking place, cruising from Win...
01/08/2026

🚤 Back by popular demand!

This weekend, the Thames Vintage Boat Club's three-day rally is taking place, cruising from Windsor Race Course Marina up to Harleyford Marina, Marlow - home of C&M Traditional Boat Repairs.

We're excited to see two of our restorations, Deenar and Arcadia, taking part! 👀

☀️ The forecast is glorious, the entertainment lined up sounds brilliant, and it's fantastic to see such a great turnout for this year's rally.

More to come on this properly soon - watch this space!

⚓️ Enjoy the water, everyone!

This weekend was meant to be The Thames Traditional Boat Festival, a highlight of our summer, and one so many of you wer...
18/07/2026

This weekend was meant to be The Thames Traditional Boat Festival, a highlight of our summer, and one so many of you were looking forward to.

We know how disappointing it is not to have it this year. So while we wait for it to come round again, we couldn't resist looking back to last year, when Quisisana took home three trophies:

🏆 The Bill Gardham Trophy - best restoration and presentation
🏆 The Osland Trophy - best structural restoration
🏆 The Fred and Sheila Bourne Trophy - best overall in the show

A real moment of pride for the whole team, and a lovely reminder of why we do what we do.

Here's hoping the festival returns bigger and better next summer; we'll see you all there.

A closer look at Swan Upping on the Thames 🦢Each July, the ancient ceremony of Swan Upping takes place. Swans on the riv...
17/07/2026

A closer look at Swan Upping on the Thames 🦢

Each July, the ancient ceremony of Swan Upping takes place. Swans on the river have belonged to the Crown since the 12th century, and this annual count is how their health (and numbers) are checked, cygnet by cygnet.

The traditional skiffs, the swan-marked flags, the ceremonial uniforms - it's quite a sight on the river this week.

Every year, C&M's Malcolm Jones takes to the water for it aboard his own Dunkirk Little Ship, White Wing, a boat with her own remarkable history. On board were the Deputy Mayor of Marlow, Councillor Olwen Elliott, and David Elliot.

Have you ever spotted the Swan Uppers passing by? Tell us where 👇

In 1940, a 28ft motor sailer called White Wing carried Rear Admiral Taylor and war correspondent A.D. Divine on the last...
26/06/2026

In 1940, a 28ft motor sailer called White Wing carried Rear Admiral Taylor and war correspondent A.D. Divine on the last crossing of Operation Dynamo, signalling the end of the Dunkirk evacuation.

Decades later, Malcolm and Janine Jones tracked her down to a field in Snowdonia National Park, barely recognisable. Malcolm, co-founder of C&M Traditional Boat Repairs, spent two years restoring her himself. She's still his.

What followed was a complete restoration. Teak on oak, rebuilt from the frames up. And in May 2025, White Wing crossed the Channel again, joining 70+ boats for the 85th Anniversary of Operation Dynamo.

Swipe to see the journey and the words of her owner Malcolm Jones, C&M Traditional Boat Repairs. ➡️

📍 Harleyford Marina, Marlow

24/06/2026

Most boat owners don't realise the damage they're doing.
Teak decking looks tough, but a high-pressure washer will strip the soft grain, rough up the surface, and, if your seams aren't deep enough, shear the caulking bond entirely.

Swipe to see why, and what we do instead. ⬆️

📍 Harleyford Marina, Marlow

What a week! The sun is out, and we’ve been making the absolute most of it, getting these beauties summer-ready. ☀️⚓️Bei...
19/06/2026

What a week! The sun is out, and we’ve been making the absolute most of it, getting these beauties summer-ready. ☀️⚓️

Being based at Harleyford Marina is a huge help. Having their crane lift right on our doorstep means getting boats in and out is completely straightforward.

It’s been an absolute privilege to have a trio of stunning Dunkirk Little Ships passing through together. Here’s what we’ve been up to:

✨ L'Orage – Back in the water after exterior plank work, paint, and varnish.
✨ Deenar – Re-launched and looking incredibly sharp after a seasonal refresh.
✨ White Wing – Just lifted out for her summer maintenance.

Is anyone planning to be out on the river this weekend? Let us know where you're heading! 👇

18/06/2026

L'Orage is back in the water and heading home! Our yard handled her new planking, paint, and varnish on the exterior, but before she departs, we wanted to give you a quick glimpse inside this incredible 1938 Dunkirk Little Ship. ⚓

Most people only see these Dunkirk Little Ships from the riverbank, but stepping into the cabin is like walking into a genuine time capsule. It is absolutely packed with living history.

Take a look at the photos we’ve dropped in the comments to see the details:

✨A beautifully preserved brass "DUNKIRK 1940" plaque right at the companionway.

✨A spectacular watercolour painting showing L'Orage crossing the Channel for a commemorative return cruise.

✨Displays overflowing with decades of traditional boat rally plaques.

It's been an incredible privilege to work on her. Stay tuned, we'll be dropping the final video of her finished exterior look very soon.

Which of these historical details stands out to you the most? Let us know! 👇

Let's talk wood. 🪵If you’re looking for whispering or rain sounds, you’re on the wrong page. This is our version of ASMR...
18/06/2026

Let's talk wood. 🪵

If you’re looking for whispering or rain sounds, you’re on the wrong page. This is our version of ASMR- planes, saws, and a proper mountain of sawdust.

Every boat that comes into the yard tells us exactly what it needs. Whether it's Carvel, Clinker, or Diagonal, we match the original build method. Teak, Iroko, and Oak are just to name a few, but we use plenty of other traditional timbers depending on what the boat asks for.

The secret to keeping a wooden boat alive? It’s not avoiding water, it’s just making sure it doesn't sit in the wrong place for too long. Keep up with your annual varnishing and caulking checks, catch the small jobs early, and you'll save yourself a massive headache.

Everything here is done the traditional way, by hand, with plenty of elbow grease.

Turn your sound up and enjoy the racket. 🔊

Woodworking YardLife

Address

Harleyford Marina, Harleyford Estate
Marlow
SL72DX

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 6pm
Tuesday 8am - 6pm
Wednesday 8am - 6pm
Thursday 8am - 6pm
Friday 8am - 6pm

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