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!

She came in looking tired. She leaves looking like this — ready to turn heads on the river this summer. ✨Meet Cygnet, a ...
15/05/2026

She came in looking tired. She leaves looking like this — ready to turn heads on the river this summer. ✨

Meet Cygnet, a Meakes Slipper Launch, 35ft, built in 1931. For decades, she was lovingly cared for and maintained by Richard Mash, enjoyed by his family on the Thames. Since Richard's passing, this is the first time another boatyard has ever completed any work on her.

We didn't take that lightly. The mahogany decks, the chrome fittings, the hand-painted name. Every detail seen to before she heads back out onto the Thames.

This is what we love about this work, boats like Cygnet aren't just boats. They're part of the river's history, and part of a family's story.

The family are thrilled with the outcome and the care taken with their beloved boat. That means everything to us.

Is your classic boat ready for summer? Drop us a message or give us a call, we'd love to help.

15/04/2026

Last night we attended the Classic Boat Awards 2026 at the Royal Thames Yacht Club, London.

The boat we restored, Quisisana, was nominated this year - she didn't take home a trophy this time, but being in the room among the best in the industry was an honour. Thank you to everyone who voted for her.

Congratulations to everyone who was nominated and to all those who took home an award. The standard of work in this industry never fails to impress.

It was also brilliant to see the celebrated, a reminder that this craft is being passed on to new generations, and long may that continue. Our own trained there, and we see what a fantastic foundation the academy gives its students.

10/04/2026

29ft of mahogany, oak, and British history in our yard this week.

L'Orage is out of the water at our yard for her seasonal maintenance.

🔹️Built 1938 - Boats & Cars Ltd. Kingston
🔹️29ft 6 in
🔹️Carvel mahogany on oak
,
One of the few serving Dunkirk Little Ships, still actively maintained and sailed. She ferried troops from the beaches before going on to become the beloved ship of Raymond Baxter OBE, decorated Spitfire pilot, BBC broadcaster, and the man who co-founded the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships (official) in 1966.

The current owners are every bit dedicated to her legacy. Keeping a wooden boat of this age in good health takes commitment and is a testament to what regular, careful maintenance can achieve.

🌞It's the warmest day of 2026 so far, and if you're anything like us, your thoughts are already drifting to the river.Th...
08/04/2026

🌞It's the warmest day of 2026 so far, and if you're anything like us, your thoughts are already drifting to the river.

The anticipation of a long summer cruise. Early-morning starts and, for some, the countdown to The Thames Traditional Boat Festival - Friday 17th to Sunday 19th July 2025, is among the finest weekends on the river calendar.

Something we see every year at the yard: boats that aren't quite ready when summer arrives. Paintwork that's lifted over winter, varnish that's gone milky, or fittings that have worked loose. Things that seemed minor in October suddenly matter in June.

The good news? There's still time - but not much of it.

At C&M Traditional Boat Repairs, based at Harleyford Marina on the River Thames, we specialise in bringing classic and traditional boats back to their best. Whether you're planning a gentle summer cruise, preparing for The Trad, or want your boat looking the way she deserves, we will give her the care and attention she needs.

We offer bespoke fit-outs, repairs, restorations, and painting and varnishing work.

💬 Are you planning to make it to The Trad at Henley this year — or is it a summer cruise season for you?

We're delighted to announce that C&M Traditional Boat Repairs has its very first billboard, and what a spot it is! Right...
02/04/2026

We're delighted to announce that C&M Traditional Boat Repairs has its very first billboard, and what a spot it is! Right on Marlow Bridge. 🎉

A big thank you to Marlow Rowing Club for leasing the space and for welcoming our sponsorship. We hope our contribution plays a small part in the club's continued success, supporting the adaptive and junior squads. It's a privilege to support the local community.

If you own a wooden boat, or you're curious about what traditional boat restorations involves, we'd love to hear from you. Our team is always happy to offer professional, honest advice - no obligation, just a conversation.

👉 Come and find us at Harleyford Marina, Marlow or give us a call. We're here, we're local, and we love what we do!

26/03/2026

👀Have you ever watched a copper rivet being clenched? There's nothing quite like it.

This is Lady Sylvia - a Dunkirk Little Ship. She is registered with National Historic Ships UK and is currently in our care for a staged restoration project. We will be sharing each phase of the work as it progresses.

The first part of the process is planking and copper riveting. It's a two-person job - one to back up the nail, one to peen. The kind of teamwork that's been part of boatbuilding for centuries. The plank is hand-planed first, working the edge until it sits perfectly true. Once clamped and drilled, a solid copper nail is driven through, a rove fitted on the inside, and the shaft peened over by hand into a smooth, permanent head. A two-person job, done the right way.

We are honoured to be the custodians of this work, and we intend to document it properly for those who care about these vessels and what they represent.

👍Follow our page to stay with Lady Sylvia's restoration as it unfolds.


It’s not every day you get to walk alongside a hull that’s survived two World Wars and the Dunkirk evacuation.We headed ...
18/03/2026

It’s not every day you get to walk alongside a hull that’s survived two World Wars and the Dunkirk evacuation.

We headed down to the Kent coastline this week to view a potential new boat, but ended up walking through this graveyard of old timber on the mudflats.

To the casual observer, she’s a shipwreck. To those who know their maritime history, she’s an incredible boat called ENA.

Built in 1906, this pitch-pine-on-oak beauty is a Dunkirk Little Ship with a story like no other. In 1940, her crew was forced to abandon her on the French sands. She was found by men of the 19th Field Regiment - soldiers, not sailors - who refused to be left behind. With zero experience, they refloated the 88ft barge and sailed her across the Channel under heavy bombardment, eventually making it back to the safety of the Kent coast.

Want to hear more? ENA is currently listed on the register of National Historic Ships UK
https://www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/register/199/ena

Back on the tools with Arcadia. 🛠️We’re currently caulking the aft deck on this Bates Starcraft. For a classic teak deck...
17/03/2026

Back on the tools with Arcadia. 🛠️

We’re currently caulking the aft deck on this Bates Starcraft. For a classic teak deck like this, it’s about waterproofing to stop water ingress and further problems.

By driving cotton into these seams, we’re creating a pre-stressed deck. When the timber swells, it pushes against that compressed cotton to create a rock-solid, unified surface.

The process:
• Clean seams: Essential for a consistent bond.
• Drive the cotton: Finding the right depth with the iron so the planks don't spring.
• Pay the seams: Prepping for those clean, iconic lines.

It’s slow, rhythmic work, but there are no shortcuts on a wooden boat. Looking forward to seeing this deck under a fresh finish.

What’s your go-to compound for paying deck seams? Drop your preference below. 👇

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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