Superyacht builder’s CAMPER VAN conversion project - episode 1 

Hey Jordan, thanks mate! Yeah the curved bulkhead is the next video to come chap. Hope it’s good 😬 we’ve had a lot more comments than usual on the van and it’s making us nervous! Anyhow, that’s coming up alongside some veneering, tig welding etc and then a super cool floor which we are really stoked about? (It’s a boat deck!!) Thanks for commenting and being a part of the journey! Hope to hear from you again!

Thanks Ruben! That’s cool to hear👍😀

I agree.. LOVELY shot selection..but I would LOVE to teach them something more about lighting...

Hey up!! Your welcome to come and gaffer for us any day! We’re working on our lighting skills, a tungsten light, one man and one woman with limited time and 0°c isn’t an easy place to learn but point taken! Oh we had a new camera which was a new step into ire etc so the noise floor was interesting and more a concern on that project. I think we’re improving every video but any advice will be greatly appreciated, basically if you’d love to teach, we’d love to learn!👍🤙 cheers!

😂That does make me laugh! I thought we were the only daft ones out there who would think it was worth it! Great to hear your into it though, kinda makes it seem more worthwhile when people enjoy it! Interesting handle - are you a mountain biker?

@@SailHubI am sadly a wheelchair user but I spent time on a deserted island full of rockhopper penguins in the south Atlantic called Saunders Island. This was years before injury .

@Rockhopper1 oh man; that’s not good news. What an amazing experience, I once met a bunch of naval guys just coming ashore in Chille who almost lost their ship of the Falklands, man they hit the booze hard after that! I saw penguins in NZ once, so cool. Kept our distance mind so probably not as good as your experiences. Sorry to hear about you injury, I recently found out that I’m not invincible myself but thankfully I’m still walking. Hope to keep you entertained and have you along for the journey! 👍

Thanks! That’s so nice to hear I pinned it to the top of the comments!! Cheers, Chris & Jenni 😃👍

Cheers fella! Glad you appreciate it 👍

Ah nice! The algorithm’s not usually our friend 😆. Great to hear you enjoyed it and thanks for joining the journey! 👍

Well that’s good news and great to hear too! Keep us posted on your build, maybe over on Instagram as it’s easier to stay in touch. Glad to inspire you, that’s so cool for us to say btw! Oh, if you get stuck just give us aa shout. The trick with woodworking… it’s easy, it’s all in the marking out, just don’t go over the line! At least that’s what my grandfather said to me.. Good luck and enjoy!

Hey Nick! Thanks for the comment, really good to hear your thoughts. As for the HVO, yeah… we’ve got a lot on our plate and also with the plan for the boat and all of that jazz too. That’s why your not seeing any shorts I guess, we did a bunch but they were rather detrimental at that point to be honest and we just don’t really have the time at present - hopefully see some tech stuff coming out in shorts when the van is done. It’s a hard game to crack RU-vid… we like to feel proud of our work, both on the tools and the camera so we’re struggling with time at present but I’m sure we will find the recipe eventually!!

Hey guys! How’s the Ollie bump?! Great to hear form you and thanks!! For sure, can’t wait to catch up again soon! 🤙⛵️🚐

Hey Timothy! Jenni will be stoked to hear this, so cool you noticed the effort, so many people let it pass by. Thanks for letting us know, it means a lot! 👍⛵️🎥

Thanks! Much appreciated 👍

Awesome! Seems like we’ve got a lot in common! 👍🙂

Cheers Philip! Much appreciated 👍😀

Thanks! That’s so cool to hear! 👍

Hi! That’s tickled me, what a cool comment to wake up to! Honestly though, I’m just a boatbuilder, but thanks, it’s nice to be appreciated 👍

Hey Paul, great to hear! Thanks for that. The next video should be good for you too (we hope!😬) 👍

Hey Paul! Thanks for commenting! Yeah, there’s a lot of us out there still, but it’s becoming less and less that I meet traditionally trained people in the yards, it’s nice to her that it’s still something people are interested in or enjoy watching! Thanks 👍

Great to hear this! Thanks for your encouragement 👍 great to have you on the ride with us cheers!

Hey Nuno!! Cheers man, you want to see some of the stuff going in here, mate the toilet is insane! 🙃

Ah mate!! Thanks! We will convince you to buy a yacht yet 😁…. The next videos a bit different to the last few, it’s about boat gear but don’t worry we’re right back onto a massive curves bulkhead project in the following episode, that’s been a great project with plenty to think about for sure! Thanks for the good vibes 👍

@SailHub Hahaha, the yachts I like are the Super Variety, and I haven't got a lazy 20 mill to buy one of these types of yachts. I look forward to the vid about boat gear, it also can be used in other applications that no one has thought about. For example, I use a puley system to take my Jeep Wrangler roof off that is a yacht inspired, so I look forward to your future vids what ever you decide to focus on 👌🇦🇺

@NANKEL1 thanks! Super cool to keep an eye on things outside the box! I like it 👍 Super yachts are pretty cool, I spent a bit of time working in them in the past, no chance of owning one mind! I will stick to our 40’ lump of metal! Can’t wait ti get her floating but it seems a distant dream at the moment! Van first though and that’s going well! Cheers for joining the ride!! 👌

Hey Peter, cool to see Tally Ho! Afloat ay!!!! Such an achievement for those guys!! Great to have you onboard with us too, thanks!👌😃

Cheers! Thanks for that 👍

No way! Thanks, so pleased you enjoyed it!

Thanks David! I guess you know why goes into it when you’ve done it right! Thanks for the support!! Jenni is great with the camera, she’s take me to it so well, we’re so lucky! Thanks again!!!

@@SailHub 👏❤️

Thanks Ron! Hopefully you will be around to see the next few videos about the van, we’ve got some cool stuff happening that I’m really proud of 😀

@@SailHub I wouldn’t miss it for anything.Fantastic craftsmanship with little to no proper tools.

Thanks Ron! That’s so nice of you, we’re receiving comments about the van but we have little choice as we can only film with the time we have. It nice to have some supportive comments, it really is! Thanks again!

Hey up lad! Cheers for that! 👍🤙

Thanks Nikki! Hope we can deliver with the next one for you 👍😬

Awesome! Thanks for letting us know 🤙

Bang on, great to hear. Had you tried it before or was this your first go at it?

@@SailHub First time with the bags. Worked a little to well. My clamps dented the wood. My bad. but sanding it some and it all came out fine. It was a curved countertop for an RV i was rebuilding. It also serves as a hand hold with the overhang while it is in motion. Usually a steam box. but for smaller things I have wrapped them in a wet rag and put them on a hot wood stove.

@je-fq7ve cool! So hood to hear! Another cool trick is a lightbulb in an aluminium tube, just wet the timber and bend the wood around the tube by hand - that’s a luthiers trick, it works so well and it’s super quick for small parts. Anyhow, thanks for letting us know, it’s great to hear someone trying new things out!!👍

Ah cheers for that! Are you going to give the steamer a shot?!

@@SailHub yes

Ahhh! Now we’re talkin’! Let us know how you get in over on Instagram, I would love to hear from you!

Hi Garry, thanks fella! 👍

Cheers Rick! Much appreciated 👍

Cheers!👍

Hi Paul! Thanks for sharing the love! ⛵️🥳

Hey! Cheers mate, much much appreciated!! 🙃

Hi! Thanks very much 👍. We’ve got a few more videos coming all out it. We’re generally trying to keep it as relevant to boats as we can, pretty good fun for sure!

Cheers Herbert! Much appreciated 👍⛵️

Ah ha! Always learning at this end too! Glad you got something out of our video! If you try it in HVO do let us know how you get on, we would live to know. Thanks for chatting, see you in the next one 👍😃

Hey Steve, nice to have you on board! I hope the boat stuff doesn’t bore you Basically we’re aiming at one marine video, tech and all that’s stuff as this is our job and then one build/fabrication episode. When we get into the boat it’s basically the same as RV’s and the like just the quality needs to be highly from both the craftsman and the materials ti cope with the moisture and the likes, but yeah all the same fella, hope to keep you entertained! 👍 Thanks again for making the effort to comment, so good of you!

Great to hear this!! Ah man! We love that place, been there twice now, next time we will be on our own boat! Stay tuned we’re coming for ya!! (May take a while mind!😆)

Hey up fella! Great to hear from you - go cut some wood! Cheers 👍😃

Nice… makes me nervous an joiner watching mind…. Don’t judge too much 😉

@@SailHub 😂😂doing amazing work so far. Nice to see a van conversion that’s going to be more interesting and have solid wood in it. Great editing and film work too. Well done for working that walnut all with hand tools too

@amhjoinery2060 thanks! That’s great to hear!! We’ve got some cool stuff coming up soon, a boat vid which may not be your thing but then onto this mega curves bulkhead! Mission! Thanks again for the support! 👍

Oh wow! So cool to hear your thoughts! Thanks for being a part of it!!! 👍😃

No pressure there then! 😀 glad you enjoyed it! There’s plenty to come, we are looking forward to a mix between old and new on the boat build which is pretty cool 👌

😂 Ahoy!!! Great to hear from you and thanks for joining us! Cool to hear you have been fitting a van out, it’s so cool how it’s become such a thing! I love it! Send us a pic over on Instagram ay! We have a few more episodes on the van coming, they are in-between boaty stuff though so hold tight! We’ve been on bending loads more wood, veneering, and welding a custom upy downy bed! She’s lowly coming together!!

Oh wow! Thanks for joining the journey!! 👍 I hope we can keep you entertained!

Wahey! There’s a compliment for ya! Many thanks!! 👍

Hey Eric, cheers for the comment! Great to hear you’ve been with us for a while, stoked to hear that! Yeah I have done most boat work over the years to be honest, everything from rigging, welding, woodwork and wiring. I love it all, that’s why a boatyard is the perfect job for me! Cool to hear you’ve moved onto interiors a bit too, if I can help just give us a shout!

Cheers Eric!

Hey thanks for that! Super inspiring to get positive comments… here’s hoping we don’t screw the next one up 😂🤞

@@SailHub absolutely. This ticks three of my boxes, can conversions, yachts and sustainability consideration, especially with the yacht too.

Man! That’s good to hear! Great to have you on board! 👍

Hey up fella, for sure. We don’t really know what people want, to be honest we thought that would be boring as it’s the same as the steaming jig just with glue. Sorry man, next time ay! Thanks for the input! 👍

@@SailHub Always keen to see a master craftsman at work.

Cheers mate 👍👌

​@@KiwiSkipperI second that .... beautiful work

Cheers! That’s fab to hear!! 👍😃

Cheers Neil! 😃

I worked on mostly motor yachts for 40 years so I really appreciate first class carpentry work

@neilwharton720 Crikey, there’s a compliment! Thanks Neil!

Hello! Thanks for taking the time to comment! Yes, so the weight is something we’re keeping an eye on for sure, it’s surprisingly not heavy, as in the step weighed less than a plastic raised step that I was going to put in originally. Still, If I had the need I would be using nomex honeycomb board or pet foam board at the least for weight saving. But it’s not about that for us, it’s a place to live whilst we build our boat so comfort is in the cards.. A/C that’s would be a dream and we three’ll y thought about it but given we’ve spent three years in the Med on a boat with none we figured we were better spending the money on a better mast for the boat, sadly our pennies pot isn’t too full! But hey, we will see where we get and it will be interesting to hear what you think as we progress

No way! That’s fab to hear. Thanks for the support, super nice of you, we’re so pleased to have you on board!

Cheers Ian, yeah it’s mostly the same thing just knowing what to do where. Pretty simple really 👍

I don’t know what you mean Michael? 😳😂

Get in! Now we’re talking’ I would love to see what you do, keep us posted over on instagram! Cheers for joining the journey 👍🙂

Hey! Thanks, and yeah your right foam is great too 👍

@@SailHub Thank you 🙏🏽

Thanks! I’m not sure we’ve been called clever before! 😃👍

Awesome! Cheers for joining! Great to have you with us and hope to hear from you in the future! Let’s go build van and boats!

Cheers! Much appreciated 👍⛵️

Exciting stuff! For a 4wd I would be thinking about foam panelling and veneering it, that would bring the weight right down and keep up that offroad performance! Some of the tech gear we are using will be useful too, the Wallas cooktop saves on gas bottle space and the need for a separate heater too. Thanks for support too, hope to hear from you again!!! 👍

@@SailHub ok yeah I did have weight saving in mind so will look at that option, thanks. Yeah that cooktop seems really ideal especially with the inbuilt heater that is a pretty awesome option even though over here in Aus it wouldn’t get anywhere near as cold as it does where you are but definitely take the chill out on those desert mornings 👌🏼

@@RovingBeyonddesert morning! Sounds cool… one day! Wallas, for sure it’s great gear.

Great to hear! Thanks 😃

Hey Cyril! Thanks for taking the time to comment, super nice of you! 👍

​@@SailHub I just spent some time on your website, I really like your project. Here is what crossed my mind while browsing: - I'd like to know more about the boat as a character. Where / when was it made, by whom (prior owner, KM, owners of the other 2 boats, architect, other boats of this era, comparison to modern equivalents...) - More about Chris as a credible source of advice - RU-vid is full of beginners and its great, but you have a different positioning, which deserves to be developed. Show more about your "professional boat builder" story. Explain your relationship with tools, with gear. What are your core skills vs what you're learning / experimenting. - Jenni comes across as a supporting character. Like Chris, some of her key competencies have been asserted ("I am a project manager"). It is promising but you could obviously go further in establishing Jenni's role. Supporting Chris with his injury rehab could be part of the story. Will he make it? As an aging amateur sailor, injuries and physical limitations are one of my areas of interest... I am not the only one. - Maybe give more meat to the sustainability story. It is a new trend. It is unclear. Some are moralizing zealots, others are wise doubters... I think there is a space for a voice of reason, aware of the latest innovations and research. As a boat owner / future boat owner, how can I have a more respectful boat while keeping it practical and on budget. - Tighter videos; I noticed you were sometimes repeating the same key words / ideas. The technical quality is amazing. - The van as a boat prototype is fun (hatches, bulkheads...); maybe explain more why it makes sense. - I discovered your channel when you were touring boat shows. I think the way you openly showcase innovative products is interesting and different. It builds on the previous videos, as the guys who know it all, both about the gadgets of the year (that's fun) and the important strategic choices for the boat design. I would like to know more about these new innovative Lewmar hatches, this new heater... Why is it new, what's at stake?

Hey, thanks!! 👍🙂

Wahey! Cheers👍

Hey up! Cheers guys!

Ah thanks! So nice to hear! Gotta love cedar strip, we built a hull once like that, pretty cool technique and cedar is a real joy to work! 👍

Hey! There’s a bunch of people said that… no pressure on us then 😆! Thanks for commenting, here’s hoping we can keep you entertained!👍

Cheers Robin, I would love a good thicknesser, and the space for one! (Nits not our workshop). Back in the day we had a belter! Mind you I’m not likely to thickness down to 1.5-2mm, it will likely tear out as it’s hard to keep the timber flat.A wide belt sander is a good option here but then… that depends on your clientele - it’s surprising the difference between hand and machine. We may post about that later but I’m not sure many people care 🤷‍♂️

@@SailHub yeah fair enough, at that thickness it will start likely start chattering and you’ll have a real mess.

@@robinhodgkinson yeah, despite that I will still take any thicknesser that’s going spare!

Hey up Nic, thanks fella! Yeah I’m keeping an eye on the weight, mind you you may be surprised at the weight to be honest, the wooden step weight was actually very similar to a plastic alternative! I actually think it could be lighter! Around 80% of the timber ends up as waste with this technique. Pretty shocking to be honest but it is what it is. To be honest though, despite building it quite light, my prime concern is comfort. If it’s within payload I’m happy! On a boat though, weight is a real concern for me, safety, trim and performance are key for me as a boatbuilder! It’s just so cool to build sail boats that perform and look good!

Hey Guy, thanks mate.. feels like I’ve got bigger fish to fry here, maintaining a broken spine at the moment 😬. But your right, I need to take care of the problems I can’t see yet. I do have pads in the work pants if I’m down on my knees all day but most days I’m at the bench so I just don’t bother - when I stops to think, I guess your right, that’s not clever. The closed cell foam mate, it sounds so cushy that I might just have to give it a go! Thanks for suggesting, I really appreciate it 😃

Hey Gavin, thanks fella! 👍

😂🙃

😂 oh yeah… super powers mate! You know where it’s at! I’m a serious note. We just want to get the boats keel on this year.. if we can do that we can pop her in the water and get her to the UK. That will certainly not be fit to call a boat! To be honest I don’t think we are going to make it but thy won’t stop us trying, if we can get a keel by October we may stand a chance… right now it’s hit and miss so wish us luck!!!

Great stuff!! Thanks 👍

Hi! Nice to hear from you! Pretty simple really, you will kick yourself when I tell you 😁 I clamped it back in the steaming jig but 10mm below the top. After that I used as bearing cutter off the jig to get the desired offset. I ended up with two bearings - one glued inside the other to get the desired offset. Hope that makes sense 👍👌

@@SailHub 😑😂. yes. of course that makes sense. Thanks for the details

Cheers for that. Mind you, pretty much all woods steam, I’d never say they don’t but walnut’s certainly not the most forgiving. A piece of ash, oak, utile etc are far easier alternative. Mind you we did make the video on bending walnut so I’m hardly saying it can’t be done, I’m a big believer in giving most things a go and I wouldn’t try to put anyone off anything, just passing comment based on my experiences to date.

Hey thanks! It’s a Tudor Pelagos Lhd

Thanks Noah! It’s just polypropylene parcel tape, if your in the UK I get it from marine and industrial, they are great people! www.marineindustrial.co.uk/Catalogue/Tapes-Masking-Fasteners/Marine-Industrial/MARINE-INDUSTRIAL-Parcel-Tape

@@SailHub I’m in the US, but thanks

@noah786 no problem! Polypropylene is what you want -for once it’s generally the cheapest option on the shelf! 👍

Hey, we did dim it but it just seemed so repetitive in the edit, it’s the same thing as clamping the steamed strips with some added Titebond. To be honest we’re learning what people like and don’t like right now, for me it’s all a busman’s holiday donut already seems full of boring things, I would live just to film all the cool stuff only but Jenni assured me it’s about story more than cool stuff and yourself and a couple of others seem to have consolidated that in this episode. Im pretty sure the next video will have the glue up in it now 👍

Hahaha shes is 100% right, it all about the story start middle and end you got to remember you get new viewers like me every video. Looking forward to joining the journey 😀

Yeah! Cheers fella, without feedback from people like yourself we would be screwed, so thanks, it makes a difference! Cheers for joining the journey too!

Great to hear! When you find one let me know 🙃

@@SailHub 🤣

What kind of a comment is that?!

Best not question the point chap! However given you have… why are yachts built well, so they last. So why are vans build cheap, so people buy them. Why not build one well, it’s too expensive. But what if you could build one well and it wasn’t expensive? It was the same price as the one you had to keep repairing in the past. That’s where we are, It’s for us to live in while we build our boat and we’ve been living in everything from small yachts to be caddy’s over the last 5 years.. it’s time for some comfort in the road, especially given we don’t have a house. We will also use it at shows to get reasonable audio for podcasting and of course we get to test some gear before we commit to using it in the boat project. It’s an unusual project and I hope that makes sense, well… some sense! 👍

I guess that’s a good thing?! Thanks so much 😃👍. Next video is about gear and then we’re on the van again, with hopefully a bit of boat in there for good measure 🤞

See you next week for the HUGE curved panel… the jig we’ve made is a work of art in itself 😝 Hope our sailing gear video had something in there for you too this week! But don’t worry we are definitely still dusty in the workshop here! 😉

Hi Steve, thanks for such. Positive comment, really valuable mate! 👍😃