Brookes Shipwrights Limited · Chichester Harbour & the Solent

From the workshop
to fair winds.

Repair, maintenance, painting, varnishing, fit-outs and rebuilds for wooden and GRP boats. Need an engineer, rigger or electrician too? We organise them, so you have one point of contact.

Get an estimate See our services

TimberStructure, decks, paint

GRPMaintenance, paint, polish

RefitFit-outs & rebuilds

1 contactEngines, rigging, electrics

What we do

Every job starts with a look at the boat. You get a clear account of what it needs and an estimate before work begins.

Repair & maintenance

Wooden and GRP boats

Routine upkeep and damage repair for timber and fibreglass hulls, decks and joinery.

Wooden hull and deck repairs
GRP maintenance and basic repairs
Painting and varnishing
Seasonal maintenance
Boat management

Fit-outs & rebuilds

Interiors to whole boats

From a new interior to a full rebuild, planned around how you use the boat.

Interior fit-outs and joinery
Deck and structural rebuilds
Full refits

Trades organised

One point of contact

We bring in and coordinate the specialists your job needs, so it runs as one project.

Marine engineering
Rigging
Electrical
Gelcoat repairs

Timber work

Traditional shipwright skills

For wooden boats we carry out the full range of traditional repairs, using methods and materials that suit how the boat was built.

Structural repairs Frames, floors, stems, keels and deadwood
Steamed frames Cracked frames replaced or sistered
Planking Clinker and carvel plank repairs and replacement
Scarfing Sound timber joined in to save original wood
Caulking Seams recaulked and paid
Refastening Worn fastenings drawn and renewed
Decks Laid deck repairs, recaulking and replacement
Paint & brightwork Topsides, bottoms and varnished trim
Masts & spars New wooden masts built; spars repaired and refinished
Rudders & tillers Repaired, rebuilt or made new
Rubbing strakes & toerails Replaced and refitted
Hatches & coachroofs Repaired and rebuilt
Deck joinery Gratings, sliding hatches and skylights made to fit
New builds On request, built to your own plans

GRP work

Fibreglass boats

Upkeep and finishing for GRP boats. Gelcoat repairs are carried out by a trusted specialist, arranged through us.

General maintenance Seasonal jobs to keep the boat in good order
Painting Topsides, decks and antifouling
Polishing Hulls and topsides cut back and polished
Basic glass repairs Minor laminate damage repaired
Gelcoat repairs Arranged with a specialist
Wooden trim & joinery Brightwork and interiors on GRP boats

Restoration:
Roamer

A 1937 Alfred Westmacott design, brought back from bare, weathered timber to a sound, fully fitted-out boat and back out sailing.

Keel Removed and refitted with new bronze bolts and a felt gasket
Engine New engine fitted
Cockpit Built new
Decks New decks laid
Hull Recaulked and splined
Interior Full fit-out
Rig New rig plan designed
Electrics Installed
Finish Painted and varnished throughout

Roamer before restoration: bare grey weathered hull strapped to a low-loader trailer — Before Arriving for restoration

Roamer after restoration: cream topsides, blue antifouling and varnished coachroof, loaded for transport — After Ready to go back in the water

Roamer nearly finished in the workshop: white hull, new varnished coachroof, cockpit coamings and toe rails — In build Nearly finished, 2016

Roamer's new cockpit with a laid sole, framed panels and a varnished bridge deck — Cockpit New cockpit and laid sole

Roamer's new cockpit seen from above, with seats, varnished coamings and the companionway steps beyond — Cockpit From above, steps to the cabin

Roamer's new laid cockpit sole with margin boards, seat tops and a slatted hatch — Cockpit Laid sole with margin boards

Roamer afloat on her pontoon in the marina, cream topsides and varnished coachroof gleaming in the sun — Afloat Back on her mooring

Roamer out on the water with two people in the cockpit, mainsail furled under its cover — Sailing Out on the water again

Roamer ashore seen from above, showing her new cockpit, decks, varnished coachroof and cream topsides — Ashore New cockpit, decks and coachroof

Roamer's cream topsides and varnished toerail glowing in the sun, the boat hoist behind — Topsides Cream gloss and brightwork

Close view of Roamer's varnished coachroof side with bronze portlights and her name board — Coachroof Varnished, with her name board

Roamer alongside in Emsworth Yacht Harbour, her varnished Douglas fir mast, boom, coachroof sides and rubbing strake glowing against cream decks — Brightwork Mast, boom and coachroof in varnish

Foot of Roamer's varnished Douglas fir mast with ash cleats, stainless mast bands and the gooseneck — Mast foot Douglas fir mast, ash cleats

Low view along Roamer's varnished coachroof side and toe rail, with bronze portlights set in the gloss — Coachroof Deep gloss around bronze ports

Interior
fit-outs

Varnished hardwood joinery, tongue-and-groove panelling and bright cabin lining, built to suit each boat.

Forward cabin with varnished deck beams, brass portholes and the original tonnage plaque

Hardwood hanging locker beside a white panelled berth

Saloon with slatted berth back, portholes and companionway steps

Curved cabin ceiling planking and painted knees along the hull side

Joinery

Deck and cockpit joinery made in the workshop to fit: cockpit gratings, sliding hatches, skylights, cockpit tables and mast hoops.

Cockpit grating being glued up, interlocking slats held in sash cramps on the bench — Grating Glued up in the cramps

Finished hardwood cockpit grating with a solid frame around the lattice — Grating Framed and finished

New oiled grating fitted in the cockpit sole of a yacht — Grating Fitted in the cockpit

New curved sliding hatch and framed companionway built in hardwood on a cabin top — Hatch Sliding companionway hatch

Hardwood deck hatch with a laid top, moulded edge and prism deck light — Skylight Laid top with deck prism

Folding hardwood cockpit table with a framed top and cross-halved X legs, set up in a varnished cockpit — Table Folding cockpit table

A stack of new steamed ash mast hoops with copper-riveted scarfs, oiled to a deep golden colour — Mast hoops Steamed ash, soaked in linseed oil

New build:
Kattegatt 26

A GRP hull finished with a wooden deck and superstructure, built in the workshop in 2017 and 2018. New builds are taken on by request, to your own plans.

Kattegatt 26 under construction in the workshop: plywood bulkheads and timber framing set up inside the hull — 2017 Framing underway

Kattegatt 26 coachroof under construction, with new beams across the plywood coachroof sides — 2018 Coachroof build, beams in

Restoration:
Petrina

A 22 ft one-off to a 1930s Alfred Westmacott design. Stripped back and restored in the workshop, then delivered to her new home in St Helier, Jersey.

Petrina's hull in the workshop with old paint partly stripped back to bare planking — Before Stripping old paint from the hull

Petrina's laid deck and coachroof seen from above, stripped and awaiting restoration — Before Deck and coachroof stripped

Petrina restored, dried out on the harbour bed in St Helier with cream topsides, blue bottom and varnished mast and coachroof — St Helier Her new home in Jersey

Petrina on legs at low tide in St Helier harbour, her varnished mast and bowsprit against a blue sky — Low water On her legs in the harbour

Petrina seen head-on at low tide, her cream topsides and blue bottom paint gleaming — Bow on Cream topsides, blue bottom

Clinker repairs:
Bunny

A 12 ft Rampart motor tender, in the workshop now. Damaged strakes cut out and new mahogany planks fitted and fastened along the original lands, with paint and brightwork to follow.

Bunny upturned with damaged planks removed, exposing the frames from the transom forward — Stripped Damaged planking removed, frames exposed

Bunny upturned under cover, with a new pale plank fitted among the old strakes near the transom — Replanking New plank let in near the transom

Close view along Bunny's bottom showing the new plank screwed in place beside the original planking — Detail Fastened along the original lands

Carvel plank
repairs

Rotten planking cut back to sound timber, frames checked, and new planks shaped and fastened to the original line before fairing and paint.

Carvel hull below a varnished cabin side with the decayed sheer plank removed, exposing the frames — Opened up Decayed planking removed, frames exposed

New plank fitted along the sheer beneath the cabin side, fastening holes ready to be plugged — New plank Fitted and fastened, ready to plug

Emergency repair:
Folkdance

A British Folkboat built by Parham's of Emsworth, well campaigned, fast, and a regular winner. She was hit on her mooring and came to us for emergency repairs with a week to go before Folkboat Week. The damaged coaming and toerail were repaired in reclaimed old mahogany, chosen to match her original timber, then scarfed, faired and varnished. She was back in the water in time.

Folkdance's cabin side and side deck after the collision, with the coaming corner smashed and the toerail damaged — Damage Hit on her mooring

Close view of the split and crushed coaming corner where the cabin side meets the cockpit — Damage Coaming corner split

The repaired coaming corner, with a new timber insert scarfed in and varnished to match — Repaired Reclaimed mahogany scarfed in

Looking along the repaired coaming, freshly varnished to a deep gloss beside the winch — Repaired Varnished to match

Splintered section of Folkdance's toerail, with the broken piece lying on the side deck — Damage Toerail splintered

The repaired toerail and cabin side varnished to a high gloss above the cream topsides — Repaired Toerail and cabin side refinished

Folkdance's cream topsides faired and repainted to a gloss beneath the varnished toerail — Topsides Faired and repainted

Close view of the new scarf in the coaming, the joint lines just visible under the varnish — Detail The finished scarf

Folkdance's transom with her hand-lettered name and club initials, ashore at the yard — Ashore Folkdance

Folkdance in the slings of the boat hoist, going back in the water — Relaunch Back in for Folkboat Week

Deck restoration:
Hightime

Rotten covering boards and sheer cut away, new structure fitted, the deck rebuilt and the topsides refinished.

Hightime's weathered covering board lifting away from a rotten, paint-flaked sheer — Before Covering board and sheer failing

Opened-up sheer at the stern revealing rotten timber, corroded fastenings and a hole through to daylight — Opened up Rot and failed fastenings found

New mahogany deck beam laid across the old frames inside the hull — Structure New deck beam

New mahogany sheer strake fitted along the hull, drilled ready for fastening, under a temporary cover — Structure New sheer strake

New ply deck laid and glued, with a hammer and glue pot on top — Deck New deck laid

New deck coated to a gloss and masked off under the temporary cover — Deck Coated and masked

New oak king plank and covering boards being fitted at the bow, drilled for fastenings — Bow New king plank and covering boards

Looking forward along the new oak covering boards to the stem head — Bow Covering boards to the stem

Video Along the new sheer strake

Hightime under way in the Solent, her varnished coachroof and white topsides catching the sun — Afloat Hightime under way

Annual care:
Zircon

Zircon, a Nicholson 44, has been in our care since 2022: hauled each year for her annual maintenance, and looked after between seasons under a boat management arrangement. Her paintwork and the gold leaf lettering on her transom are our work.

Zircon in the travel hoist slings, cream topsides with a gold cove line and star, fresh black antifouling below — Hauled In the slings for her annual refit

Zircon's name in gold leaf lettering across her glossy cream transom — Transom Gold leaf lettering on fresh gloss cream

Zircon ashore: mirror-gloss cream topsides, gold cove line, varnished toe rail and coachroof above a laid teak deck — Topsides Painted to a mirror gloss

Zircon alongside with her genoa hoisted, varnished coachroof and cream hull below — Rigged Sails bent on for the season

Zircon lowered into the dock by the travel hoist, seen from the water below — Relaunch Going back in

Looking forward along Zircon's teak deck and varnished doghouse as she motors up a wooded river — Afloat Under way after her refit

A new mast
for Rhoda

Rhoda, my own boat, is a Boston smack built by Alexander Gostelow in 1937. Her new Douglas fir mast was built from scratch: staves glued up into a blank, taken from square to eight-sided to round by hand, then varnished and stepped.

Square mast staves laid up on trestles beside a black timber shed — Stage 1 Staves laid up

Mast blank glued and held by a long row of G-clamps — Stage 2 Glued and clamped

Full-length glued mast blank on trestles, glue lines still visible — Stage 3 Blank glued up

Mast blank planed from square to eight-sided along its taper — Stage 4 Square to eight-sided

Drawknife resting on a marked-out spar with shavings below — Stage 5 Shaped by hand

Mast planed fully round and tapered, resting on trestles — Stage 6 Rounded and tapered

First coat of varnish going onto the finished mast, bringing out the grain — Stage 7 First coat of varnish

Rhoda ashore in the hoist with white topsides, red boot-top and her new varnished mast stepped — Stepped Rhoda with her new mast

Rhoda, a 1937 Boston smack, on her pontoon in a marina with the new mast and gaff rig — Rigged Back on her berth

Rhoda under full sail in the harbour with crew aboard — Sailing Under full sail again

Rhoda under sail on open water beneath a clear blue sky, a cream awning rigged over the cockpit — Offshore A summer passage

Two crew on Rhoda's foredeck at dusk, the gaff mainsail and wooden mast hoops beside them — Foredeck Working forward at dusk

View along Rhoda's deck under the varnished boom and mainsail, laid deck and skylight below — Boom Gaff, boom and laid deck

Rhoda alongside a marina pontoon, varnished brightwork and white topsides reflected in still water — Pontoon Alongside, brightwork gleaming

Looking forward along Rhoda's rail at sunset, rigging silhouetted and wake curling away — Evening Heading home at sunset

Video Rhoda under full sail

Paint &
brightwork

Coachroofs, coamings, spars and trim taken back to bare wood and built up coat by coat to a deep, even gloss, and topsides faired and painted to a mirror finish.

Classic wooden yacht afloat in a marina with cream topsides and freshly varnished coachroof, mast and trim — Afloat Varnished coachroof, mast and toerails

Close view along a gleaming varnished coachroof side above a laid deck — Coachroof Gloss finish above a laid deck

Two wooden spars freshly varnished on trestles in the yard — Spars Freshly coated on trestles

Varnished cabin side with bronze portholes beside a painted deck — Cabin side With bronze portlights

Deep gloss varnish on a wheelhouse side reflecting the harbour — Wheelhouse Mirror finish

Freshly painted white topsides with a deep gloss reflecting the trees, masking tape still on the boot-top — Topsides White gloss, just painted

Low view along a laid teak deck beside a deeply varnished cabin side with bronze portlights — Brightwork Varnished cabin side

Glossy cream topsides with a gilded eight-point star and arrow-tipped cove line — Topsides Gilded star and cove line

Cream topsides with a gilded cove line ending in a carved fan, beneath a varnished cockpit coaming — Topsides Cream with gilded cove

White topsides and fresh red antifouling with the boat's name and sheer line in red — Topsides & bottom White over red antifouling

Rhoda in the hoist before repainting, with worn white topsides and a scuffed black bottom — Before Rhoda, worn topsides and bottom

Rhoda after repainting, with fresh white topsides, bright red boot-top and new black bottom paint — After Fresh topsides, boot-top and bottom

Rhoda's topsides, 2020: three coats of undercoat and two of Epifanes Nautiforty. Her cappings were later brought back with raw linseed, turpentine and driers.

Rhoda's topsides after the first gloss topcoat, reflecting the sky, above an unfinished red boot-top — First topcoat Epifanes Nautiforty going on

Rhoda's stem and bow in finished white gloss, with her black stem band and anchor chain — Finished Bow in fresh gloss

Under Rhoda's counter: white gloss topsides, red boot-top and black bottom paint meeting at the rudder — Boot-top Crisp lines at the counter

Close view of Rhoda's gloss topsides and red boot-top, the harbour reflected in the paint — Gloss The harbour reflected

Rhoda's capping rail freshly oiled, the grain glowing beside her bitts and laid deck — Cappings Raw linseed, turpentine and driers

Black Bess · Elizabethan

Black Bess before work: dull, scratched black topsides with chalky patches and runs — Before Tired, scratched and chalky

Black Bess finished: deep gloss black topsides with a gilded cove line and fresh cream boot-top — After Gloss black with gilded cove

Black Bess faired and primed in grey, filler spots sanded flush — Stage 1 Faired and primed

Close view along Black Bess's topsides as the gloss coats go on — Stage 2 Building the coats

Black Bess's black topsides with a gilded cove line and varnished rubbing strake, on her trailer — Finished Cove line gilded

Black Bess's topsides polished to a mirror shine, reflecting the boatyard — Finished Mirror gloss

Sempre en Giro · Marieholm 26

Sempre en Giro before work: faded blue topsides patched with filler and a worn, stained bottom — Before Faded, filled and patched

Sempre en Giro's navy topsides refinished to a mirror gloss, reflecting the boatyard — After Faired and painted to a mirror gloss

Sempre en Giro sailing in the harbour with her navy hull, sail number SWE 3400 — Afloat Back in the harbour

Sempre en Giro heeled hard under sail on a grey, breezy day — Sailing Hard on the wind

Sempre en Giro ashore, navy blue topsides freshly painted to a deep gloss — Ashore Navy topsides, deep gloss

Video Filmed from Rhoda

Other
projects

The same skills work ashore, from vehicle fit-outs to furniture for the home. This camper van was fitted out from a bare shell: oak worktops and table, painted ply cabinets, a galley with sink, seating with storage, overhead lockers, lighting, and cushions and blinds sewn in-house.

Camper van fit-out

The camper van parked in the Alps, cream above and blue below, with snowy peaks behind — On the road Off to the mountains

Finished van interior looking forward: oak table, galley worktop with sink, checked cushions and a deck-style floor — Finished Looking forward through the van

Bare ply carcasses, seat boxes and an oak table base set out in the empty van — Stage 1 Carcasses built

Raw oak worktop fitted over the galley with the sink cut in and a hinged leaf — Stage 2 Oak worktop and sink

Freestanding oak table with trestle legs and a wedged through-tenon, before finishing — Stage 3 Oak table, wedged tenons

Checked herringbone fabric being sewn into cushions on a heavy-duty sewing machine — Stage 4 Cushions sewn in-house

Finished galley with oiled oak worktop, hinged leaf, flush sink and painted cupboard doors — Galley Oiled oak and painted ply

Dinette with bench seat, oak table and two cushioned storage stools — Dinette Stools that double as storage

Window seat with checked cushions under an oak sill — Seating Window seat

Van interior with lights on, showing timber ceiling battens, speakers and a screen above the cab — Lighting Timber battens and lights

Roman blind in matching checked fabric drawn up over a sliding window — Blinds Matching Roman blinds

Looking forward along the new deck-style floor between the lockers and bench seat — Floor Deck-style flooring

Fold-down changing table

A wall-hung oak cabinet that folds down into a baby changing table, with shelves and copper rails inside, held level on lines like a boat's chart table.

Oak wall cabinet closed flat against the nursery wall — Closed A slim oak cabinet

The cabinet folded down into a changing table on two lines, showing shelves and copper rails inside — Open Folds down on two lines

The changing table in use, with nappies and supplies held on the shelves behind copper rails — In use Everything to hand

Stand-up paddleboard paddle

Made by hand from strips of Sitka spruce and sapele, shaped to a fine blade.

Hand-made paddle blade striped in pale Sitka spruce and dark sapele, glowing in low sun on grass — Blade Sitka spruce and sapele

The finished paddle resting on a paddleboard at sunset, water beading on the blade — Afloat Out at sunset

About

Josh Brookes,
shipwright

I started my apprenticeship in 2009 at a traditional boatyard in Emsworth, learning the trade from a fantastic crew of time-served shipwrights.

In 2015 I set up on my own, and a string of restorations and a new build followed. For several years I worked from a farm at Halnaker, near Chichester, before moving back to Emsworth in 2023 to be nearer the water.

When I'm not working on boats, I'm usually sailing one: on Rhoda, my own 1937 Boston smack, with friends and customers, or crewing on Zircon, a Nicholson 44 I have maintained since 2022, with two Round the Island races completed aboard her.

2009Apprenticeship at a traditional Emsworth boatyard
2015Set up on my own: restorations and a new build
2022Began looking after Zircon, a Nicholson 44; two Round the Islands since
2023Moved from Halnaker back to Emsworth

Josh Brookes aboard Rhoda, sitting by the wheel under sail with the red ensign flying astern — Josh Aboard Rhoda

What customers say

We couldn't be happier with Josh at Brookes Shipwrights. The craftsmanship, attention to detail and expertise are exceptional, with every project finished beautifully and built to last.

Josh's calm, practical approach to problem-solving ensures even complex challenges are handled effectively. He also takes the time to understand the customer's needs, priorities and budget, providing honest advice and delivering quality results without compromise.

We highly recommend Josh at Brookes Shipwrights for skilled, reliable and conscientious service.

James WeatherstoneOwner, Sempre en Giro

Josh recently helped me with some quite extensive work on my Nicholson 35 in Emsworth. Throughout the project he was clear about costs, timings and what was required. He is positive, easy to deal with and saw the work through to a satisfactory conclusion on time and on budget. I really couldn't ask for more and will definitely be asking him to do further work in the future.

ColinOwner, Nicholson 35

How a job runs

Inspect

We look the boat over and talk through what you want done.

Estimate

An estimate for the agreed work, including any trades we bring in.

Work

We carry out the job and coordinate engineers, riggers and electricians.

Handover

Back in the water and ready for the season.

Why an estimate, not a fixed quote? On older boats, the full extent of rot, failed fastenings or hidden damage often only shows once planks, fittings or paint come off. Rather than pad a fixed price to cover the unknown, we give an honest estimate based on what we can see. If we find more than expected, we stop and talk it through with you before going further. Full details are in our terms of business (PDF).

Current work

Boats coming in, in progress now, and jobs recently completed.

Vessel	Type	LOA	Work	Status
Zircon	Nicholson 44, GRP	44 ft	Annual maintenance and boat management since 2022	Ongoing
Bunny	Rampart motor tender, wooden clinker	12 ft	Clinker plank repairs and replacement, paint and brightwork	In progress
Irene	Whitby coble, wooden	20 ft	Inspection, find and repair leaks, paint and varnish	Coming up
Roamer	1937 Alfred Westmacott design, wooden	–	Annual maintenance	Coming up
Blue Sky	Westerly, GRP	38 ft	Deck repairs	Completed

Bring her in

Tell us about your boat and what it needs.

ContactJosh Brookes

Phone07590 821595

Emailshipwrights@mail.com

Where we workBased in Emsworth, working at boatyards, marinas and moorings across Chichester Harbour and the Solent

HoursBy appointment

From the workshopto fair winds.