Latest photos and update from the family that bought a WW2 warship on eBay

Gemma and Simon Robins, who is originally from Knutsford, are restoring the 72 foot-long naval harbour defence launch ML1392 along with their children Mason and Emilia, aged 12 and nine.

Do do so, the family must travel form their home near Gwersyllt to the boat, currently resting in mud on the Wirral side of the Dee Estuary.

Latest photos from the Robins family who are restoring a WW2 warship

It is a slow process, especially as the hard-working couple are busy running their business Creation Campers in Cefyn-y-bedd.

Gemma, who is originally from Liverpool, explained: "We're still sort of at the clearing out and assessing stage. In the next week or so we will start ordering loads of wood and starting the structural repairs the boat needs.

Latest photos from the Robins family who are restoring a WW2 warship

"We will start inside first and work our way up. It will be the structure of the boat on the hull, all the internal framing needs replacing, and then we look at the beam shelf. Then when the weather improves we will be doing the decks."

Latest photos from the Robins family who are restoring a WW2 warship

Gemma and Simon would also like to find a more suitable berth for the ship, but again that can't happen until she is seaworthy.

Original switch found on the WW2 warship

Gemma added: "The hardest part about it, is where she is. It's hard for us to get to her and take things over.

"It's a Catch 22 really. We would love to get her somewhere more accessible but we know there are things we have to do before we can even think of moving her. We don't want to rush into anything and risk causing further damage to her."

Latest photos from the Robins family who are restoring a WW2 warship

She added: "We are sort of stuck in the mud at the moment. We'll get there, its just time. It takes so much time just to move all the rubbish off, then we've got to wait for high water to get as little tender boat across. We only get a very limited window of time."

Recently, the family found an original 1943 switch on the ship.

The question the couple are asked most, Gemma says, is when they will get a surveyor to look at the boat.

She said: "The most common question is 'when are you getting a surveyor. Now I can't get a surveyor for love nor money. A surveyor is like taking your car for an MOT. It's another Catch 22, to get a proper survey she would have to be lifted to be assessed. But obviously we can't move and lift her at the moment because of the condition she's in. We are struggling even to get someone to come out and give us an advisory sheet so we know what to prioritise.

"But we know what's wrong with her and we know what we need to do to fix her. So we are concentrating on those things before we can move her."

Gemma Robins on the deck

After hitting the headlines at the start of the month, Gemma says the family has been approached to feature in a documentary about the project - but it is in the very early stages.

She said that what would help them most would be if a local company would be interested in a sponsorship deal to help supply the materials, particularly the timber, they need.

Gemma said: "We are trying to get some company sponsors, because we are going to need a lot of marine plywood and other stuff. So if we can sort out sponsorship with one of the timber merchants that would be really beneficial to the project."

Latest photos from the Robins family who are restoring a WW2 warship

The ML1392, later renamed Sarinda when she became a charter vessel in Scotland and on the Mersey, served as a navigation marker during the D-Day Landings. She even played a part in capturing a German submarine.

However, the ship won't be returned exactly to its 1943 condition.

As Gemma says: "What would we want a warship for?"