Ben’s RESTO Milestones

1 Best bodge

Probably like most of us, Ben doesn’t do bodges when it comes to his beloved classic. However, raiding the island dump for pre-fabricated shapes of metal from old fridges and freezers is the closest he gets: ‘Recycling is a big part of island life,’ says Ben, ‘and awful lot cheaper if you can make it work,’ he adds. 2 Biggest fail

Ben puts his hands up to his first attempt at painting the Vitesse: ‘Relying on the sun in the Scillies is a big mistake. I thought it would be enough to heat the conservatory, which would cure the paint. How wrong could I be?’ 3 Best advice

Ben says to take loads of photos and label absolutely everything. ‘Trying to remember what something is months or even years later without a label can be a total nightmare.’

And it might sound like stating the obvious, but Ben says that enjoying the restoration process is vital: ‘I often felt guilty when working on Zoe, as I felt that I should be working on other things to be earning money. But working on the Vitesse took me away from everyday life and that was precious.’ 4 Proudest moment

Ben struggles to find one as there are several golden moments. But holding the phone to the engine so that his son, Jack at boarding school on neighbouring St Mary’s island, could hear it running for the first time, has to be one. The first drive up the island’s single track road with wife, Caroline, also ranks highly along with the first time he drove the Vitesse back to parents house for the Goodwood Revival:

‘I parked her outside their house where she always sat all those years ago.

Just magic!’