She has all the potential to be a smashing boat and good for many years to come. Too much to write, a brief history below. If interested, we can have a phone chat and I’ll give you the full history of the restoration to date. It’s at the rebuild stage now and could be in the water again in a few weeks / months, depending how you play it.
Sadly, ill health has drawn a line under my restoration project, and I have to pass the reins over to somebody else..
Preamble.
Started some years ago, I bought the boat thinking naively that she was just a little tired and a bit of TLC would return her to a picture of health…. (A lifetime of Aircraft engineering, but knowledge of anything boatie was at that stage, shakey to say the least). Against my better judgement, heart overruled head. The previous owner was using her most weeks pottering around the loch, usually under engine power, although I did see her under sail once…. Almost the biggest misjudgement of my life! To any prospective buyer, I will relate the full history, but for simplicity just accept that if it could go wrong it did!! At the time of purchase, the engine ran well, and the gearbox operated smoothly forwards and reverse. The sails (ok) and running rigging (tired but working). Standing rigging all ok, but age and history unknown. Woodwork was also “tired”. Cabin upholstery original, but reasonable condition. Cabin lining removed and sent to landfill (I won’t even try to describe…)!! On the 7th day of ownership, a neighbour remarked that she looked “a bit low in the water”. Inspection found the cabin floor under about 15 inches of water. After frantic pumping and the situation semi normalised, we found the grease nipple on the stern gland rusted away and water entering the bilges via the hole where the nipple once located. Next move was to bring the boat from the mooring and get her on the drive ASAP.
Once snugly installed on the drive, I started a fresh assessment and made the decision to “just” do a quick restoration…. I was called away on a three week contract, which quickly turned into 10 weeks and when I returned and got back to my project, I discovered to my horror that she now had almost 2 feet of water in the cabin, which could only have come from the rain. To cut a long story short, I progressed the restoration, troubleshooting as I went along. Inside, all things removable, were removed. All the woodwork, interior fittings and electric wiring removed. Gearbox, transmission control and prop / shaft assy were removed. Exterior, pulpit and pushpit, stanchions and guard rails all removed and all mounting holes plugged. Eventually, all the chain plates and everything except the forestay bracket were removed, and holes plugged before the boat finally became wind and watertight.
Ref the workload to date:
Hull :
Antifoul removed, hull inspection carried out, cosmetic filling. Sanded and primed with x3 coats International Primocon.
Above waterline including Topsides, but excluding cockpit :
Various GRP repairs carried out. All chain plates, and external fittings were removed and cleaned, (these were the source of rainwater entry). Sanded and primer / undercoat, X2 International One UP, X1 One UP and Toplac mix, and X3 Toplac. Rubbing strake, sanded and x3 International Woodskin.
Exterior and Interior Woodwork :
Sanded and varnished, x4 coats International Original Varnish.
Fittings / Accessories :
Mast fittings and winches overhauled. Cockpit winches overhauled. Throttle / Gear select and control, stripped and overhauled. Alternator overhauled. Stern gland greaser repaired and overhauled. Cabin stripped and restoration in progress.
Summary:
Basically it’s now reached the rebuild / refit stage of the project. The cockpit was repaired and sanded, but will need a quick clean / re-sand, then prime and paint. The cabin is an open book. It is 80% prepared and could easily be completed with a simple paint job…. or go the whole hog with cabin liner etc.
There is also a road trailer, x2 new stub axels fitted. During my ownership, this has only been used as a storage / launch trailer, and will require some maintenance to the braking system before it becomes a fully functional road trailer once again.