we went through an extensive exterior refit and I think it'd be nice to share some of the pictures of that process.
Me and my partner don't have the skills required or the time, so we hired a contractor. After 3 years of ownership and lots of mishaps, water in the bilge every time it rained and leaks I wanted something to be done about it. Buying another boat was not something I'd consider, other boats have their own problems.
The idea started simple: remove mold, meaning halt water ingress by removing leaks.
Structurally that meant to glass over the hull to deck joint. Something I've seen done by the Far Reach which documented renovation inspired me to risk it all.
When we bought the boat she came with some trouble.
She had teak rubrails covered by nailed on rubbers.
That first year we removed 100's of nails ourselves to remove the ugly rubber "bumpers".
It was a bad install and there was always water between the wood and the rubber, dirt and green would collect and seep through. Showing the damaged teak rubrail behind it, although dented and damaged, it looked better.
3 of the spartan seacocks started leaking the week after I bought her, 2 of them I could not get them to stop, even after servicing.
That lead to the removal of the head (B-layout), glassing over the inlet/outlet. That same head was installed at the exact water level, with the bump broken it would also fill to the edge... I am glad we built in a dry toilet now. Less maintenance or worries.
We also noticed water kept piling up in the bilge.. wood at the back of cabinets was rotting away, water ingress all around from multiple angles. Even the headliner & portlight were seeping drops here and there. You could feel the wood around the portlights get wet and soft...I also noticed cracks in the deck and superstructure.
Water was our real problem.
Flash forward to 2024
After receiving some price quotes we risked going for it: let's make the boat as waterproof as she can be.
Of course it lead to other observations, rotten balsa in the decks, not very well done repairs hidden behind old paint, moisture in the deck structure, ... surprise after surprise.
We took it as a once in a lifetime opportunity to renovate this vessel and bring her back to life. I see her as our forever yacht
This is what she looked like the day I bought her in 2020
- the day I bought her
- close off 3 out of 4 (why did someone need 3?) anchor chain holes in the deck fibre glass. You will notice the bowsprit was damaged as well.
- hull deck joint, glass over 3 layers
- remove old balsa in deck & cabinroof
- remove teak eyebrow, fill holes
- redo decks
- repair hatches
- reinforce cabin structure
- replaced leaking plastic air intakes by bronze ones
- repaint hull, deck & upper structures
- swap out universal by beta 14 hp
I will try to share more pictures of the refit.
And yes, I'm still dreaming of other opportunities to improve our comfort like an autopilot. Preferably an under deck solution which can talk to pypilot.
The list is long but we have got time and patience, but we did run out of boat-funds for a while.