My 5 year programme was a well considered plan of action, but the trip to Salcombe in Summer 2009 in very lumpy weather opened up a new chapter - as well as the hull - necessitating a substantial amount of unplanned work. We knew that the laminate had opened up in a couple of places and a cursory inspection showed up some movement between the bulkheads and the laminated hull, inevitably behind the fixtures in the cabin.
The new teak decks laid during winter 2008 needed some outstanding works to be finished but that work done late in 2009 on the Isle of Wight overran substantially so my planned works for winter 2009/2010 couldn’t start as programmed. Bill Dunlop of Marine Surveyors Marintec made an initial visual inspection whilst the boat was chocked up, confirming the area of concern was the hull bottom stiffening at the forward end of the vessel. Due to the rupturing and looseness, the chine rail portside was now becoming stressed, which was showing on the dark blue paintwork.
We brought Midnight Blue back to the mainland and when she went to Custom Yacht Works in February 2010 it became evident that I had to take the difficult decision to spend a year drying out the hull to facilitate the repairs, and with that years “sabbatical�, logistics and impatience grabbed hold and I decide to press on to the finish.
Midnight Blue - the best laid plans .....
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