Easy.
The shenanigans of retrieving the boat back from the Isle of Wight was like a Rix farce, and didn’t come to fruition due to unnecessary intransigence on behalf of the guys completing the decks until end of May 2010. Fortunately Bill Dunlop was on hand wearing his “Kissinger hat� too facilitate this.
At the end of June 2010 Custom Yachts had stripped off the underside of the hull so Bill Dunlop could do a detailed inspection and this highlighted a number of structural issues but two things became very apparent, 1] the hull shell stiffening needed to be thought out but some idea of the new interior layout needed to be coordinated with this work to ensure the stiffening was put in the correct position, and 2] the hull bottom moisture levels were, in areas, over 70% and far too damp for epoxy coatings (requiring circa 11%).
The good news was that I had always intended to refit the cabin-it would have been a disaster had I not because it became clear that full access was required to the inside face of the hull.
I could write a lengthier tome than “Reeds Almanack� on the discussions in July but on stripping the antifoul it did become clear that if I wanted to avoid a patch up job, life was about to become very interesting. I remember dwelling on options for the chine rails... scarf several pieces in or replace-for me it was a no brainer! I asked Custom Yachts to get on with the work and I gave Mark Lewis a framed photo of Midnight Blue with the inscription “ 280 days to go-see you on 1 April 2011�.
It was 31 August 2010 when Mark Lewis and I shook hands on a specification and cost but by early September 2010, despite being in a warm shed, it was clear that the hull just was not going to dry out quickly enough so I asked Custom yachts to ship in some heaters, and at that point we also agreed the cabin fitout costs. This was a low ebb I can tell you, at the depth of the trough- wet hull, everything coming off and no tangible feeling of moving forward, cheaper to throw away and start again than go forward, but this is again where Mark and Bills enthusiasm came in and I can remember Pete Foulkes cheering me up by saying “she’ll be better than new-can’t wait to see you back…�
Spray rails, stem and chines removed
Hull stripped (you can see the tapering veneers & also routing out veneers)
Skirted up with gentle heat
there was no doubt ....
.... the interior had to come out
