In September 2018, the Pen Duick Association, created by Jacqueline and Marie Tabarly - widow and daughter of the eponymous sailor - launched a crowdfunding campaign for the restoration of the famous Pen-Duick, the first in the series of tall ship Tabarly's sailboats.
Classified as a historical monument in 2016, the auric cutter designed by William Fife Junior in 1898 must be completely restored or else it will no longer be able to sail.
Work has already begun and the boat has recently entered the Chantier du Guip in Brest. The restoration will be carried out in conjunction with the Keroman site for the polyester part.
The objective is to respect Éric Tabarly's technical approach, while using modern construction methods and current materials. It is therefore necessary to work in stages, but for this, it is necessary to open the deck after having removed the gunwale and pre-bridge. The next steps will be:
- Plane the inside and outside of the hull,
- Remove the frames and varangues one by one,
- Stratify inside and outside using the old polyester as a core
- Replace each new frame (ash laminated) and each varangue.
The restoration will be completed in Spring 2019, but before that, the boat will be exhibited in the official village of the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe in Saint Malo. The opportunity for the general public to (re)discover it from October 24 to November 4 and for the association to obtain funds to continue the restoration. Even if the family has been able to raise the majority of the funds from the local authorities and the State (400,000 out of the 650,000 ? needed), there is still 200,000 ? to be found
After its renovation, Pen-Duick will join the Cité de la Voile to participate in classic races and serve as a training platform for young people as part of their civic service.
