La Manche, the ideal playground for multihulls
Alexandre is a true multihull enthusiast. According to him, it is the ideal yacht to sail in the English Channel. Indeed, these fast boats can sail faster than the often strong current in these tidal waters. What's more, they run aground easily, a considerable advantage when the tidal range can exceed 5 m.
Thus for more than 20 years, Alexandre, often assisted by his father, has always had fast cruising yachts. They were first catamarans: Edelcat 26, Aquilon 800 before switching to trimarans, Tricat 22 then a Corsair F27. With its 2 children, the family sails a lot with the English Channel as a playground from the Cotentin.
Conveyance of a Marquise 56 in Norway makes Alexandre want to give the family a taste of the pleasure of sailing in these magical lands. But for that the F27 is a little small. So he decides to go in search of a bigger unit.
A catamaran signed Lerouge
After a long search, he was offered a Concept 33 CR for sale in the Gulf of Morbihan. The yacht is in poor condition, poorly maintained. In addition, the hull in polyester sandwich was built in a shipyard, the plywood layout was finished by the owner. Many details on board are incoherent, starting with a largely do-it-yourself electrical circuit. Launched in 1996, Alexandre will discover that this yacht was only used for day trips. Thus the saloon had no cushion or the stove was never turned on..
This catamaran is a Lerouge plan, recognizable with its deckhouse in the shape of a flying saucer. These designs are known to make good sailors and sailors, which is what Alexandre is looking for. It is equipped with a rotating carbon mast. Even if this catamaran doesn't look too good anymore, the work doesn't scare Alexandre. On the contrary, he likes to rebuild his boat cleanly. With his dad, they're not at their trial run.
A convoy in the form of a holiday
Purchased at the end of 2014, the three months at the start of the 2015 season will be dedicated to refurbishing the yacht to make her just navigable. The catamaran is dismasted to take up a crack in the mast spotted before the sale, then launched for initial trials in the Gulf. At this stage, the boat will be watertight again to make her seaworthy before starting the delivery trip to La Manche, which will take 3 weeks in the form of a holiday around Brittany. Already Alexandre is smiling, as even with the sails marked by the weather, this catamaran will line up 110 miles in 11 hours to reach Port-Bail.
A 2-year project
Once at home, the sailboat will stay dry for a year. This is the beginning of the big construction site. A real reconstruction rather than a simple refit. The first year of work will be devoted mainly to the exterior. The entire hull, both living and dead works, will be scraped before being repainted. On the deck, the deck fittings are completely removed, overhauled, then the deck is repainted and a KiwiGrip anti-skid is made.
Inside, Alexander is taking everything apart! Electricity, plumbing, electronics, everything is unloaded. He's going to change everything, but first he's going to sand each of the hulls completely before making any modifications. For example, a bulkhead is cut back to provide a larger passage to the washroom. For each of these modifications, Alexandre questions Erik Lerouge, with whom he has very good relations. He validates the changes.
At the beginning of 2016, the catamaran is ready to set off again for a summer cruise. A portico for the solar rings is built, steps to climb on the deckhouse are added, portholes to ventilate the bow of the hulls are installed, a complete new electronics is mounted and the hulls have recovered a coat of paint. In the process, the yacht gained weight. Indeed, the old plywood furnishings have been removed, to be replaced by composite sandwich furniture.
The whole ship is rebuilt
After a beautiful cruise on the English coast in the summer of 2016, the catamaran is back at the yard, this time to attack the interior of the hulls in depth. This time, she remains in the water at the pontoon. The hulls are fully sanded and coated before being repainted. Only the cabins are covered with liner for more comfort when sleeping.
A jib without furling system
A new wardrobe is also ordered. Alexander makes the choice to unload the reel. Indeed, this one is heavy. What's the use of a carbon mast if you add weights on top? What's more, with the resale price of the furling system, he can afford some nice membrane sails, Trilame from All Purpose. From now on, you have to go to the trampoline to reduce the jib. But as Alexandre points out, "If you know that the sailing is going to be windy, you can reef before the start. And the hulls are high enough not to get wet on the trampoline". The gain with this headsail is palpable, "the boat pitches less, it also accelerates much more upwind!"
A physical investment
This renovation - reconstruction even! - required no less than 2000 hours of hard work. Alexandre has reached the end of this project, which he himself carried out from start to finish, fortunately with the support of his father. "The only thing I didn't do myself was to repair the mast. For the rest, I did everything with my hands!" he says proudly, but he adds: "I paid a little bit with my person, because these 2 years of work have left traces: 2 muscle tears, a lumbago and a tendinitis..."
Now all that's left to do is enjoy this new toy that's been completely refurbished. And though the Nordic destination initially planned has been postponed for the time being, this fast catamaran remains a formidable platform for going ashore in the Channel and discovering the English rivers.
