Gwendal already has a Flyer 7. He is very happy with this hull and its passage at sea, but the first cruise tests quickly showed that he lacked a cabin on board. Indeed, this yachtsman sails with his wife and son and would appreciate to have 2 closed cabins to live well at anchor the very different wake-up times of the crew members
So he sets off in search of another larger boat that would offer him this comfort. Sailing from Paimpol in the not always pleasant seas of the English Channel, he will start by selecting narrow, deep-V hulls that offer better passage at sea (he rejects wide, flat hulls that are fast but hit hard). For example, he selects the Flyer 10 which will be quickly discarded, his wife's closed face after a visit will advise him not to insist on this model.
A Sealine 310 dry for 2 years
It's in Lorient that he will discover by chance a Sealine 310. This model is one of his choices of what he calls "the English hulls". But the boat has been dry for 2 years without any maintenance. He makes a first visit and counts a lot of cosmetic points to review. But this model dating from 1991 has for him two 200 hp Volvo TAMD41 engines that have been serviced with supporting invoices.
Female Validation
Gwendal proposes a visit to his wife and says, " You're covering your nose and not looking at the state of the facilities. Just think about the organization of the boat and the cabins. "At the end of the visit, he gets a positive response.
Gwendal can then make an offer. He will write a 2-page document detailing all the details he has seen that require work. On the basis of this he will make an offer to the owner at 22 000 euros. It will be a little negotiated, but accepted. In comparison, an identical speedboat in perfect condition costs about 43 to 45 000 euros on the Northern countries market (they are rare in France).
Containment for a refit
All that remains now is to bring the boat back to Paimpol (by road) and get to work on renovating it. Gwendal is a boat dealer. He therefore installs the Sealine on the park of his company and plans to work on it progressively in "his spare time". But the confinement of spring 2020 will change his project. Time, he has time! He will therefore work for 350 hours to refit the boat.
Better looking than new
The hull is fully sanded. This exposing will be the occasion to resume the lamination of the strakes that have been damaged by a bad storage. Gwendal is redoing UDs and ironing the gelcoat in finishing. Better than new! The dead works are entirely polished. The gelcoat is very thick on these old models, which allows to polish them without risking to attack it too much (50 hours of work are required to achieve this shine...).
Inside, the entire wiring harness is removed and replaced. Same for the batteries. The carpets that cover the whole interior are renewed: 18 m2 on the whole boat! Gwendal is also in charge of redoing all the veneers that have blackened with humidity. He even manages to find the supplier of the wood to redo them as they were originally. The foams of the benches and berths are replaced. On the kitchen side, Gwendal will take over the worktop, install a new fridge and tilt the helm seat to increase the space for meal preparation.
Revised motor and bases
If the engines are in good condition, Gwendal will work a lot on the bases by redoing them entirely. He will also take care of all the engine peripherals and refurbish the bilge. For comfort, he will install flaps to the boat. These are managed electronically to ensure a good trim at all times. Thus the ACS-RP box is servo-controlled, the flaps help to trim the boat. Moreover, crosswind sailing is now done flat.
Fast and economical
Heavily powered (2 x 200 hp), this Sealine 310 does not require high engine speeds. The cruising speed is ensured at 1500 rpm (20 knots) and the maximum speed is 31 knots. At 20 knots, the boat consumes 17 to 18 l/h per engine. With 660 litres of fuel tank, this gives a good range.
Finally renovated much faster than expected (even if it took a lot of elbow grease...), Gwendal can now enjoy its launch in early summer 2020. The first cruise will take this Sealine from Paimpol to Carteret along the French coast (England and the Channel Islands being closed for this particular season). All that remains is to consider the following ones..
