" I had sworn that I would not be caught again! "That's what I've often mumbled into my dust mask, my glasses fogged up and my arms aching from the long hours of sanding. But the man is weak and his will wavers in front of the appealing curves that he guesses under the flaking paint of a neglected hull. A form of perversion that pushes to sacrifice time, money and energy to dedicate them to the restoration of an old boat. A pathology that could be summarized as: " This shell is too ugly, I need it! "However, this is not my first time! I have at least 4 renovations to my credit and I should measure the constraints... The last one was the renovation of a 30 feet river boat which required many months of efforts, quickly forgotten as the pleasure of sharing good moments on board a boat to one's liking and that one knows in the smallest details is great.
Renovation: it's reasonable under the right conditions
The question arises of course, whether it is reasonable to embark on such a deep renovation, to commit so much time, money and especially effort for such an old boat and what's more, built by an amateur. The answer appears only after the fact and in my case it is clearly positive. I must admit that my quality of professional of the nautical and wood industry makes that I did not commit myself totally blindly. In addition, I was able to have, throughout this restoration, the technical assistance and infrastructure of a construction site: covered workshop, paint booth, professional tools, means of handling... which allowed me to save precious time and to work in the best possible conditions.
It is important to preserve your enthusiasm!
To those who would like to embark on this adventure, I would recommend starting from a base that is as healthy as possible, i.e. that has not been irreversibly tinkered with. It is indeed quite easy to restore what is original, but much less to make up for the mistakes of the previous owners. The choice of the base is of course important! The amount of work required, even for a small boat, should not be neglected. Overconfidence can quickly lead to discouragement. To fight against the inevitable loss of motivation, the best weapon is to enjoy yourself, even if the technical logic would like you to finish one side before tackling something else. For example, by varnishing the removable parts while the hull is still being sanded, you can regain enthusiasm, a commodity that is important to preserve throughout the work. To work comfortably, you should have a room that matches the size of the job and you should have quality tools (even if you have to sell them once the work is finished). Don't forget that the sanding dust and the products used are toxic, so don't skimp on personal protective equipment.
The right advice on the right products
Over the past 50 years, techniques and products have evolved. Epoxy in particular allows for extremely strong repairs, provided they are done on a sound basis. For example, the seam technique has made the cockpit floor assembly much more reliable and permanently watertight than it was originally. The experience of the shipyard was especially helpful in this respect: I was able to get good advice and choose the right products without any hesitation, and the workmanship was within the reach of an amateur.
A great way to get to know your boat better
If we exclude the time spent, it is difficult to talk about the cost of such a refurbishment, especially in this case where I was able to benefit from second-hand equipment, products at a preferential price and have all the necessary tools. Just know that Kirikou is now insured for 8 times its purchase price. More importantly, I now know the boat perfectly: if we are still a young couple in terms of navigation, our relationship has lasted for more than 3 years, a probationary period, spent tracking down each of her weaknesses, which means that I have only qualities left to discover!
Estimated restoration time
- Dismantling: 3 pm
- Stripping : 70 h
- Sanding : 50 h
- Carpentry : 80 h
- Coatings and preparation: 50 h
- Masking and painting : 45 h
- Fittings and equipment : 60 h
370 hours of work
