Damien is a young Swiss yachtsman. He sails on Lake Geneva with his wife and two children. As his first boat, he renovated a Corsaire, a small 5.50 m wooden sailing yacht, but an opportunity to obtain a berth in his harbor for a larger yacht came up. Given the rarity of the offer and the length of the queue, he couldn't pass it up. The port gives him 10 days to find a new sailboat to fit the new berth. That's a short time.
Within 24 hours, despite the family's sadness, Damien found a buyer for his Corsaire. And the next day, he found an advertisement for a lifting keel First 24 for sale on Lake Neuchâtel. The deal was done. The yacht was negotiated down to CHF 13,500 from the CHF 15,500 initially proposed. The yacht is trucked back to Lake Geneva.
Visit First 24 is a transportable cruiser from the 1980s. It was designed by the Bénéteau shipyard to complement the First 25, which was too wide to be transported. The First 24 offers good habitability, with a double cabin under the cokpit, a head on the starboard side, a galley and a saloon that opens onto an enclosed bed in the forward triangle. Powered by an outboard motor, the engine is located in a well accessible under the helm in the cockpit.
A seaworthy First 24
While the cockpit has been neatly redone, the rest of the yacht is in its original state. In particular, the original canvas covers have come unstuck and hang pitifully from the ceilings. As for the rest, the sails and engine are new. On deck, Damien will only be changing the furler, replaced by a Furlex, and replacing some halyards and fittings. Inside the cabin, the work to be carried out is more extensive.
Damien gets down to work, unloading the entire electrical circuit. He installs an 80 Ah gel battery with a 110 W solar panel glued to the opening panel of the companionway. This recharging system enables a 230 V cooler to be run on a converter. When the boat is stationary, Damien takes care to shift the boom to one side so that it doesn't shade the solar panel. This brand-new cooler has found its place right next to the sink, itself replaced by a new stainless steel one. With this configuration, the kitchen no longer has a stove. Damien uses a portable stove found at Décathlon. For lighting, he installs LED strips in the front triangle and some battery-operated light points.
Electrical and plumbing as well as aesthetics
In addition to the electrical work, Damien also worked on the plumbing. He fitted the yacht with a water tank and installed dry toilets. From now on, cruising can take place in comfort. The children occupy the aft cabin, while the parents are in the forward triangle.
For the upholstery, Damien admits to having done the simplest thing possible, gluing new fabrics, a kind of carpet, over the old ones. It's probably not the most durable, but it makes for a quick and clean interior. Only the toilets were painted with insulating paint in place of the old linings.
Covering to add color to the hull
For aesthetics, Damien chose to change the color of the hull of his sailboat. He wanted something flashy, thinking bright purple. But his wife, more moderate in her tastes, recommended blue...
Not wanting the paint to fade with time and the sun's assaults, Damien opted for a covering. This makes it easy to obtain metallic paint finishes. This was professionally installed in 2 days. With his friends Yann and Johan, Damien prepared the hull beforehand. The self-adhesive film was applied directly to the original gelcoat, which had been properly deglazed and degreased. The color of the film is guaranteed for 7 years. Installation is easier than painting, as it doesn't require the use of a paint booth and can be carried out outside, without dismasting the yacht.
As far as the budget is concerned, a covering costs almost the same as a professional paint job. Damien's First 24 cost him CHF 2,500. The surface is undoubtedly more fragile than that of a paint job, and requires more attention. As a result, Damien had a transparent film applied to the bow to reinforce it, and only uses his fenders with socks.
The rest of the hull, the living works, receives a copper paint to dispense with antifouling. Damien hopes to take his boat out only once every 2 years for careening.
Ready for some great sailing
Today, the First 24 has been renamed Passegiata. This is to recall Damien's Italian origins. Passegiata means "Sunday stroll", when the family goes for an ice cream. In fact, Damien doesn't want to race his yacht, but to enjoy it with his family and share these sweet moments with his children.
