A sailboat to sail your own boat at last
It's always the opportunity that makes the thief. When Frédéric learned from his long-time friend Serge that, after nine years' waiting, he had just obtained a mooring on a buoy in the Golfe du Morbihan at Arradon, it was the perfect time to buy a shared-ownership boat. They get on very well, have known each other for thirty years, both have family ties in the Gulf and, above all, are fed up with sailing on other people's boats. A few years ago, they had already come close to buying a 9-meter Arpège, with a third man who owned a mooring. They prepared to buy together, but the deal fell through. " When we obtained the mooring at the beginning of 2020, we discovered by chance and at first sight the ideal boat: a Kelt 8, moored in Larmor-Baden, which avoided the hassle of transport ". A first visit was convincing, with an asking price of ?5,500, but the two friends allowed themselves a period of reflection, to talk to their family, taking advantage of the fact that the seller was not in a hurry. When the Covid arrives in March 2020.
A cabotage program for family and friends
To keep their spirits up during confinement, Frédéric and Serge are fine-tuning their Zoom video-conferencing navigation project and program. " We wanted to sail in and around the Gulf of Morbihan, Houat, Belle-Île, Groix, Glénans, either with adults or as a family with young children and pre-teens "explains Frédéric. The Kelt 8 can carry 8 people for the day and offers 5 berths, one double cabin in the forepeak, the other 3 on the saloon benches. On a practical level, the boat was equipped with a marine toilet with a closed door, a 2-burner kitchenette, a sink and an icebox, all admirably maintained by the last owner, a tiler by trade. At the end of the confinement period, the decision was made to buy the boat. The seller agreed to lower the price to ?5,000, and the expert commissioned to validate the purchase gave the go-ahead. Banco.
Why a Kelt 8?
The Kelt has the immense merit of having been built in Vannes in the Golfe du Morbihan, which gives the boat added cachet. When it left the factory in 1979, it was one of the largest cruisers on the market, topping the Kelt range until the arrival of the 8.50-meter model in 1983, followed by the 9-meter model. " We bought issue 331 of this Kelt 8, 400 copies of which were produced. It was christened An Dro, the name of a Breton dance, and we certainly didn't unchristen it, because that's bad luck "explains the co-owner. Admittedly, this Kelt 8 is a deep-draught keelboat (1.64 m), which can be a nuisance at low tide, but it limits the risks of breakage and maintenance of a centerboard or lifting keel. Above all, it makes it easier to sail upwind, which is a plus in the Gulf's currents.
Last but not least, this boat, with its two blue lines running along the hull, is equipped with a genoa furler, a solar panel sufficient for everyday needs, an autopilot and, above all, a 15 hp 2-stroke chair-mounted outboard motor that starts on the starter. The removal of the inboard motor - originally fitted with a Yanmar 10 hp inline shaft - offers additional storage and, above all, avoids the risk of leakage through the stuffing box. " This was an important aspect, as we wanted to leave the boat in the water for most of the year, except for January and February, when we had to careen her, carry out routine maintenance and antifouling before launching her again ".
The advantages of the Kelt: simplicity and user-friendliness for great family outings.
In use, Kelt 8 perfectly meets the owners' expectations. It's a twenty-minute walk from the No. 4 bus from Vannes station, which means weekend getaways from Rennes are possible, and co-owners get along well when it comes to sharing sailing time, or sail together. " We've been able to make some great trips to Houat and Belle Ile, sleeping on board with 5 of us (2 adults and 3 teenagers), or simply spending the day in the Golfe du Morbihan, which remains one of the most beautiful stretches of water in the world. The kids can swim and go up the ladder easily, the teens can sunbathe or read a book in the bow, and when the going gets rough, the little 15 hp engine isn't so gas-guzzling and lets you get home without the hectic of a diesel. When there's more wind, the boat is sound, at worst luffing in the gusts, nothing more. It holds 5-6 knots in calm sailing with 15 knots of wind, and handles close-hauled sailing very well ".
In short, everything was going swimmingly for three summers, until a gust of wind and no doubt a poor mooring in November 2022 knocked the boat loose from her mooring and ran her aground on a rock.
A solid, tested and approved sailboat
Quickly alerted by the Arradon mooring service, the SNSM managed to get the boat back afloat without any water ingress. Once again, the solidity of 1970s boats with their thick layers of polyester proved its worth. Taken out of the water by the Tual Marine shipyard in Séné, the hull only suffered a few scratches, but a rock bent the rudder shaft. " It was an opportunity for us to carry out the work recommended by the surveyor, changing the standing rigging and the through-hulls. The insurance covered the costs up to the value estimated by the expert at the time of purchase, i.e. ?6,500, enough to carry out all the work on the hull. For the rigging, and especially the rudder, we had to ask a mutual friend to put his hand in his pocket in exchange for a third of the boat, making us the third lucky owner of our Kelt. "Re-launched at a new, less exposed anchorage, the boat valiantly returned to service in June 2023 for a fourth summer, and always in the good spirit of the co-owners.
Overall: "A very good purchase, which gives complete satisfaction"
The new rigging and hull fittings offer an additional guarantee over time, but above all, co-ownership suits our three thieves and allows us to run the boat to the maximum. " Better still, by dividing each repair or expense by three, we no longer hesitate to buy a new end, an inflatable dinghy or something else that's missing "concludes Frédéric. It's the ideal solution.
