L'Ecume de Mer, an icon of the 70s
Between 1969 and 1979, 1,335 units were produced. Despite its age, the Ecume de Mer stands out for its sturdiness, maritime performance and elegance, thanks in particular to the guibre bow introduced after 1975. This boat, which supported the Tour de France à la Voile from 1973 to 1978, is renowned for its speed in a variety of weather conditions and its optimal layout by the standards of the time, offering a headroom of 1.70 m and a convertible dinette, making life on board comfortable for a couple.
This is an affordable cruiser, capable of adapting to a day-boat or coastal cruising program.
A boat for a family program around Brittany
Working in the entertainment industry, Arthur is based in Rennes, and has been sailing around Brittany for as long as he can remember, on all kinds of sailboats, both modern and traditional. As a child, he sailed on an Ecume de Mer owned by his stepfather. 8 years ago, the Ecume was taken out of the water and stored on a quay in Concarneau. The boat will remain in storage until 2024, when Arthur becomes the new owner.
Storage on the ground under a tree
Launched in 1976, this Ecume was hauled out to dry in 2016, and hasn't sailed since. Stored near a tree, the deck and hull are covered in mold. The running rigging, which has remained outside, is to be discarded. Ditto for the standing rigging, and for the wire ropes, which are showing signs of weakness.
Arthur is therefore going to change all the on-board manoeuvres, and acquire a new standing rigging.
Before that, the hull and deck need a major cleaning," says Arthur:
" The deck was badly impacted by the green detritus that had accumulated in the cockpit. It needed a major cleaning. Unfortunately, high-pressure cleaners are not allowed on the deck. We had to roll up our sleeves. After 3 days of scrubbing with a hand brush, I could hardly tell the difference!
On the hull, the antifouling was removed when the boat was chocked, so the finish is pretty clean. I'm going to apply an anti-rust treatment to the keel, which is marked by a few rust streaks ".
What about restarting the engine?
" The inboard was landed a long time ago. But for practical and budgetary reasons, I'm going to fit it with an outboard motor. As a result, this empty space will become a large storage locker.
At the bow, the furler was broken when another boat fell off during a storm. But I was able to find another one via the Ecume de Mer owners' association, which exchanges a lot of information ".
Inside, the woodwork survived the 8-year break rather well. As the boat is well ventilated, little mold has developed. And everything is complete: gas stove, wc, tack room, everything is there.
" I'm going to redo all the wiring myself, so I can get to know my boat a little better .
A program of coastal cruising in Brittany and beyond
Once refurbished, Arthur will remain in the same sailing basin:
" The boat will be taken to Pont L'Abbé. Harbour space there is very economical, even if I'm dependent on the tides. The idea is to improve my skills in the Glénan and Quiberon areas. I'm of Portuguese origin, so my medium-term goal is to sail to Portugal from Brittany"
