"FOREVER"

YACHT RENOVATION

 

A preliminary survey was carried out on"Forever" by the marine surveyor Jonathan Massy while she was on a swinging mooring at Starcross on the western shore of the Exe estuary. He found nothing too distressing so to continue the survey, the yacht was motored over to Exmouth Marina and lifted out in early November 2013. "Forever" was then moved around the corner to the small boatyard on Camperdown Terrace. Here Jonathan conducted a complete and thorough survey which revealed almost 120 issues - mostly small items but still quite a few that needed significent correction before we could consider sailing "Forever" back to Ireland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We briefly considered transporting the yacht back to Ireland on a truck and we had managed to source a large barn down the road from our house where we could store it overwinter. But when we considered the costs of transportation, the scarity of marine engineers and riggers in Kildare!!! and the fascinating challenge of sailing this yacht home, we decided to leave the yacht in Exmouth Marina. Michael spent a morning with Paul Craven, the Marina manager, going through the survey findings and deciding what issues need prioritising. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On a day to day, item by item schedule, we dealt with the yard foreman, John Foulston. He proved to be a very good bloke, incredibly accomodating and quite happy to let us project manage the refurbishment without any problems. We sourced the kit we required and he quite happily helped us all along the way. His team of lads were equally as professional. Joel, the marine engineer was suberb. He was efficient, extremely conscientious and the quality of his workmanship was first class. He was ably abetted by Tom, the man who did everything the "gingerbeards wouldnt or couldnt do".