Right, so about this boat project I got myself into – the one I ended up calling my little ‘Triumph yacht’ in my head, though she’s far from a superyacht, believe me. It all started a couple of years back. I’d been itching for a hands-on project, something away from screens, you know?
Found her sitting kind of sad in a boatyard upstate. Wasn’t much to look at, really. An older fibreglass thing, maybe thirty feet? The owner just wanted rid of it. Covered in grime, bird droppings, the usual story. Gel coat was looking chalky, faded blue stripe peeling off. But the hull seemed solid enough when I tapped around. Didn’t see any obvious major cracks or blisters, which was a good start. The name “Triumph” was barely visible on the stern, painted in flaky gold letters. Seemed fitting for the challenge ahead, I thought.
Getting Started – The Big Clean-Up
First job was just getting her clean. Sounds simple, but man, that took days. Pressure washer, stiff brushes, lots of elbow grease. Had to scrape off old seagull gifts that were practically fossilized. Underneath all that dirt, the basic shape was quite nice, actually. Classic lines.
Then came the interior. Smelled damp, musty. Headliner sagging, cushions stained. Ripped most of it out. Found some soft spots in the plywood under the V-berth. That wasn’t fun. Had to cut out the rotten sections and fiberglass in new marine ply. Took a while to get that right, lots of itchy dust.
Tackling the Deck and Hull
The deck hardware needed attention. Cleats were loose, stanchions wobbly. Pulled them all off, filled the old holes with epoxy, re-drilled, and bedded them properly with sealant. You don’t want leaks, right? That’s just asking for trouble down the line.
Sanding the hull and deck was the next big thing. Hours and hours of sanding. My arms felt like they’d fall off. Got it smooth eventually. Then priming, more sanding, then finally painting. Went for a classic white hull and a nice navy blue for the stripe. Looked way better already. Felt like a real milestone, that first coat of paint going on.
Engine Woes
Ah, the engine. An old diesel inboard. Looked ancient. Wouldn’t turn over initially. Cleaned the fuel tank, replaced filters, checked lines. Still nothing. Turned out the starter motor was shot. Finding a replacement for that specific old model was a headache. Scoured online forums, called boatyards. Finally found a guy who rebuilt them. Got it back, installed it, and she fired up! Rough at first, but running. That was a huge relief.
Putting it Back Together
After the main structural and mechanical stuff, it was about putting things back together and making it usable.
- Re-wired some of the electrics. The old wiring was a mess, real fire hazard waiting to happen. Put in new fuse panels, navigation lights.
- Installed a new VHF radio and a basic depth sounder. Nothing fancy.
- Made new cushion covers. My wife helped with that, thankfully. Her sewing skills are way better than mine.
- Cleaned up the little galley area. Put in a new freshwater pump.
- Varnished the exterior wood trim. Took several coats but looks lovely now.
Where We Are Now
So, is she finished? Ha! Are boat projects ever truly finished? She’s floating, the engine runs reliably now, and she’s watertight. We’ve taken her out on the local lake a few times, short trips mostly. Still got a list of things I want to do – upgrade the sails, maybe add a small chartplotter, sort out the rigging properly. But honestly, just getting her from that sorry state in the yard to being able to actually use her feels like a massive win. A real triumph, you could say. It’s been hard work, sometimes frustrating, but mostly really satisfying. Building something back up with your own hands, you can’t beat that feeling.
