Sailing Puffin · video

What this video covers

A free Colvic Ltd. Sailor 26 bilge-keel sloop acquired at no cost gets a pre-refit walkthrough before restoration work begins.▶ 0:36 The boat has sat in a yard for an extended period — long enough to accumulate heavy mould, pigeon fouling, and standing water — and has no engine, which is partly why it was abandoned.▶ 11:22 Archie documents the hull condition (gelcoat solid with spider cracking at the bow, no delamination, no flex in the fiberglass), the deck (anti-skid worn, chain locker hatch damaged, a forward hatch window that fell out when opened), and the cockpit (drains blocked, water pooled into the bilge).▶ 2:28 Below, the waterline inside the cabin shows past flooding; interior wood trim has largely survived but structural panels are rotted and will need replacement, with bulkheads requiring careful identification before removal.▶ 13:59 The boat retains a full sail inventory including a furling headsail, wind instruments, and working hand bilge pump, but all running rigging is deteriorated and the electrics are presumed dead with no batteries aboard.▶ 7:00 New engine mounts are present but no engine.▶ 12:08 Archie's immediate priority is sealing the deck leaks — forward hatch, cabin windows, and chain locker — to dry the boat out before tackling interior woodwork and through-hull fittings.▶ 15:18 Bilge keel construction means no keel bolts, an advantage for a muddy estuary.▶ 1:29

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