Cap sur Nous, this Franco-Tunisian family decided to cast off on a Sun Odyssey 39 purchased in the fall of 2019. The crossing from La Ciotat to Tunisia has not been easy, as Ariadne told us. But above all a waterway and sinister cracking at the bow made the crew doubt the quality of the boat. After 2 months of immobilization in the dry and major repairs, Maëlouna (named after the two children) has just been put back in the water to continue the adventure.
Where did the leak come from?
On arrival in Sidi Bou Said (Tunisia), the yacht was immediately taken out of the water to inspect the hull in detail. There, a poorly repaired crack in the starboard forward third appears! Moreover, the yacht obviously ran into the bottom of the boat, leaving some after-effects, especially on the rudder. The propeller shaft chair moves, which also causes water to enter. And finally, the yacht obviously knocked on the starboard side causing a big leak at the fargue rail at the junction with the deck.
An irresponsible broker and expert
All these problems are not insoluble and can be repaired, but Rached and Ariane bought this boat from a broker in Port Leucate and made an expertise before the purchase. The sale price was that of a sailboat in ready-to-sail condition. However, the various shocks that are badly repaired are more reminiscent of make-up than of a healthy sale. Moreover, the seller, summoned by registered letter to be present for the insurance expertise did not deign to answer, leaving a dead letter. As for the broker, he blamed the former owner... And the expert hides behind undetectable vices.
For the purchase of this sailboat, the couple had taken all the precautions: purchase from an established broker, the intervention of a qualified expert, and the water outlet for the expertise and the purchase. Today, faced with the discovery of the state of the yacht and the risks incurred by the family, they consider this broker and expert to be totally irresponsible in view of the planned and announced sailing programme.
Should we get into a legal battle?
Faced with so much bad faith and rather than go through a long and uncertain legal process, Ariane and Rached decided to undertake the work at their own expense. Preferring to move forward and be positive rather than be overcome by bitterness
Thus the repairs to the hull were done seriously by Habib, a professional in the area. Rached participating in the work to follow and get to know the boat better. The front crack is now restrained from the outside, but also from the inside. The motor chair has been reattached properly. And the leak from the fargue rail is now just a bad memory
And as originally planned, all the linings have been redone. This has given a new youth to the interior, but above all it has allowed all the moisture present in these fabrics to be evacuated, thus eliminating all bad smells. From now on, this sailboat smells clean!
At the same time, all the piping in the fresh water circuits was redesigned. Indeed, many leaks appeared here and there. The water tank under the front bunk, for example, was no longer
fixed. Hence the loud crackling noises heard while sailing upwind in the waves. The one installed in the back summer even cracked!
Ready for a fresh start
Today, the boat was put back in the water, which caused a big scare. As soon as he hit the water, a large water ingress occurred. Luckily, it was just the loch sensor that was screwed in wrong. Whew! Rached saw his life fall apart before he found out where the water came from..
Around this rather deplorable adventure, a human solidarity was formed. Friends, family, but also all boaters on the technical area. All the help and advice has been invaluable, Ariane and Rached are very grateful for this support.
Now the family is back on board. Louna's school continues with her mom. And the whole crew will now head towards the southern coast of Tunisia, enjoying the beauty of these coasts, which they know well, but have always travelled by land. Head for Sousse and Monastir. The work is finished, this time navigation is back on track.
