You may remember the story of Augustine, the young man who renovated several sailing ships. His first, Illusion, is a Feeling 286 Special. But as a student, with finances too tight, he was forced to sell it. We tracked down the new owner.
Jonathan had a Sylphe that he largely modernized.. spending many hours renovating. After having sailed the boat for 3 years, he is looking for a bigger one with the idea of living on board and crossing the Atlantic as a couple. He visits the Feeling sold by Augustin, buys it and conveys it to Lorient.
For a year and a half, he's not going to tinker around on board. He's a cabinet maker in a shipyard and he uses the sailboat. He just has to review the mechanics (which had already caused Augustin problems). The injection pump of the diesel engine has seized up. After an overhaul, the engine works perfectly.
Now based in the South of France, the boat was taken out of the water in Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhone for a complete refit in preparation for the big start. One day before the confinement the boat is on hold (phew!). Jonathan can work there quietly during this period of inactivity.
As he did for the Sylphe, he will almost entirely dismantle the existing facilities. He ripped off all the glued-up linings (especially in the aft cabins) and began repainting the bottom and redoing the clean linings.
In the process, Jonathan replaced all the electrical wires (which were rotten) and installed a clean electrical panel and new navigation electronics. The same goes for the plumbing where all the pipes are changed. On the galley side, he installs an oven to cook truly at sea.
And wherever possible, Jonathan installs storage units. Imagining drawers under the chart table and in the galley, or places above the starboard aft cabin which will be dedicated to storage (but which can still accommodate a couple of passengers). For autonomy, he installs 2 solar panels on masts at the stern, like what we see on the Mini, panels mounted on diabolos and orientable. A system that avoids an unsightly and heavy gantry.
The navigation part is not forgotten. He orders a new mainsail and changes the standing rigging. The genoa is revised and an anti-UV strip is added. Before modifying the deck plan and installing sheave boxes to guide the halyards properly, Jonathan tackles the deck. As much for aesthetics as for safety.
He dismantled all the deck fittings in place and repainted the deck using non-skid paint in some areas. In the cockpit, this cabinetmaker applies beautiful teak slats that are as comfortable as they are beautiful.
A sailing enthusiast, Jonathan is dedicated to making the hull very clean. He sanded it down to the gelcoat. He will then strip everything before priming the hull and applying antifouling. In passing, he rebuilds the keel and in particular the lights in the cast iron which are used to reach the bolts. As for the dead works, they are just polished.
Now that deconfinement is here, the launch is close. The programme has already been drawn up: a tour of Corsica, Sardinia before visiting the Balearic Islands and then setting sail for the Atlantic with a transatlantic crossing this winter 2020. No return date has been set for this couple, who will be enjoying a nice, fast and seaworthy boat, fitted out to their taste.
