Channel hopping
Essential monthly highlights from the world of online sailing channels with Kass Schmitt
When it comes to mindblowingly ambitious boat projects, it’s hard to top Sampson Boat Co’s rebuild of Tally Ho, which is coming along nicely. Perhaps inspired by Leo, there is no shortage of channels featuring implausibly optimistic novice boatbuilders tackling wrecks most would run a mile from.
Big keel
Jade and Brett of Expedition Evans are rebuilding the keel matrix of a written-off 2008 Beneteau 49 they bought at auction. I started out sceptical, but now think they might just succeed.
SALVAGE sailboat MAJOR rebuild
youtu.be/8KtTGWvzmp4
Big steel
Jack Bennington and his parents on Sailing Melody (see Channel Hopping May 2020) have finally found their blue-water cruising dream boat, a 1981 John Teale designed 38ft steel pilothouse cutter, which is going to need masses of TLC before she sails again.
Sailing yacht refit part 1 youtu.be/Rfe-ebfp2tU
For real??
For inspiration I can recommend YouTube newcomers, but boatbuilding experts, Camara sailing.
Christina and Peter met in Tobago 20 years ago and cruised the world for 16 years on their 42ft steel yacht, settling into an endless summer lifestyle between New Zealand and the islands of the South Pacific.
They made two new crew along the way and, when things started feeling crowded, decided to rescue a dilapidated 80ft Whitbread Maxi... as you do. The 1980 Peterson-Williams design did her third Whitbread as Creighton’s Naturally in 1989/90 before spending years as a charter boat.
Episode 1 is a slideshow they prepared for the 30th anniversary reunion of John Chittenden’s Whitbread crew. The 3½ year refit is covered in 12 jaw-dropping minutes. They’ve done an amazing job, especially given they did most of the work themselves in their spare time.
Story of an 80ft former Whitbread Race Yacht
youtu.be/nRcbPt2KuVA