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This is a short summary of an ongoing wood boat restoration project. Click on any of the images to view an enlarged version with caption.
HISTORY:
ABLE was built by McGruer Yacht Builders, Clynder, Scotland, in 1963 and launched in January 1964 as Nymph of Lorne. She was build #606 at the McGruer family boatyard.
McGruers (*) used full-length mahogany planks with glued-wedge seams, copper-riveted to steam-bent elm frames. She has an iron ballast keel and galvanized steel deck fittings. Her timbers and floors are Afromosia. Her Lloyds-approved construction plan characterizes her as a "100-A1 Yacht".
She's 28' long, has a beam of 8'4", a 5' draft, and 9000 lbs. displacement. ABLE is sloop-rigged with a sail area of 400 sq. ft. Her waterline length is about 22 feet.
She spent her first 15 years sailing on the Firth of Lorne, on the north-western Scottish coast near Oban. In 1978 she was renamed Kairos, refitted in England, and sailed to British Columbia via the Canal and Hawaii (**). In May 2006 we purchased her and renamed her ABLE of Friday Harbor.
COME ABOARD:
ABLE is perfectly balanced with any reasonable combination of sails. We can almost always steer using 2 fingers on the tiller. She accelerates quickly, and reaches hull speed easily, yet her high ballast ratio and fine ends keep her upright and footing along in a breeze.
Down below, she's a small 28-footer. Relatively long overhangs, narrow beam, fine lines fore and aft, and ample deck space give her exceptional sailing performance and seaworthiness for her size and type, at the cost of interior volume.
She has a very workable galley and navigation desk, 2 comfortable settees in the main cabin which convert to a double, a cabin heater, and good ventilation and light. A small-ish interior ensures that there's always a handhold within reach.
THE PROJECT:
After enjoying one sailing season, we began what turned out to be considerably more than a refit and considerably less than a rebuild. Most of the work was needed to avoid future problems. Some of the work was done to accommodate a physically disabled captain. A couple things were changed merely because we couldn't leave well-enough alone. Our goal was to re-establish ABLE's health and repair-ability without significantly modifying her character or sailing abilities.
WORK COMPLETED:
Hull: Entire hull was stripped and refinished, and one fastening plug replaced. No other problems with the hull above or below the waterline. A pintle was replaced on the rudder (2007).
Fittings: All fittings were removed, some refurbished, most newly fabricated (chainplates, anchor rollers, mast step, stemhead fitting, masthead fitting, etc.). When re-installed after deck work, all new fasteners were used (2007-2009).
Cabin-outside: Sides and top stripped and refinished (2008).
Deck: We first drilled through the teak deck in several places....down into the deck beams, to evaluate them. No issues. All deck bungs (plugs) were removed. All screws were set deep enough for 1/4-inch deep bungs. New bungs made and installed. All seams were reefed out and cleaned back to raw teak. New seam compound installed (2007). New teak deck installed adjacent to rebuilt cockpit (2009). There are no deck leaks
Spars: All fittings removed and refurbished. Wood stripped and refinished. New wiring installed for the masthead tri-color light and new VHF antenna. Eight-foot spinnaker track installed on mast. Modifications made to boom to facilitate change from roller-reefing to slab-reefing (2007-2009).
Standing Rig: Rigger Brion Toss evaluated the rig. Minor issues were addressed (2008). New mast-step with hinge was designed, fabricated and installed. New stemhead fitting and chainplates, refurbished masthead fitting (2007).
Running Rig: The entire running rig was replaced along with most blocks. New cabin-top hardware installed to lead all lines aft to cockpit (2010).
Sails: New North mainsail (2010) and genoa (2005). Two smaller headsails professionally rebuilt including new hanks (2009). Single-line reefing system installed (can reef in about 1 minute). All new sheet lines and blocks (2010).
Engine: New 2007 Yanmar 2-cylinder 14-h.p. diesel installed. New engine beds. New shaft and prop. Every system related to the engine is new (fuel lines and tank, batteries, battery cables, etc).
Navigation: New 5" Richie compass. New GPS. Huge chart table. Extensive chart library......... and ability to navigate (I still use paper charts.....I have made hundreds of them and have used them for about 38 years).
Safety: Auto/manual inflatible life jackets, new jack-lines on deck, new boom gallows, new fire extinguishers, new manual and automatic bilge pumps (just in case...the bilge is actually dry). Two radar reflectors installed. New VHF (2009). New anchor windlass (2008). All 5/16-HT chain for main rode. New 250-foot 5/8 nylon. 25-lbs CQR is the main anchor on chain. Danforth-type secondary anchor.
Cockpit Area: The cockpit had been modified by a previous owner, and materials and methods were not standard. Deck leaks had produced rot throughout the cockpit structure. The entire cockpit was demolished (you could step from the dock onto the inside of the hull planking), and a new one built (2008). Before the cockpit was rebuilt, every system near it was renewed (engine, etc.).
Bedding Method: Our method of bedding while reinstalling fittings borders on fanatical. Although you can't always outsmart water, we did adhere to the highest standards to minimize the possibility of deck leaks and wood staining/damage due to water ingress. There are no signs of leak anywhere on the boat. The bilge is even dry (2010).
Interior: Removed all wiring, plumbing and fixtures. Stripped and refinished entire interior. Cabinetry roughed-in in redesigned galley and navigation areas (2010). New berth cushions and covers (2009).
TO-DO:
Exterior: Refinements. New dodger and cockpit cushions. The exterior of the boat from masthead to keel is in tip-top condition.
Interior: New wiring, plumbing and fixtures. New water tanks. Reinstall many minor items, such as cloths-hooks in the wet-locker, artwork, etc. Finish cabinetry in galley and navigation areas. Reinstall book shelves, lockers and the heater in the main cabin. Install sound insulation in the engine box.
SAILING AGAIN:
ABLE is now sailing again in 2010. We're cruising months per year and daysailing as often as possible.
Her exterior is in excellent shape from masthead to the bottom of her keel. Down below she's refinished from the sheer plank up (underside of deck, cabin-sides, cabin-overhead, beams and bulkheads).
Her planks inside have been scrubbed and each copper rivet has been polished (so we can better judge corrosion issues and because it looks great). This winter we will focus on her cabinetry, wiring, and plumbing.
We look forward to years of enjoyment sailing and maintaining ABLE, and learning more from her. She's touched us deeply.
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This website was created in March 2009 and updated in December 2010.
* McGruer Yacht Builders was the subject of an article in Woodenboat Magazine, September/October 1996. To download and read the article, click here (12 MB pdf file).
** The logbook of the adventure forms much of a recent book written by the sailor's wife. The book by Margaret Griffiths, titled "Morning Light: Triumph at Sea & Tragedy on Everest" is available online.
If you would like to listen to a CBC interview with Margaret, about George's voyage, go here to get or stream the recording (mp3).
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