Pushing Firefly Into 2024

So, where are we in 2024 with the build of our Cobra 750 sailing boat, Firefly?

Recently, we released our first video for 2024 (an update on our progress through 2023). Since then, we have been back to the boat, where we started to strip out the interior of Firefly, and formulate a plan for the restoration of the inside of our boat. Upon coming back to her after Christmas, however, we found that she was still filled with water. This is really unfortunate, given we’ve spent months trying to find the leaks on the deck so we can get on with building the inside of the boat.

So, we set about trying to find the ‘new’ leaks. We took a watering can to the boat, and a couple of buckets, and started pouring water over any fittings/parts of the boat we thought might leak. While we still have to fix the anchor locker, everything that we’ve fitted to the deck so far is sealed well, and is not leaking (phew). Going further, the mast is not leaking (well not much), and the cockpit drain holes/pipes are working (they drain slowly, but as far as we can see so far, they are not leaking).

We did however find a lot of leaks in the cockpit area (or, as sci-fi geeks [like us], like to call it, the Bridge), that were simply pouring water into the boat. Damn it. One of them is the compass (through the bulkhead?), and a couple were the travellers for the main sheets, and then the travellers on the port and starboard sides. Two of the worst offenders were the cockpit lockers. The port side locker was a simple fix. There was simply a lot of debris lodged in the water channels, and it was therefore getting firstly into the locker, and then the boat.

The worst offender, by far though, was the starboard gas locker. Now, we were planning to remove the large gas bottles in here, and instead store Campinggaz bottles for the smaller gas cooker we have opted for. However, this locker, it seems, has had a large Calor gas bottle forced in, and has been damaged. The water channels that allow the inside of the locker to remain dry, have been smashed, which means any and all water that happens upon the gas locker, ends up pouring right into the boat. The wood underneath is mouldy and sodden, and the water that gets in, ends up sat behind the engine, until it gets high enough to pour into the cabin. Double damn it!

This obviously needs to change very quickly, but in the face of snow and rain, it was going to be impossible to take any action, while also trying to dry the interior of the boat. So we decided to cover her up. We’ve done it from the mast to the stern using tarpaulin, and it has allowed us to really start to make some progress on the interior. Recently, we even managed to rip out loads of old wood, shelves, filler, carpet, and more that were holding on to moisture and keeping it in the boat.

Unfortunately, we have almost immediately then come up against Storm Isha and then immediately afterwards again, Storm Jocelyn. We get a lot of storms here, but these two were exceptionally troubling. Storm Isha recorded over 124 mph (199.56 km/h) in gusts only a few miles up the coast from us.

Before the storms hit, we took proactive steps to try to secure our newly covered boat. We went down the night before Storm Isha, while the winds were picking up, and secured the covering on our boat. Mainly we were worried about the tarp coming off, and causing damage with all the bungee cords, and ties holding it down.

We also took action to cover a friend’s boat as well. Its existing coverings needed attention before the storms, but our friend was currently grieving, so we took to fitting a new tarpaulin for him, and secured it as well as we could in the winds. Both boats had rope lashed over them, with bungee cords, and cable ties.

We were not holding out much hope when going to the yard again after the winds subsided, but we were surprised to find both boats still covered, and very secure. What a relief! Upon checking the inside of Firefly, we saw that she’s still wet, but much less. She’s basically a sieve at the moment, but our aims going forward are as follows.

Firstly, now Firefly is covered, we can begin to isolate some of the main culprits that are letting water in. We’re going to use a combination of convection heaters, fan heaters, and a heat gun to try to lift the water from fibreglass and wood, and allow, via ventilation, as much of it as possible, out of the boat.

We think that while our initial hopes of getting her in the water by April or May are very unlikely, that if we approach the build in a specific way, we’ll have a better chance of getting her finished sooner. Along with the leaks, the engine needs a work over (we’ll remove it), we need a cutlass bearing, and the rudder needs fixing (we’ll have it welded), but then it’s just a case of building out the cabin, and electrics.

So, apart from those big things, our aim is to strip out all the old wood, sand the walls (hull), and take it back to bare nothing. The sink and toilet will be removed, as will all electrics. New wood will replace the old bits, and we’ll paint the inside white, as a bare shell. Then it’s time to build, and will arguably be the most fun part of this restoration so far.

New electrical wire will go in, batteries will be replaced, a diesel heater will be installed, seating will be finished, storage will be built, and all our switches, and navigation equipment will be built into the interior.

For now, though. We need to fix our leaks. Until then, it’s pointless putting anything new in.

~Emma