Magellan Alpha Repairs

[Brian]

After limping back across the channel to Falmouth Mike brought MA up to Dartmouth to Dart Marina for professional repairs.
Despite being "up to here" with work, Ed Carter of Olmec Tubes and Paul Tilley leapt in to assist all through their "weekend".

MA rounding the pontoons to arrive alongside the crane.

[Brian]

The boat was gently craned out.

[Brian]

Ooops, forgot to show you the cats cradle of rope STILL in place and holding the tubes down at the bow.

[Brian]

Gently down into position

[Brian]

The damage is inspected

[Brian]

And the tube separation goes all the way back.

[Brian]

From the front, we look like Jaws.
Remember this tube, when the impact hapenned, flipped right up, bent over backwards, and the brass fairlead on the bow nearly touched the windscreen !!!

[Brian]

So now, wearing dust masks, Ed and Paul begin to remove every fastening strip and every single bit of glue from the tubes and the fibreglass of the hull. A long tediuos, dirty job that must be done carefully and thoroughly by experts.

[Brian]

To make sure that there is less likely to be a repetition of this accident, Paul prepares three extra sections at the bow. These will take additional strengthening T-piece strips which will go on top of, and add "belt and braces", to the main point of wave impact.

[Brian]

So, now, two and a half days of hard work later, Ed begins the job of glueing on the pre-prepared double sets of fastening strips which will hold the tubes, sandwich fashion, back onto the hull.
Work should finally finish about midday today (Monday).
The boat will then be left 72 hours for the glue to set properly and MA will finally take to the water again later on this week.