"WATER GYPSY" - A LABOUR OF LOVE
This project involves a 19xx Grampian 28 Hull Number xxx called Water Gypsy and details some of its history and the work undertaken to restore it to its current condition by its current owner George Shipp.
BEFORE
"In 1989 I bought the boat from a Captain John Kingwell who had been living on it after splitting up with his wife-maybe because he took her and the boat to Bermuda and got caught in a bad storm. I had incidentally just split up with mine. I lived on this boat for a year and sold it to a 6 ft 4 inch cop who lived on it for 16 years.
I bought the boat back off him in 2006. I
almost didn't, it looked so bad by then I didn't recognise it at first, but I
did some quick checks with a moisture meter and hammer and discovered that
structurally the boat was great; it just looked like a derelict. I had it
surveyed and the surveyor kept saying, "I can't believe this boat is still in
such good shape structurally". However, he also said to not bother fixing it up
too much. I guess I wanted a challenge.
Here are a few pictures of what the boat looked like before we got to work on
it.
AFTER
Water Gypsy-complete restoration down to bare hull inside and outside. Rebuilt engine by Durham Marine. Deck finished by Custom Fibreglass of Whitby, May, 2009 .
Pretty much everything is new.
New stuff Spring 2008;6 coats epoxy paint on topsides of hull.
6 coats interprotect on bottom
New windows
Companionway doors and frame
Autohelm 2000
Custom S/S grabrails on coachroof
All lines led back to cockpit with Garhaur clutches and blocks
New self tailing halyard winch
Solar vent
Lifelines
Stanchions are reinforced with solid aluminium tubing at bottoms to 1 foot up to prevent bending-stanchions are new also
Pushpit horizontal rail is re enforced with solid aluminium tube inside to provide support for climbing over from the ladder
10 pound propane tank holder
Custom designed propane locker fixed to pushpit-contains solenoid shutoff
Separate approved propane hoses travel to stove and the heater in cabin-continuous running
GPS chart reader
Depth sounder
Bulkhead mounted compass-lighted
CDI furler-still have to install-in the box-genoa is in Genco Marine getting cut
S/S boarding ladder
Cowl vents for engine room
6 fenders and mooring lines
MD6 Volvo diesel-rebuilt by Durham Marine in Spring/2008 about 30 hours on the engine.
1 Blue Seas 12v DC and 110 volt ac. electrical panel
1 pony panel-ac.
Propane sniffer and automatic shut off
Mirror
Force 10 2 burner stove and oven-used once since new
Dickenson propane cabin heater-never used except for testing
Flat screen TV.
Stereo/CD
DVD player
Cabin Cushions
Head with custom holding tank and vented loop water supply
5 -110 volt outlets -all are ground fault protected
3 12 volt DC outlets in main cabin and v berth
2 batteries and smart charger
Note; all wiring is tinned and oversized
Teak and holly sole throughout
Bronze through hulls-all grounded to boat
Custom cabinetry in main cabin-removable for through deck inspections
12 volt cabin lights-3 are navigational (red) lights for night passages
Running lights
12 volt bilge pump
All wiring has been replaced by tinned marine wiring
Sails are original but are good because they weren't used for 18 years.
3 surveys were done while the renovations were in progress, done by Denis Furnis of Northern Yachts.
Click any thumbnail for larger image