Normally I edit drone footage of new boats for Boating New Zealand’s boat reviews. Auckland’s most recent lockdown presented me with an opportunity to swap the camera for a keyboard and write about my recent experience giving our yacht Aotea a mid-life makeover.
Aotea is a South Pacific 42 from the board of American designer Robert Perry, built in Christchurch by Canterbury Export Marine in 1987.
The genesis of the yacht’s design came by way of Peter Rachtman, a New Zealander born in America. Peter had a rich history in finding markets for products, or probably more correctly, finding products that suited the market.
From a background in the US entertainment industry, Peter moved to New Zealand in 1979 and, after buying a yacht and cruising around Tonga and Fiji, he took a keen interest in our marine industry.
He could see great New Zealand products that needed help getting exported. He set up a company in Seattle (So- Pac) to import and promote New Zealand products.
Peter was good friends with yacht designer Robert Perry and had him draw up plans for a cruising yacht to satisfy a US market which revered New Zealand boatbuilding skills and quality.
Designed with more of an emphasis on cruising than the ‘stripped out’ racers New Zealand buyers were after, the brief was for a relatively light displacement vessel built using modern materials – fibreglass with a Divinycell core – an engineered frame to take rig and keel loads, and a winged keel.
A change in the US–NZ exchange rate and the onset of the 1987 share market crash saw only three boats leave the Christchurch factory: Aotea, Good as Gold and Perryaire.
Peter worked in the New Zealand marine sector for many years, becoming the founding director of MAREX, the marine industry’s joint action group to foster New Zealand exports. He has since retired and moved back to the United States, where he lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Sanding guide coat applied
AOTEA LAUNCHED
The first yacht out of the mould was Aotea, bought by a New Zealander working in Los Angeles. Aotea spent the first part of her life overseas but was eventually sailed back to New Zealand. My wife and I bought her in 2000.
After a Pacific cruise to Tonga, Samoa and Fiji in 2003, Aotea became a regular cruiser of the Hauraki Gulf and Northland coast. However, at the ripe old age of 34 years, her ageing gelcoat, mast and hull bottom were in need of a repaint.
To save some money I had painted the deck and cabin top myself over a few seasons, working from the bow to the stern in a grid pattern.
I used International’s two-pot Perfection paint system with two epoxy primer coats, two Perfection undercoats and two topcoats. My main memory is of the miles of masking tape required for each coat, along with a multitude of mixing containers for the relatively small paint quantities.
Small areas divided by non-skid separating lines reduce the visual continuity of the painted areas, so small imperfections in the finish did not greatly detract from the overall appearance.
The main risk of painting outside was poor weather: I needed low wind – and particularly low humidity – for the final coat. Humidity that’s too high results in a matte finish. This happened to one area, but a recoat on a better day dealt with the issue.
However, topsides have large areas with long visual lines where any paint imperfections would show up – time for the professionals!
A gleaming Aotea ready to move sheds for epoxy and antifouling.
PLANNING
With the yacht berthed at Buckland’s Beach Marina, the Half Moon Bay hardstand was close by and offered a full range of services for boat maintenance.
First call was to Brian Kent, the manager of Boatspray, to discuss the painting options, price and particularly the method for removing 20 years of antifouling build up.
Twenty years ago, we had used linbide scrapers to remove the old antifouling buildup so we could re-epoxy the underwater area. Now, 21 years older and not as fit, this was a rather daunting prosect, to be avoided if at all possible.
Grit-blasting the bottom was decided upon. Brian said, “It is more economical for the owner than scraping and as long as it’s well controlled, a better result is achieved. It is imperative to have a very experienced contractor, as a moment’s inattention can cause a lot of damage.”
With method and price agreed, work got underway.
New openfronted work sheds
OFF WITH THE OLD
First up was a waterblast to remove the barnacle spat ungratefully deposited during our summer cruise in the Bay of Islands.
Once parked on the hardstand, the grit blasters arrived to tent up the boat to ensure none of the garnet blasting grit would be spread around the yard. Under Brian’s watchful eye, the vapour blasting was complete a day later. The existing epoxy layer provided a good visual cue to work to and the finished surface was even, but with a rough texture. A follow up sand left the bottom smooth.
Richard Hulston, from Independent Riggers, removed the mast. It was time for new standing rigging and a repaint, so Richard and his team stripped the mast, boom, spinnaker poles and vang of fittings ready for painting. Some very old forespar jammers were replaced by modern Spinlock equivalents.
Aotea was then moved into Boatspray’s shed for Leading Hand Chris Anderson to get to work.
Roger painted the decks himself, achieving good results with a roller
All went according to plan, apart from a cold weather snap which lowered temperatures and held up painting for a while. Still, there was plenty of prep required on the mast and fittings, which cut down on unproductive time.
The new paint system for the topsides consisted of epoxy undercoats and three topcoats of Awlcraft 2000 gloss finish.
With laser precision, the original blue stripe lines were reapplied, together with new letters cut for her name.
Painting of the bottom was left until last because the timing was critical. You must apply the antifouling straight after a new epoxy coating and since some curing time was required before Aotea could be moved for relaunching, the bottom was painted in an outside shed.
Vapour grit spraying underway.
All done, and she was ready for her early morning march of completion past the construction workers building the new hardstand facilities at Half Moon Bay. The director of Boatspray, Simon Manning, was on hand to see his team’s handiwork roll down the yard. She was a great sight with her new shine to show off.
The newly-painted mast followed a week later on a beautifully still day, with the crane costs shared among a number of boats booked that day. Everything fitted and we returned to the marina just in time for Level 4 lockdown!
Only now can the sails be put back on so we can get back on the harbour to stretch the rigging.
Once the sails are back onboard Aotea will be ready to again stretch her rigging on the waters of the Hauraki Gulf and beyond.
A SEAMLESS EXPERIENCE
Overall, the make-over was a seamless experience. Getting the work completed at Half Moon Bay by Boatspray, Independent Riggers, The Boatbuilders (survey work) and Half Moon Bay Electrical (new AGM batteries) worked extremely well for us. All the trades worked in together to plan their work schedules, ensuring a streamlined work flow.
The facilities at Half Moon Bay are currently being upgraded, with a new 85-tonne travel lift and improved hardstand arrangements. New open-sided sheds are provided to work in – a great improvement on working in the open with a roaring southwesterly wind ripping off the Tamaki Estuary. BNZ
Aotea in Uoleva, Tonga.
