Classic_Boat_2016-01

NIGEL SHARP

TERN

the project would change fundamentally. This detail

came to light mostly as a result of research by Patricia

O’Connell – Alan Renwick’s partner – who travelled to

Ireland and other places and met, among others, the

original owner’s great-granddaughter who had photos

and clippings from early regattas. It was also discovered

that just one other Belfast Lough Class I had survived,

Whimbrel, which was also undergoing a restoration, in

Bordeaux. Meanwhile the boatbuilding team had

removed the original 3.25 tonne ballast keel and the

English elm wood keel, the painted plywood deck and

some hull planks; they had carried out local repairs to

the wood keel – as well as to the lower part of the stem

• and refitted it; they had found that the stern post and
  its deadwood were in poor condition and were replacing
  them in oak; and built a new counter stern. Having
  obtained copies of Fife’s original drawings from Fairlie
  Yachts, it was clear the rest of the hull was out of shape.
  Iain and the project team talked to the owner. “We
  said that there are two choices here,” said Paul, “we can
  do what you originally wanted but then you will always
  have a slightly out-of-shape old boat, or we could really
  go for it.” The owner’s response was decisive and
  unequivocal: “I want a long-term success not a short-
  term reward,” he said. “Let’s save a piece of history.”

Clockwise from

top: Most of the

hull planks were

replaced;

discreetly hidden

electrics; running

rigging is mostly

3-strand polyester

Main picture:

Chesterfield

leather settees

Facing page: The

mainsail’s original

upside-down ‘2’.

A ‘7’ couldn’t be

found in time for

her first race in

May 1897

That was when Jon Baigent bought her and for the

next ten years he kept her in Falmouth. He took her to

the Fife Regatta in 2003 – she went up there by truck and

he sailed her back – and in 2008 he moved her to

Mallorca. “We had good fun sailing her all around the

Falmouth area,” he said, “but I wanted to spend more

time in Mallorca. But in the event the boat needed a lot

of looking after in the sunshine. If we went out there for

a fortnight we might spend 7 to 10 days working on

her.” Things got worse in 2013 when Jon’s eyesight was

damaged in an accident and he lost the confidence to go

sailing, so he put Tern on the market.

TERN’S RESTORATION

With Tern shored up in the Port Adriano boatshed, work

began. Robert Eldridge’s company Ocean Refit was

asked to undertake the restoration. Robert brought in

fellow shipwright Paul Harvey to lead the restoration

team. The two had restored traditional yachts together

on the Norfolk Broads 25 years ago. Skilled joiner Alan

Renwick, shipwright Nicola Calderoni, carpenter/joiner

Des Kolev and assistant Charles Mereles made up the

team, with surveyor John Walker advising. But as the

team learnt more about Tern – in terms of her historical

significance and her true condition – their approach to