The Boat Restoration
In 2011 we bought a 1969 Cheoy Lee Luders 36 with the intent of refitting it for long-term off-the-dock living and eventual ocean crossing capability. Over the last 3 years, it turned into more of a restoration project than a simple refit. The mast had been broken and re-welded crooked. The rigging was questionable. This lead to a full rig replacement. The engine was the original (no longer running) 1968 Mercedes which we replaced with a Yanmar. Nearly all of the hardware on the decks and cabin was original and it all leaked. The internal chainplates leaked. The original glass pane sandwiched between wood trim windows leaked. The toe rails were a glorious old east Asian teak. But their 42-year-old bolts were weak, and they leaked. All of this leakage caused the wood interior serious damage. Just about every bulkhead was damaged, delaminating, or rotting. We spent 3 years stripping the boat and replacing or re-bedding every bolt and piece of hardware. To include windows, toe rails, chainplates, stanchions, and deck and rigging hardware. Also, copious amounts of fiberglass work was done inside the cabin repairing the damages of water and age to include replacing a rotting bulkhead with a foam core fiberglass bulkhead we built. Once the boat was leak-free, structurally sound, rigged, and motored we graduated to working on life systems. Solar power, wiring, plumbing, propane, canvas etc.. Making the boat a comfortable, functioning, and long-term seaworthy home will be an ongoing process for the next couple of years at least! Click the image above for the full chronological story of the restoration browse by topic.
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