RESTORATION
| In urgent need of restoration - April 2019
Photograph by James Bates
When Optimist was bought by the previous owner in 2002 she was already in a severe state of decay. The steel hull was damaged from rust and the original wood needed to be either repaired and revarnished, or completely replaced. Many of the electronic fittings were obsolete and some of the rigging extremely worn out.
Víctor Vaz Moreira, the previous owner, bought Optimista with the intention of pursuing a full restoration and of modernising some of her features. He moved the boat to his farm, over an hour away from the sea, and started the works. Optimista was fully dismantled and Vaz Moreira commissioned a survey of the hull followed by a complete sand-blasting with the subsequent re-plating of the areas where the steel had the thickness of 3mm or less. Once the works on the hull were completed she was painted with a full International epoxy system. The teak deck was removed and replaced with marine plywood but was then left untouched for many years. Various covers blew away with storms so Optimista was left exposed to the harsh weather what led to the gradual destruction of most of the wood that could have potentially been saved.
When we saw the advert of Optimista we immediately felt that by purchasing her we would be responsible for trying to restore her glory and would have to embrace a meticulous and arduous process. With previous experience on boat restoration James was particularly excited about taking this big project onboard being a once in a lifetime opportunity. Before we purchased Optimista we researched what was available online and became more aware of her history and importance in the history of yachting. We contacted the publisher of Dick Carter’s book 'Dick Carter Yacht Designer: In the Golden Age of Offshore Racing', that had recently came out, and through him we were able to get in touch with Dick Carter himself with whom we had the privilege to speak over the phone. We were also able to establish contact with Matthias Beilken, Hans Beilken’s son, who provided more photographs and information about the history of Optimista.
In April 2019 we drove to the UK, where we previously lived, to get hold of some essential materials and tools to start the works. We purchased teak planks and mahogany and placed some orders for essential new equipment. We bought Optimista with the intention of living aboard and of making her into a comfortable vessel for cruising without compromising her original features. One of the main changes we were about to pursue was the replacement of the original diesel engine for an electric one ( the engine and all ancillaries were missing when we purchased the boat ).
By the end of April 2019 we were back in Canha, at Vaz Moreira’s farm, ready to start the large venture ahead of us.
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