Mar 2026
Log rebuilt
Rebuilt the boat page from scratch after an accidental WordPress deletion. Fresh start — cleaner and easier to keep updated.
A 1970s French sloop on the Scottish coast. Not a museum piece — a working boat, being made to work again, one weekend at a time.
I wanted something I could actually sail and actually maintain. Not just photograph. A small cruiser-racer that could live on a UK mooring, be worked on weekends, and still make coastal hops without drama.
The Écume de Mer — designed by Jean-Marie Finot, built by Mallard in La Rochelle — fitted that picture well. A proper quarter-tonner. Light, responsive, honest. This is the 1976 comfort version with the extended coachroof: slightly more headroom, better handholds, a cockpit that makes sense when you're sailing alone.
Skellig. Remote, a bit rough, worth the effort.
1976 comfort / extended coachroof variant. Sourced from Groupe Finot archives and sailboatdata — figures may vary slightly by build year.
This isn't a museum rebuild. It's a rolling refit shaped around how I actually sail — UK coastal, mixed weather, often alone. Practical over pretty, though pretty can follow.
The professional electrical and systems work on Skellig is handled through Winchwork — my marine services business based in Scotland. If your boat needs the same treatment, get in touch.
The running record. What happened, what broke, what got fixed.
Rebuilt the boat page from scratch after an accidental WordPress deletion. Fresh start — cleaner and easier to keep updated.
Full audit of the existing 12V installation. Several dubious connections sorted. Interior lighting converted to LED throughout — significant load reduction.
Rerouted reefing lines and mainsheet setup for solo sailing. Makes a real difference shorthanded.
A few days up the west coast. Boat performed well. Weather was typically Scottish. Made the passages I came for.