Log #03 - Strip-Out & Discovery
April 2025 — Spring
The boat was finally in our hands and ownership brought immediacy: the surveys had been done, the decisions made, and the first real work now awaited.
The initial task was simple in theory: strip out what remained of the previous owner’s possessions, clear the spaces, and assess what lay beneath. In practice, it was far less simple. Clutter, decades of accumulated detritus, and half-hearted repairs had turned the interior into a maze. Each layer removed revealed more than just space; it revealed history, improvisation, and, occasionally, neglect.
What struck me immediately was how much discovery this kind of work entails. Areas that appeared solid during the survey showed hidden corrosion. Panels removed in good faith sometimes exposed missing framework or improvised supports. Not everything was a surprise — some problems had been obvious from the outset — but each revealed flaw or quirk was a reminder that a project of this scale is part puzzle, part excavation.
Despite the mess, there were moments of reassurance. The hull remained true, the steel was thick and honest, and in places the structure was reassuringly robust. It was clear that if I approached this with care, time, and the skills at hand, the boat could become exactly what we envisioned: a comfortable liveaboard with room for family, guests, and dive operations.
This phase also reinforced a key principle: knowledge emerges slowly, and only by doing. Planning and surveys can anticipate many things, but the true measure of a vessel’s state — and the work it demands — only becomes evident under direct inspection and hands-on effort.
By the end of the strip-out, the boat felt simultaneously familiar and strange. Spaces were opened, possibilities revealed, and the reality of the work ahead was laid bare. The project had left the drawing board and entered the workshop, and there was no turning back.
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About the Author
Jack Allen is a former Royal Navy seamanship rating, boat skipper, boat builder, and project manager. He is the creator and administrator of HamstersAHOY.com and currently coordinates the HamstersAHOY! Project, converting a derelict 48ft steel trawler into a modern 60ft liveaboard cruiser at Stourport-on-Severn.
Jack holds SMSTS and RYA Day Skipper certifications and is formally trained in the Natural Sciences through the Open University, Manchester University, and Sussex University.
👉 Follow Jack’s latest adventures and his articles at the HamstersAHOY! Project.
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