Melody
"Melody" is an Atlantic-38-type ketch built in 1964 in England, at the Woodnutt & Co boatyard in St Helen (Isle of Wight).
The architect Walter F. Rayner intended it to be a seaworthy boat, easy to sail and able to accommodate 4 people plus a few passing guests (all characteristics checked!!). Its protected cockpit (fixed part + sprayhood) makes it a very comfortable boat in "rough" weather conditions (wind, sea, rain, cold).
It was a luxury boat for the time: its price was almost double that of an average house! I could see proof of this during the various works carried out: there were no savings either on the materials' quality or on their implementation.
Built entirely of wood (mostly mahogany, with a few pieces of oak), the hull has been laminated on the outside with a layer of fibreglass on the underwater areas, excluding the keel. This helps to make the hull more rigid, as well as making it more watertight when the boat is taken out of the water and the wood dries, opening up gaps between the planks forming the hull.
The boat has a long cast-iron keel. This design doesn't make port manoeuvres any easier, but it does allow the boat to be beached against a quay for example, or with crutches, and forgives light heeling (for those who improvise their sailing somewhat...).
The masts and booms are wooden and probably original, as the masts bear traces of past modifications and repairs, and the booms are fitted with mainsail furling systems (probable ancestors of the modern furlers built into the masts).
Purchase, change of name and home port
After dreaming about it for several years, I decided at the beginning of 2020 to go ahead and buy a sailing boat.
After talking to my father, one of his friends put me on the trail of 'Lantana', owned by John Troy, an Englishman. The boat had been dry and for sale for nearly 2 years at the Multi Nautique yard in Nivillac (Morbihan).
I'd never sailed a ketch-rigged yacht before, but I was won over by the general 'cruising boat' feel of the boat. Having trained in traditional carpentry, I wasn't unmoved by the wooden construction either.
There was still the question of the boat's condition: for a first purchase, I preferred to call in a marine expert for an objective, disinterested opinion. So I called on Benjamin Le Saout, who confirmed that the boat was sound, although old and in good condition. According to him, a lot of things needed to be redone: electricity, plumbing, decking, in addition to the expected varnish/paint maintenance... in short, in his words, 'my toolbox would be my best friend'!
I wasn't sure what this meant in terms of cost and time, but the challenge appealed to me and fulfilled a furious need to 'build with my hands'. With the expert's report in my pocket, I made an offer that was accepted by the owner.
In May 2020, 'Lantana' became 'Melody', with a new captain: me. The choice of name met a number of criteria: it had to be understandable in both French and English (the international language at sea), it had to be short and rather feminine (to fit in with the english boat gender), and above all it had to be pleasant to the ear.
After a few administrative formalities, 'Melody' was now registered under the Belgian flag (where I live) in Nieuwpoort (Flemish for Nieuwpoort).
In preparation for her return to France in autumn 2023, Melody is now registered under the French flag in Saint-Nazaire. I'm preparing an application to have her recognised as a heritage boat (Bateau d'Intérêt Patrimonial)...to be continued.