Velvet Glove - Alden 50
Osmotech Refit January 2007

Work has been continuing apace, both inside and out and below decks much of the team’s attention has been to the twin Caterpillar turbo diesel engines. The two large intercoolers that keep the turbo chargers from over-heating take a great deal of strain when the boat is under full power, so they have been removed for an on-the bench service.

The exhaust pipes and hoses that feed the hydraulics and cooling system have also been removed if there was any hint of corrosion or wear and the oil, filters and fluids have also been changed. Overall, however, the engines are in good condition and there’s no need for a full strip down or removal.

The new bow thruster has been fitted and wired in and all that remains is to trim the thruster tunnel flush with the hull and make the seals.

The mounting of the stern thruster presented more of a challenge as there was not enough space directly behind the transom to mount the motor at ninety degrees, so it will have to be mounted at an angle. To accommodate the angle Osmotech have made a wedge-shaped box that will be fitted to the outside of the transom, upon which the tube can sit.

Osmotech’s carpenters have been hand building wooden frames for the main saloon windows to replace the heavy aluminium and steel frames that had started to corrode and leak, which will improve the look and lines of the boat. They also discovered that the door to the master cabin’s shower room had warped significantly; partly due to the damp, and partly due to the excessive weight of a heavy mirror on the inside. They’ve removed the mirror and are re-trimming the door to take lighter, Perspex mirrors on both sides which should eliminate the problem.

When the client bought the boat he’d received the surveyor’s report that had stated that there was damp in the core of GRP hull. Although this used to be a death sentence for a fibreglass boat, Osmotech’s advice was that it might be possible to dry it out using conventional hot-vac equipment, but if not then the core would need to be replaced. The team took small round core samples along the length of the hull below the water line and the damage was found to be not only quite extensive, but also had not responded to the hot vac treatment and so will require re-coring.

On a boat of this size it is a major job which involves peeling back the outer polyester resin layers, removing the damp balsa core to leave the thin fabric skin on the inside. The balsa is then replaced with a structural foam core and the outer skin replaced with a new solvent-free epoxy resin. Luckily the stiff design of the Alden, its weight, and its super-strong internal structure means that this is less of a delicate job than on a lightweight racing yacht, when re-coring can affect the shape and integrity of the hull. The improvement in materials and fabrics Osmotech use will actually now extend the life of the boat and add value to it.

We’ll follow this progress closely, but to see how Osmotech revitalise boats that previously would have been condemned have a look at the GRP page