Newbridge Coromandel. 9 Month Restoration - Excellent Condition, Ready To Sail.

Please read through to the bottom.Here is our 1984 Newbridge Coromandel, Little Min. Hull No 8257. We bought her in 2013 shortly after selling the boat that we had lived on in Greece for the previous 11 years. During that time, we both worked in one of the most reputable boat yards in Greece – me doing general boatbuilding and my wife doing headlining, painting and varnishing. We now had a motorhome that was large enough to live in for longer periods, so decided to try and manage with a smaller boat.

Having had a small junk-rigged boat in the past, we wanted to try another one. The Coromandel was bought as a restoration project – she had broken her moorings and lost both her rudder and skeg. The person that we bought her from had got her intending to carry out the renovation, but having ripped out the entire interior (even the bulkhead!) he decided that it was too much work and passed her on to us. The trailer was made roadworthy with new wheel rims and tyres, new wheel bearings, brakes cleaned and correctly adjusted, breakaway cable and the required front, rear and side reflectors fitted. We started on the work, then decided that it is too cold in the UK to repair boats, so trailed her off to Greece to work on her in our old yard where we still had some clout.

For the next 3 years, we drove out twice a year and spent around 6 weeks each trip working on her. The renovation was an end to end, inside and out total rebuild – with no stone left unturned. Our standards are high and we were doing the boat for ourselves. Everything was renewed, replaced or repaired – there was no skimping or corners cut. We started by making her weatherproof.

The pulpit, pushpit and stanchions were removed and re-bedded with Sikaflex. The windows were removed and using an excellent kit from Eagle Boat Windows, were repaired and re-bedded – as was the fore hatch. All deck hardware – cleats, fairleads, bow roller, ventilators etc. - were removed, cleaned and re-bedded. The rudder stock tube was re-bushed, a new rudder stock fabricated from 25mm 316 stainless bar.

The rudder was laminated from 6 layers of 18mm marine ply, screwed and bonded with epoxy to the stock, then shaped and covered with epoxy/glass fibre. The skeg was framed with hardwood, infilled with closed-cell foam, shaped and covered with multi layers of epoxy/cloth. A new 316 stainless heel fitting was fabricated and supports the lower end of the rudder stock. The hull was strengthened internally, totally rewired and new gas lines fitted. The seacocks were as-new, so they were removed, cleaned and refitted with marine ply backing pads and bedded with Sikaflex.

An internal oil-filled tube was made and fitted to take the echo sounder transducer – no extra hole in the hull. New electric bilge pump and float switch were installed and limber hole tubes glassed in to direct bilge water to the pump. The entire interior was rebuilt – using the standard layout as a basis, but with what we considered improvements. The unit on the mid starboard side has a drop down door that holds a washing up bowl – we didn’t want another hole in the hull, so did without the sink – however, this could easily be plumbed in if required. There is a new 2 burner cooker in the galley area with storage below, above and to the side.

The heads has an as-new Porta-Potti that easily unfastens (one wing nut) for taking out and emptying. The aft bulkhead in the heads houses the switch panel that has a digital volt meter to test battery state and a battery cut-off switch – all new. There is a new Garmin GPS 152 and a new NASA Target echo sounder mounted on a swinging bracket on the inside of the starboard cockpit forward bulkhead, that can be swung out to read from the helm. The GPS has an external antenna that is mounted on a pole on the pushpit – out of way of the mainsheet. The cabin headlining is new – as are the cabin side linings.

There are 4 interior lights all LED – all new. Two 12v sockets were installed. The navigation lights have also been replaced with new LED units. Battery consumption is minimal. The photos show an orange topped battery – this is the leisure battery from our motorhome – a new 75ah leisure battery will be fitted prior to sale.

The engine locker had a new engine mount and the corners were glassed and faired to aid water drainage – then the whole locker had two coats of epoxy. Engine is a 5hp Yamaha 5BS air-cooled 2 stroke outboard that has a remote tank. It starts easily and pushes the boat along nicely. It also has a charging facility with a plug on the casing, although I don’t have the lead – I was going to try and either obtain or make one. On the tiller are fittings for remote controls, but again we don’t have them and it was something that I was intending to sort.

The exterior was strengthened where needed with epoxy/glass – a mixture of CSM and woven roving. Main areas being the leading and trailing edges of the bilge keels and fillets on both inner and outer keel/hull attachment areas. The entire cockpit sole was recovered. It is fair to say that Little Min is stronger now, than when she left the Newbridge works. Everything was then filled, faired primed and painted with International Toplac – Norfolk Green for the topsides and Ivory for the decks and cabin top.

Below the waterline was primed with International Primocon before anti-fouling. The mast is the folding type where the lower sub-section can stay attached to the boat while the upper section is lowered and removed – keeping the weather seal at the mast partners intact. It hinges on a stainless pin and an aluminium sleeve is lowered and pinned in place. Just prior to us buying her, the mast had been professionally repaired by Needlespar. There is a new Windex wind indicator that fits at the masthead.

Most of the running rigging was replaced with new – the exceptions being some that was just too good to renew. However, we bought sufficient rope to do the lot and that which was not used comes with the boat. The sail and its cover is probably the worst part of the boat. We spent hours examining and marking, then gluing patches (on both sides) on any areas where there were holes or any signs of chafe. We used the correct tan sailcloth and the best quality glue.

The sail actually looks ok in use and performs as it should. When the rig was removed from the boat, everything was marked with plywood tags – stating what it was for and where it goes. There is also a set of laminated rigging warrant sheets. The anchor is a 6kg Delta with 3.4 metres of 8mm chain and 40 metres of 18mm octoplait 8 strand nylon. This held her safely off the town quay in a full gale.

There are sufficient warps and fenders, a boathook, ensign staff and a copy of the Corribee/Coromandel manual. Little Min arrived in Greece in spring, 2013 and was launched in April 2016. She sailed really well – the junk rig being as good as we remembered. We used her for less than a month before we had to return to the UK – leaving her on our own private mooring in the bay and intending to return in autumn. In late summer we received news from friends in Greece that the boat had to be moved.

The marina that had only been a rumour for the past 20 years, was actually going to be built. Work was to start in October and all the moorings in that part of the bay had to go. Our friends moved her and anchored her for us in a quiet part of the bay and we arranged to drive out in late September to sort things out. When we got there we realized that laying a new mooring was beyond us – we had used our 9 ton liveaboard vessel to lay the last one – just not possible with a Coromandel! My wife and I, had a good heart to heart talk about the boat - and both said that we would have probably given it a year, before stating that she was just too small for us at our age (I’m 69).

We reluctantly decided that we would bring her back to the UK and sell her. We towed her back in late November 2016. So, there you have it – a completely re-built Coromandel that is ready to go. Parting with her will be a real wrench, but our loss will be the new owners gain. The trailer is totally roadworthy – on the way back from Dover, an over-zealous policewoman stopped us and took us to a VOSA (Ministry of Transport) testing station, where much to her disappointment, the vehicle examiner was satisfied that the whole rig was legal and in good order.

I am prepared to deliver the boat to any address in the UK at a cost of £1 per mile one way – so if you are 200 miles from us - the cost will be £200. However, this is subject to the following conditions. The distance will be postcode to postcode using AA Route Planner. All money – the payment for the boat and the cost of transport – to be fully paid in advance. Any other transport costs e.g.

Road, bridge or tunnel tolls – or any ferry crossings to be added to the £1 per mile. The transport will be at the new owners risk – it will be their responsibility to insure the boat and ensure that the insurance covers transport. The boat will be delivered to the new owner’s home or storage, but only to the entrance – any manoeuvring into a specific position will be the responsibility of the new owner. In this, I will be as flexible and cooperative as possible, but it will be at my discretion. Viewing is welcome and recommended – contact me on; phone to arrange.

The pictures shown were taken on 30.3.2017. I also have lots more photos (including plenty of the rebuild) and will email them to serious inquirers – again, phone me with your email address to arrange, or for further information about the boat.