At about the same time as I sold B2, I was given an M26 Folkboat – for those who know, more or less the same as a Contessa 26. A nice, seaworthy design with some serious pedigree She had been sitting on her mooring for about 7 years gradually deteriorating and getting bashed by passing hoons. Externally, she looked to be derelict, but I was rather hsppily surprised to find her mostly fixable. Her topsides paint was originally gorgeous deep blue with gold lettering but it was badly scratched and otherwise mangled and also unstable, so it all had to come off to expose the original gel coat. The photos show a progression over several months, She has a small solar panel trickle charging the battery and – astonishingly – when I tried to start her engine, it fired immediately. yay! The anchor locker had a solid block of about 50 metres of rusted chain and the anchor, all of which we had to cut out with an angle grinder. I think she’s more or less ok now to cross oceans – or at least the Tasman Sea.. Watch this space.