Nova Vita
Nova Vita (ex Avalon, ex Dilly Dally) did not come from our shop but is a 1987 28’ Freedom sloop of Gary Mull’s design, constructed at the Tillotson-Pearson yard in Rhode Island (builders of the “J-boats” among others). Freedoms were rather innovative for their time and ours is rigged with a free-standing carbon composite mast, the Bierig Camberspar jib, and the Freedom “gun mount” cruising spinnaker. Generally considered to be well-built boats, she came to us several years ago after two previous caring owners. Nevertheless she’s always a work in progress as we repair and upgrade her systems. We spend a few weeks aboard Nova Vita every year, primarily in Buzzards Bay and the Elizabeth Islands, in addition to a steady schedule of daysailing from her home port of Salem north to Gloucester and south to Boston. If you swing by the shop during the summer and no one answers, walk around back to the vegetable gardens. If we’re not there, you can be sure we are on Nova Vita.
Nova Vita on the hard; she now winters behind our new shop
Leaks around hatches and portlights are always a problem that more screws don't typically fix
Repaired with new gelcoat and ready to rebed the hatch
Years of leaks had left Nova Vita with a compromised cabin sole; the rot at the forward bulkhead was particularly bad to the point that we couldn't step on it.
More cabin sole rot around the companionway steps.
The cabin sole was unscrewed and removed. Not pretty underneath but this picture makes it look worse than it actually was.
The pieces of the old cabin sole were used as a pattern for a replacement.
A new cabin sole was cutout and readied for installation
New sole being installed
New cabin sole installed and 12 coats of varnish applied
Completed job with the furniture, tanks and wiring reinstalled
In July of 2020 we were 40 miles from home on the first day of a 2+ week cruise when we felt a "bang", lost steering, and looked behind us to see our rudder sinking beneath the waves.
After an expensive tow we spent a dejected night aboard in Scituate Harbor. Early the next morning Nova Vita was hauled out. Bonus points for the sharp-eyed reader who can see what's missing from this picture.
Yup, that's not good!
The old rudder shaft removed; although advertised as being made of carbon composite it was really all fiberglass
The good folks at CCI in Ontario did a fantastic job on a new rudder with a carbon shaft, all the more so since they had no drawings to work with
New rudder bottom painted and the shaft is being drilled for the steering quadrant
New rudder installed and ready to come home again
Water intrusion into a cored boat and the resulting rot of the balsa core is the stuff of nightmares. This split seam is a sign of trouble.
Discoloration of the core is more bad news. About the only positive thing is that this is Nova Vita's companionway hatch cover and could be removed and worked on inside.
Nothing to do here but start cutting away and digging out
The companionway hatch cover with all of the rotted balsa core removed and scraped clean. An oscillating multi-tool worked well for this.
New balsa core bonded to the hatch cover
Two layers of 17oz biaxial cloth laminated to the underside of the cover
The new cover completed and ready to be re-installed, this time with epoxy barriers around the mounting screws to prevent water intrusion again
Nova Vita under her cruising spinnaker
At anchor off of Third Beach in Newport RI