CY Inbox Special: New Caledonia

New Caledonia

June 10, 2019

We received an interesting letter from far away. We’d like to share it:

My name is Alexandrine GOVAN, mother of a 5 years old girl and I found your contact on internet. First of all, sorry for my English, French is my mother language and I do my best with Google Translate help.

When we bought Shenanigans in 2013 to live there, the only information we have is: build in 1980 Canada, previous pavilion USA, a number C4662.

Today I am sick (rheumatoid arthritis) and our boat too (osmosis, rain water inlet…) but our project is to repair and adapt the boat to our abilities in order to continue to live there, race for fun within our lagoon (Wednesday regattas, Groupama Race, Bluescope Race, Noumea – Port Vila) and write the story of our boat.

Could you please help us to find :

1- products or ways to treat the hull while respecting environment?

2- pictures, plans, diagrams of its constructions and its races?

In our dreams we travel around the world to visit Canada where it was build.

Thank you for your time, and we hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Alexandrine & Melody

New Caledonia Hull TestTo get an answer for Alexandrine we went to the person who knows the C&C story, Rob Mazza.

Hi John,

You can tell Alexandrine that the plans for the C&C 36 (for which I was Project Manager, by the way) can be obtained from the C&C Collection at the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston. See website. Ask her to contact the Marine Museum Manager, Doug Cowie, at manager@marmuseum.ca;.

I expect the plans have already been digitized, so she can receive them as attachments to an email, for a modest fee.

She can also find information on the 36 at Sailboatdata.com, as well as the C&C Photo Album website.

Hope that helps. Alexandrine’s question on ways to “treat the hull” from what I expect is osmosis blistering leads to a pretty broad discussion. Certainly epoxy coating would be of benefit, but only if the hull has been stripped of bottom paint and allowed to dry out substantially. However, I am far from an expert in that regard.

You do receive some interesting emails from exotic locals. I had to use Google Maps to find New Caledonia. North of New Zealand and east of Australia. A long way for a C&C 36 to get to!

Rob.

Hi John,

Thank you, thanks to Robert too, that’s great news. See attached photos of my boat and a test on the hull done by a local company ‘Neptune’.

Yes New Caledonia is far from Canada and San Francisco. The letters nc of San Francisco are still there to form nc of New Caledonia.

I think about 9 months to 1 year to repear and adapt our boat as I need to go to hospital and work. A big challenge.

Sincerely,

Alexandrine

Related Articles

Atlantic Crossing

Atlantic Crossing

Jan 11, 2024 Arriving in the Azores to add our boat name to the collection of the others in the harbour Reader Tales Canadian Boating occasionally sends out surveys so we can develop the editorial that will deliver the best possible read for our audience. When we did that recently, we also invited you, our…

Hola! By boat to Havana

Hola! By boat to Havana

Cuba’s by far the biggest island in the Caribbean. Roughly 1,200 km long x 200 km wide at its widest point with something like 3,700 km of coastline it’s the ideal destination for Canadian boaters, right? Canadians can and do go by boat to Cuba but it’s not always simple. The Cuban government, the American government and the currents in the Straits of Florida complicate passage but don’t let any of those deter you. For those who do cross to the land of sunny Latin skies and the convertible peso, there’s a quite reasonable array of marine facilities and a very warm welcome.

Video Gallery

Jeanneau Yachts 55

Throw away the box, this is some fresh thinking

Seemingly part sailboat and part spaceship, the new Jeanneau Yachts 55 just busted through the boundaries of traditional yacht design. I couldn’t take my eyes off the bubble hardtop that met me at the dock and I stepped aboard with trepidation. A few hours later, I was planning how to spend my not-yet-won lottery winnings.

Read More

Destinations

Paving the Way to Cleaner Boating – How a Commitment to Reducing our Environmental Impact is Inspiring Cleaner Boating in Ontario

By Dave Rozycki

Over the past seven decades, Ontario’s marina industry has developed alongside some of Canada’s largest freshwater lakes. Boaters have been able to enjoy the beautiful scenery and create lasting memories on the water, with certain marinas dating back to the 1960s. As we reflect on this rich history, we can begin to see trends in how our footprint may have had an effect on the environment, in not-so-positive ways. However, by embracing innovative solutions and adopting sustainable practices, both marinas and boaters hold the key to preserving and enhancing the quality of our lakes and marine life for generations to come.

Read More

Lifestyle