Well, this is an overdue update we never expected to post… and have put off for a long time.
Four months ago, as Rush was nearing completion, there was a fire in Current Marine’s factory… Our beautiful boat sustained some localised damage which was incredibly sad, but is fully repairable. She will be perfect again – although it will take some time.
The fire started one evening in the section of the factory used for manufacturing masts, booms, daggerboards and other carbon components, plus the stores and offices. The bigger part of the building (mainly separated by a wall) where there are four CMs in build was, fortunately, largely undamaged.
You couldn’t make it up really… Rush had been loaded onto the launch trailer a day earlier, ready for Coppercoating the next day and launching a week later. Mark, who runs the business that launches all the Knysna built cats, was nearby and fortuitously one of the first to spot the fire. He forced open the doors, hooked up his truck and towed Rush out of the factory. Seun Julian, another guy nearby, also went way above and beyond in helping get Rush out. THANK YOU, to you both.
Julian called us soon after and when we arrived Rush was sitting across the road, lit by flashing lights. That was the first time we’d seen Rush out in the open, not hemmed in by walls and boats in build. It was such a mixture. Amid the scene, she looked amazing.
One edge of the coach roof had been badly scorched and Julian decided to remove the cabin top and fit a new one. CM had a roof made for another boat so they used that. Luckily the interior was undamaged – not even effected by smoke because she was so quickly pulled out of the factory.
Most of the “loose” components (tables, stools, sliding door, antenna posts etc) that would have been slotted in just before launch were in the stores area and destroyed, so new items need to be built. CM also need to make us a new carbon mast and that requires making a new mould first.
As you’ll understand, the fire was tough for everyone. Us, of course, but far more so for Julian, Renay, Rod and the whole CM team. They’re remarkably resilient and are pushing on. The following morning Rush was moved to Knysna Yacht Company around the corner, who generously offered space so she could be kept away from the dust while CM’s factory was cleaned up. Composite work on the other CMs resumed within literally a few days.
We spent a few weeks in Knysna after the fire, hopefully giving a little moral support. The Knysna boatbuilding and yacht club communities were fantastic – supporting CM, heart-warmingly lovely to us. They were also unswervingly enthusiastic about how great Rush will be.
We headed home in May and arrived as the UK spring weather turned glorious, with our garden in full blossom and the summer ahead. It is good to be here, despite the circumstances. We’re very fortunate to have mates with boats who’ve invited us to sail with them and we’ve also stepped back into our racing life – including the Round the Island race, the RS21 National Championships, Dartmouth Sailing Week and even a Scow regatta on the Beaulieu River! The Baltic Yachts Rendezvous and RS21 Worlds (both in Sardinia) are coming up in September. We cannot complain.
In addition, Amanda’s passion for open water swimming has reached new heights. Looking for a new challenge she signed up for the Dart 10k – yes, that’s a 10km (10km!!!) swim down the River Dart, above Dartmouth in the UK’s West Country. She’s trained all summer from Lepe Beach, just down the lane from home, building up her distance steadily and, on 2nd September, smashed the big swim (2hours 48mins) with around 500 people from near and far (it’s a sort of London Marathon of swimming), raising a sack of cash along the way, thanks to many of you, for Level Water, a charity which enables disabled children to experience the pleasure and freedom of open water swimming. SO proud of my (our) Amanda.
Meanwhile, as I write, back in SA the composite work on Rush has largely been completed, with the new roof fitted and fairing underway. It’s a bit of an upside as the roof design was updated after our boat was built and we’ll end up the latest styling.
CM are ramping up production and taking the opportunity to re-plan and increase factory space. The need for new mast and boom moulds also gives the opportunity to upgrade them and enable a production increase so, one way and another, they’re making the most of what was a shocker of a set-back.
Our blog will come alive again when Rush is ready once more!
