After many hours of work, and a huge commitment from all involved, we’re delighted to announce the successful re-launching of yacht “TERN”.

TERN was moved by low-loader from her shed where she has spent the past 18 months undergoing a thorough restoration, to the Club Nautico de Santa Ponsa, and entered the water again at 8pm on Monday 20th April 2015. And an auspicious date it was! One hundred and eighteen years ago practically to the day of TERN’s original launch!

Local historian Patricia O’Connell uncovered an article from the Belfast News-Letter of April 1897, which gave the original launch date as Monday 19th April 1897. Falling on a Sunday we picked the closest date, Monday the 20th, for TERN’s launch. A huge last push to achieve this date was made by all the Ocean Refit team and contractors, and I extend a big “thank you” to all involved for the remarkable hard work and dedication.

Present for the occasion were Captains Iain & Brendan, and Captain Nick who will undertake the enviable job of skippering Tern through a summer season of classic yacht regattas. Shipwrights Paul Harvey and Nicola Calderoni, Rigger Chuck Demangeat, Carpenters Alan Renwick and Desislav Lyubenov. Aforementioned Historian Patricia O’Connell, Photographer Alex Ferrer, and myself Robert Eldridge.

First indications are very positive. After spending one night in the slings of the travel-lift, not a single drop of water came in! Allowing for the weight of the mast, still to be stepped, spars sails and gear still to come on board, she floats where she should, slightly high at the bow and just above her intended LWL. Engineless, as original, she was towed on the morning of the 21st by the marineros of the Club Nautico, to her new mooring, and she moved along effortlessly. So much so that as the driver of the launch turned her around to push her stern to into her mooring, he called out to his colleagues “cuidado es una bala!” “Watch-out, this one’s a bullet!”