Sounds Survivor: Restoring a Sunken Treasure
When Michael Jacomb purchased the Swedish-built Paragon 25 sailboat, he knew he had his work cut out for him. The boat, formerly known as "Sounds Nauti," had seen (much) better days, and its tragic sinking in the Marlborough Sounds had left it in a state of disrepair that would make even the most seasoned sailor walk away!
But Michael made it his mission to restore the boat to its former glory.
Local marine businesses recommended Half Moon Bay Marine Electrical for the job. We had previously worked on the boat, and our reputation for tackling even the most challenging projects made us the perfect fit.
Our team, led by Tom, concentrated on the rewiring and repower of the vessel. Sam, one of our technicians, took on the task of untangling the electrical wiring - armed with nothing more than his trusty pliers and a lot of patience and determination. Using tin copper and marine-grade materials, Sam was able to rewire the boat, labelling and looming each connection with precision.
We used top-of-the-line equipment for the restoration, including Simrad electronics, Fusion audio equipment, Hella lighting, batteries from Battery Town Marine, a Webasto heater, a Roca wiper system, BEP battery switches and switchboards, and a Mastervolt charger. Overall, the job took about 2 months to complete, but we had the vessel in the shop for about 9 months to ensure everything was perfect.
When the boat was finally ready for inspection, we went above and beyond, picking Michael up from his hotel and bringing him to our workshop. We greeted him with a warm cup of coffee and a comprehensive overview of all the work that had been done.
Michael was over the moon. We’d delivered on the promises we made, and the boat, now renamed "Sounds Survivor," was ready for the water once more.
To put our work to the test, Michael set out on the boat's first sea trial across the Cook Strait. The boat performed flawlessly, a testament to the quality of our work and the trust Michael had placed in us at HMB.
