Club houseboat Lady Adrienne (Lady A)- Appeal for help with her restoration project
Update and request for help :
Background – During February 2020, Club members past and present together with ICC supporters donated approximately £50,000 to buy Lady A for use as a clubhouse and for accommodation for members not resident locally. The Covid pandemic struck within a month of purchase! Nevertheless, Lady A has been and hopefully will continue to be a great asset. After all, a sailing club needs a clubhouse.
Time and age have now caught up with her and the recently arriving legacy couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. Please refer to my AGM update for more information.
( https://www.islandcruisingclub.com/club-noticesinfo )
Lady A has been ashore at Dolphin Boatyard, Galmpton on the river Dart since 02 April 2026. Work on her hull and topsides has been completed and the work now done just needs painting and antifouling. This essential work puts her hull in good order for many years to come and also gives us compliance with Salcombe Harbour Master’s request for a hull inspection and survey report.
However this is only half of the challenge.
We are now left with the following essential works list:
-foredeck replacement
-port and starboard plywood sides of the saloon
-new forward heads
-new floor covering for main saloon and cabins.
-deckhead panelling for galley
-new furnishings for forward and aft cabins
Of all of the above, the foredeck replacement is the most essential. Ideally we should also replace the side decking. The aft deck is in good condition having been replaced about twelve years ago.
The primary reason for the deck deterioration is age. The teak decks and underlying plywood have simply reached end of life. We have put hours and hours of work into trying to make the decks watertight but to no avail because the contraction and expansion of the worn out deck planks undoes all the re-caulking. Three winters of very heavy persistent rain have taken their toll with too much rainwater finding its way inboard and below deck. Our surveyor has commented recently that we have probably caught the deterioration just in time.
We now find ourselves in a difficult situation because the repair costs have been significantly higher than expected and as importantly the balance of the legacy funding is, we are now told, unlikely to be made any time soon. The shipwright who will carry out the deck replacement understandably needs confirmation of payment before he can proceed.
The undercover berth at the boatyard ends on 31 August although we may get an extension into September. The reality of the situation is that we must try to get the decks sorted before she leaves the covered shed.
The plan is to complete the project and ensure that ICC has the ongoing status of being a club of substance with a clubhouse and accommodation for visiting and new members.
We have no choice but to follow the cheapest deck replacement route which is to replace the plywood underdeck and then fibreglass on top. With a sound and waterproof hull and deck we can really make Lady A operational again.
The Club’s committee team have considered the various options and have concluded:
a. Going forward the Club really needs a usable clubhouse base.
b. Lady A must have her decks repaired but only if there is enough money to pay for the work.
c. Even with the remaining legacy, there is hardly enough money to pay for the work and leave enough cash for the Club to continue with.
d. An urgent request needs to be sent to members and supporters asking for funding support to match the now uncertain legacy income.
e. £30,000 will be enough to pay for the foredeck work within the critical time frame.
f. The amount of the balance of the legacy fund gifted to ICC is now uncertain, as is the timing. When it arrives it can be used to pay for the remainder of the remedial work as well as additional repairs and improvements.
So, on behalf of ICC I am writing to ask urgently if you can help with a donation.
The Club’s Lloyds Bank account for donations is: 29382260. Sort code 30-94-72. Please use Lady A as the reference.
The Club is registered as a Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) and as such we can claim gift aid. If not previously done please complete and send in the form on this link. https://www.islandcruisingclub.com/icc-club-forms
Otherwise all is well here in Salcombe. We have a growing number of local members and the process of getting Pendragon through the RYA coding is well under way. Pendragon, Duncan, Gemini and Festina are in use most weeks. Putting Island Cruising Club on Pendragon’s dodgers is really helping to show that we are alive. One lady in a passing boat shouted out “ Look it’s the ICC”!
Richard Martin ( Commodore) commodore@islandcruisingclub.co.uk or tel 07967597527