Couple went to remove all the paint from the bottom of their second-hand yacht and discovered the worst possible thing

A Canadian couple had big plans to see the world aboard their second-hand yacht – but were in for a shock when they stripped the paint from the bottom.

The 78-foot aluminum yacht is called Tangaroa.

The classic 1969 Stephens Bros aluminum trawler is getting a modern makeover.

However, what they thought was a step on the way to setting sail proved to throw up even more problems than it solved.

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The second-hand yacht

Husband and wife team, Blaine and Janis, labeled themself a ‘couple of old yachties’ and share their adventures on Onboard Tangaroa – The Never-Ending Sea Trial.

Tangaroa is the 1969 aluminum trawler the pair are refitting.

The plan is to depart the home of Victoria, British Columbia, to take her to Siberia and Japan via Alaska on ‘the Great Siberian Sushi Run’.

The classic Stephens Bros yacht is the perfect project for the ‘DIY enthusiast, ‘passionate adventurers, DIY enthusiasts, and boating fanatics’.

Their tasks involved swapping out the Detroit Diesel engines for new Cummins, installing a custom fuel system, setting up lithium batteries and solar panels, to creating a wet exhaust system.

However, it was when it came to removing the paint from the aluminum hull that things appeared to go wrong.

What happened when the bottom was stripped?

As part of its restoration and refit, the pair planned to strip the second-hand boat’s 78′ aluminum yacht down to bare metal to check for hidden corrosion.

The process was grueling and the couple needed grinders and sandblasters to make it work with the hard work resulting in a nasty rash for one crew member.

Sadly a skin complaint wasn’t the end of their troubles.

As it was stripped, a significant hole was discovered in the hull, meaning the pair were forced to resort to welding repairs that led to a small fire due to residual oils and contaminants in the bilge.

Thankfully, they were able to extinguish the flames quickly.

In the process, they removed several unnecessary bronze through-hulls that had led to the galvanic corrosion. and sealed them to prevent corrosion issues from happening again in the future.

These were replaced with fiberglass-reinforced plastic fittings to prevent any further damage.

In addition, the team removed welded-on strainers which were corroding and trapping debris as well as a large, corroded exhaust system.

This work uncovered yet hidden hole with trapped saltwater inside, which was a sign that they needed complete replacements rather than patches.

After all those essential repairs were completed, the hull was coated with an epoxy barrier and multiple layers of bottom paint.

It included a bright blue layer added as a wear indicator to keep an eye on during their travels before a final red coat was applied.