What’s this blog about?
Well to start with it was so my father-in-law, Jeremy, could keep up to speed on how the renovation is going and so he can offer advise on how to approach some of the work.
But as the weeks and months have passed it turned into a record or pictorial diary of the work I have done which has served well to remind me of the progress I have made and thus kept me sane (ish).
Philmortz Blog 
My name is Nikola Buvnjevic, I bought Dufour t7 few months ago and plan to restaurate it. Great photos and text. Can I ask you for some advices ? How do you get water from midel layer out of boat ( I alvays have some water on botom of boat at entrance to main cabin ( floor )
Hi Nikola, good luck with the restoration, I’m not quite sure what you mean by middle layer? Would it be possible to mail me a few pictures?
I do know that all the water leaks in my front cabin were from loose deck fittings and the gunnel, all of these issues were fixed by removing all the fitting and resealing them.
I hope that helps please feel free to contact me if you need any more advice 🙂
please send me you e mail and I will send you pictures. Thanks for answer, Itsplace betvine outside of boat and front cabine botom ( some layer that is up to 1/3 height of boat ( like botom reinforcement ) I fixed small leaks from fiting but I dont know where to put bilge pump. Sorry for bad English.
Hi, I’m a fellow T7 owner and have at last found you! Have admired Nimrodel on her mooring these last two years. Have based myself in Hafan for some 3 or 4 years. I keep Moonshadow on her trailer on the hard stand behind Dickies sales line, using the tractors to launch and retrieve me before and after each trip. Intend to pull her home this weekend. Have admired your furling headsail, track, cars, winches and lazy jacks for some time. You must have invested a lot of time and money fitting her out. I think I may have the same issue as Nicola – I too have water that appears to come up through the keel plate housing bolts particular under the starboard side step. This seeps through a small hole in the front of the step and gathers beneath the floor boards. The keel plate having long since rusted away, I eventually removed the associated bolts and filled the female housings that are fitted into the hull hoping that this might resolve the water ingress. It does not – am now fearful of something more dramatic being amiss. I believe Nicola’s middle layer refers to the fact that water appears from between the inner smooth plastic like skin and the outer hull – at least this appears to me to be the case with Moonshadow. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Cheers!
So sorry for the late reply?
And thanks for contacting me, is your Moonshadow the one of practical boat owner fame? I can’t tell you how many night I read that article dreaming of having a finished boat!
I was blown away to she her in Hafan, I did take some pictures to put on the blog but never got around to it.
Can you send me some picture of the area you are having problems and I will see if I have any advice, alternatively we could meet up up one weekend I am down?
All the best and thanks for getting in touch
Phil
Hi Jan
I looked for you this weekend, are you still based at Hafan? It would be good to meet up.
Phil
Phil,
Enjoyed the pictures, and will always feel inadequate about my diy abilities when viewing the interior of Nim.
As a new T7 owner, some quick technical questions:
1. The main sheet traveller can you advise the spec an also how was it fitted. I have the original long single point main sheet which I am not keen on.
2. Do you have any info on rig tension.
3. I have a transom mounted o/b, why did you move yours back to the hole in the cockpit.
Best regards
Neil
Hi there, sorry for such a slow reply!
I will send you the info on the traveler separately but for now it was the Barton 2:1 Mainsheet System with Cleats on End Fittings Size 1 that I fitted. I think it was about £200 from force 4. The wooden frame mount was hand made out of teak, shaped by fitting a thin piece across the seat to give me the curve needed.
I moved the outboard back to the well because I had read the position in front of the rudder gave much better handling, something I have found to be true!
Hope that help and feel free to keep in touch and thanks for the comment!
Phil