October 2025  Sólmara

By Neil Hawkesford

Sólmara, a 1982 Newbridge Coromandel (hull number 8257, sail number 17), has a storied past that may be familiar to some in the Junk Rig Association.

A Boat with Many Names and Stories

Over the years, Sólmara has sailed under several names - Missy Moto, Little Min, Minim, and Iliad - each reflecting a new chapter and caretaker. Her documented journey began in 2011 as Missy Moto, when she was purchased in Lydney and moved to Swanage. A devastating storm in 2012 left her severely damaged, losing her mast, rudder, and skeg, and suffering a hull breach. Sold as a restoration project, she began a cycle of hopeful new beginnings and setbacks.

A mystery owner attempted a restoration in Fleetwood but was ultimately overwhelmed by the task. In 2013, a Yorkshire couple took her to Greece as Little Min, investing three years in structural and cosmetic repairs. They rebuilt her rudder and skeg, reinforced the hull, and overhauled her interior, culminating in a successful relaunch in 2016. Eventually, practicalities forced her return to the UK, where she changed hands again.

In 2017 as Minim, under the stewardship of Kurt Jon Ulmer, she gained a solar-electric motor, solar panels and a yuloh, allowing for innovative, low-impact cruising on the Thames and inland waterways, but the pandemic left her laid up from 2020 to 2022.

In 2023, a young new owner renamed her Iliad, but life changes meant she languished on her mooring on the River Thames, awaiting renewed attention.

Restoration: October 2024 to April 2025

As found

After acquiring Sólmara in October 2024, and transporting her down to Cornwall, my primary goal was to restore her seaworthiness and breathe new life into a boat that had been without proper care for some time. This project was about more than repairs; it was about bringing her home to the sea, ensuring she was safe, reliable, and ready for new adventures on the coastal waters around Falmouth.

The Jobs List

-       Hull damage repairs and repaint

-       Removed rotten timber rubbing strake and replaced with synthetic hemp rope

-       Fresh antifoul paint.

-       Rebuilding the damaged stem head and fitting a new bow roller

-       Removal of electric trolling motor, and damaged solar panels

-       Removal of all 24v electrical components

-       Complete interior re-wire along with new electrical switch panel and box, 12v charging sockets, battery cutout switch, and battery monitor.

-       Fitted 2 x 40w solar panels on aft locker tops

-       Addition of a second-hand Mercury 3.5hp 4-stroke outboard engine

-       Rubbed down and re-varnished all exterior timber.

-       Rescued all sail timbers (boom, yard, and battens) from deepest darkest Devon.

-       Modified mast sleeve-packing system.

-       Replaced old porta-potti with a composting loo.

-       Replaced much of the running rigging.

-       Numerous small repairs, replacements and improvements.

If you’d like to dive deeper into Sólmara’s journey, there’s a free ebook and PDF available, chronicling six months of hands-on restoration from October 2024 to April 2025. You can download your copy at https://foolishneil.gumroad.com/l/restoringsolmara.   here

Looking Forward

Sólmara finally returned to salt water on 20th March.

My hope is that, in bringing her home to the sea, I have honoured her past and ensured her future.

She now stands ready for new voyages, continuing the legacy of a boat that has never stopped fighting to be on the water.

Neil shares regular updates and reflections on his adventures with Sólmara in the Foolish Sailing section of his Substack blog. You can follow along at https://foolishliving.substack.com/s/foolish-sailing    here

Our "Boat of the Month" Archive is here, and the forum discussion for comments and candidate suggestions is here