He first came aboard in 2024 for one specific job, then came back, and back again. A marine joiner, Patrick now knows myCloud by heart, and our Lagoon 440 is stronger, healthier and drier largely thanks to him.
An old sea dog with a demanding trade
Marine joinery is a trade where every part has to stand up to the sea, the salt, the vibrations and the years. There is no room for approximation: a sloppy joint ends in a leak, a weak fixing ends in water coming in.
Patrick has that standard in his hands. After so much time on board, he knows every bulkhead, every corner, every weak point and every strong one.
2024: taking it apart cleanly to rebuild better
His first job was to remove the hull lining, cleanly, so that every panel could go back in place afterwards. That careful work opened the way for rebuilding and reinforcing the main forward bulkhead. Everything else depended on it.
The forward port cabin and our two Liebherr units
Patrick rebuilt the main bulkhead of the forward port cabin and fitted our two real appliances: a Liebherr fridge and a Liebherr freezer. Made-to-measure joinery, every part cut to fit the boat, every finish built to last.
The forward trampoline: a real job
In Vanuatu we found that the joint between the deck and the hull, at the bow, was held only by the trampoline hinge screw and a bead of silicone adhesive. The result: water pouring into the bows.
Patrick came back for more than a month. He took it all apart, re-glassed everything and closed it up properly, the way it should be done. The kind of repair that really changes the safety of a boat.
The work you don’t see
- Stanchions: every stanchion base on the boat resealed, a classic and often underestimated source of leaks.
- Generator area: fibreglass and paint completely redone.
- Steering: under the floor of that area, the steering cables and their main sheaves were seized with rust and the cable was chafing. All of it has been put right.
Faults you would much rather find alongside than at sea.
In the logbook. Hull lining, forward port bulkhead, fridge and freezer, deck-to-hull joint, stanchions, generator area and steering: each of Patrick’s jobs is recorded, with dates and photos.
Patrick is glad to be done, and so are we. Thank you, Patrick, for your standards, your patience and your love of a job well done: this boat now carries your mark.