New Kells 23 owner to perform restoration

Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
Cold weather is good for grinding and cutting. You need to be fully covered anyway. Use a Salamander for heat when you are inside the boat, but never when you are using solvents. We want you to survive this! I have done non-skid, deck, core, and hull liner removal, and electrical install in the cold. I have done wetsanding and polishing in the snow. But I wait til 70 degrees for epoxy, glassing and paint. Use the cold weather to strip all the hardware. Get it ready. Then wait for Spring to repair and recore and rebed. You will love this boat, and it will reflect your love and love you back!
 

uvantu

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Jan 5, 2010
6
none none Bar Harbor
Hello Fire, just to give you a little motivation, attached are a few before and after photos of my Kells 23. The first two is how I got her, the rest are in process and then the end result which is what makes it all worth while. Mine has the fixed keel, but other than that, same boat. Their fairly simple boats, and easy to single hand. She'll be a great starter boat, or maybe something you'll keep for a number of years. Either way, she'll be worth the effort when you're done. I probably did a little more than most would to a boat like this, added chart plotter, new VHF, new anchor roller and anchor, replaced the rub rail, and refurbished almost all of the exterior teak (I'll do the toe rails this winter). Even though I don't haul and launch from the trailer, I gave it some love too since I do use it to move the boat from the garage to the pier twice a year. Hope you had her out this season. I'd like to know how you made out.

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Varekai on the ball.jpg
19-8-20 Sunset Sail.jpg
 
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Likes: jssailem
Dec 11, 2017
9
Kells Coaster Bar Harbor
Hello Fire,
It's been about a year and I'm curious as to how you're making out with your Kells project?
 
Sep 17, 2021
1
Kells 23 ft St mathias
Im doing the same here on my new kells, this tread will be of some help for sure. I traded my first sail boat à mistral 16ft with cabin for this kells 23 project it has everything I need to navigate previous owner had it on the water and pulled it out a year ago. Im trying to keep it minimal as well but may have to do more for sure along the way, ill post some pics of how she s looking now the way I got her.
 

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