.
The annual Adams Boat Care gathering of new and old refit enthusiasts
A dozen classic Hallberg-Rassy boats and a brand new Discovery 55 gathered on Vindön on the north tip of Orust, not far from Ellös for the annual crayfish party, hosted by Adams Boat Care. We had all come to celebrate the opening of the new premises of Adams Boat Care, specialising in refitting high end cruising boats.
For the refit-season 2015/16 Adams Boat Care will take care an impressive number of boats, for instance no less than four HR46’s. One of these is Mahina Tiare III, possibly the world’s most famous Hallberg-Rassy, sailed by John and Amanda. Further to all Hallberg-Rassy’s, also boats of other brands will be staying with Adams Boat Care, e.g. the above mentioned Discovery 55 and an Ovni 395.
The HR31 Geisha as seen through the porthole of Discovery 55 Freja
The possibly most admirable guest was Kajsa Lemby on HR31 Geisha. Read here how she bought a Hallberg-Rassy a week before the gathering, in order to be entitled to join the party!
Boats started to come to Vindön already the day before and rafted up for the big party. New customers arrived with their boats to be handed over to Carl for the winter while old clients either showed up with their recently refitted boats or flew in to join and talk about their experiences with Adams Boat Care. A third category visitors were sailors seriously interested in refitting their boats with Adams Boat Care.
The marina with some of the visiting boats that have already arrived, looking down from the premises of Adams Boat Care the eventing before the party.
Old and new customers adoring already refitted boats and giving advise on boats yet to get a face lift by Adams Boat Care
It literally turned into a boat show, where boat owners could get inspired by each other’s solutions and new customers could witness what can be done when buying a classic well-build boat and getting it refitted. There was no little admiration for the splendid work done by Adams Boat Care.
Artur arrived with his recently refitted HR46 Blue Daisy talking to Jessica on Regina Laska
Kathy and Jacques came on their brand new Discovery 55 to be winterised by Adams Boat Care, congratulating Kajsa and Gunnar to their new HR31
John Neal (left) from HR46 Mahina Tiare III onboard HR36 Sindbad, owned by Stig (second from right). Sindbad was recently refitted by Adams Boat Care. Joe (second from left), who flew in from New York in order to meet other refit enthusiasts, is looking to buy a used HR43 for a refit. Dag (far right) from Sweden, is looking to buy a HR36 to get refitted as well.
Carl welcoming Joe from New York and John, sailing all the way from New Zealand to get his HR46 refitted.
Carl and John discussing the 190,000 miles refit project of Mahina Tiare III
Carl with Amanda from Mahina Tiare III
Artur from HR46 Blue Daisy testing the high nav seat with all-around view in the Discovery 55
Jacques from Freja showing his new Discovery 55 to Jessica and Artur
Kathy showing the SuperWind wind generator (left) and the flat solar panels on her bimini (below).
Getting expert advice from an expert: Carl showing how Kajsa and Gunnar on HR31 Geisha can improve stowage in the anchor chain locker
Artur on HR 46 Blue Daisy returning to Carl Adams for the third year
After we had visited each other’s boats, Carl showed us around on his new establishments, while Anna was giving her last (female) touch to the awaiting crayfish party. It was quite obvious that we were following a very proud Carl Adams around the yard! It was a joy to see Carl telling the story about how it all had started.
The date for the crayfish party, for instance, was not chosen by co-incidence: On this very day, 25 years back, Carl had stepped his foot on Swedish soil for the very first time. At that time, Carl came to Sweden on the ferry from Iceland as a young enthusiastic boat builder with two empty, but highly talented hands, a respected degree from a famous boat building school in the UK, deep sea experience and a vision! REFIT! He told the story how he had worked for Hallberg-Rassy as a boat carpenter for 16 years and how he had tried to find partners for his idea among the established yards close by. But they all wished to concentrate on newbuilding rather than refit, so Carl, the “South African foreigner from Iceland”, had to go his own way. Luckily, he met Anna at the Hallberg-Rassy yard, who was working in the varnishing department. They soon became partners, first as a personal partner and later his valuable business partner when forming Adams Boat Care AB.
Carl explained how he had first taken care of some boats during the winters and done odd minor refit jobs. When then in 2012 the chance arose to do the first complete refit project, the Regina Laska project became the start of a huge success story. Within a couple of years, Adams Boat Care grew and is now regarded as an established and leading refit centre, renown over the whole world as a specialist in Hallberg-Rassy refit.
Carl, the proud co-owner of Adams Boat Care (the other half is owned by his partner Anna)
Carl showed us where the boats would stand during the winters with walk-around decks for easy entering and exiting as well as when doing deck work, such as replacing the teak. We saw the varnishing department, the new offices with a conference room and, finally, the fantastic workshop, where anything could be built. After all, not long ago, in these premises Regina af Vindö boats were built from the scratch and Adams Boat Care has taken over all machines, of which many are highly modern and computerised.
Carl explaining the machines in the workshop
Not only HR’s are refitted at Adams Boat Care. Here an example of a beautifully restored vintage boat!
The conference room of Adams Boat Care
After the guided walk through the impressive halls of Adams Boat Care, we gathered by the marina next to the building they call “the pub”. With champagne we began the the new era of Adams Boat Care and Carl and Anna got all the appreciation and congratulations they could get from us old and new customers!
And then, the party began! We celebrated into the morning hours of the following day and had so much fun! Thank you Carl and Anna! You are so generous and warm! We really hope that we can repeat it next year again!
One of the halls turned into a party lounge. Soon this hall, as well as the others, will be filled by boats, both refit boats and pure winter storage in a close co-operation with Vindö Hamn & Förvaring.
The famous cray fishes, caught be the local fisherman the day before and cooked by Anna during the night before the party. I have never enjoyed so good and so fresh cray fish!
What else would we drink, if not “Carl’s Special”????
25 kg of fresh crayfish was enjoyed together with more bottles of Schnaps I could count. Thank you, Carl and Anna for your fantastic generosity and hospitality!
Carl showing John Neal from Mahina Tiare III how to best eat crayfish
Artur from Blue Daisy brought specially made Bigos from Poland, which tasted fantastic.
Two highly professional and successful men enjoying the company: Carl with Adams Boat Care and John Neal with Mahina Tiare III (and not to forget their corresponding wives: Anna and Amanda, without whom these two men had never made it so far, I believe!)
