If you’ve ever stepped on board one of our 72-foot Challenger yachts, you know what they’re capable of. Built in 2000 and famed for racing twice around the world the wrong way in the Global Challenge, these steel vessels are MCA Category 0 certified – meaning they have the capability, safety features, and strength to be sailed literally anywhere in the world.

To give young people incredible offshore adventures on boats with that kind of history, you have to look after them properly.

Right now, Challenger 2 (C2) is out of the water and inside the shed, undergoing a comprehensive refit. It’s a massive undertaking – stripping her right down to her steel bones so we can check every system, complete essential welding and painting, and ensure she remains safe, robust, and ready for the next chapters of our youth development work.

Going Deep: The Journey So Far

A refit of this scale is a race against time, logistics, and engineering hurdles. Over the past few weeks, the transformation has been somewhat dramatic:

Week 1: Deconstruction & De-masting

The journey began on the dock. We stripped the interior, removed the mainsail, and prepped the mast to be lifted out and shipped to Plymouth for inspection and overhauling. Life rafts were sent off for servicing, the rudder was dropped for inspection, and on Thursday morning, C2 went onto her cradle as we began prepping the engine and generator for removal.

Week 2: Down to the Bilges

We went deep. The engine, generator, and gearbox were stripped and staged for removal, while interior woodwork came out to access the bilge areas properly. Heads, plumbing, and electrics were taken out for a clear view of what needed attention. The propeller and shaft were sent off for inspection, and the boat was settled in the shed.

Week 3: Stripped Back to Basics

Flooring came up in the saloon, tank lids came off, crew cabin floors came out, and the old anchor windlass was cleared away. The engine was craned out and taken away for servicing, and the propeller shaft bearings came out. It’s a massive upheaval. But there are no shortcuts here: we need to see everything, check everything, and replace what is necessary.

Week 5: Prepping the Canvas

With the interior completely stripped and prepped, the hull is ready for sandblasting – a process that strips away the old rust readying the steel for welding and specialist protective paints to be applied Next up: at least three weeks of crucial welding and painting before anything goes back together. The real rebuilding work is just beginning.

The Heartbeat of the Operation

While we are working alongside specialist contractors and marine professionals for complex technical overhauls, the heartbeat of this project is our small, fiercely committed internal team – working side-by-side with incredible volunteers and young people.

Taking on a full refit of this magnitude is a huge undertaking. Every system overhauled and every structural repair managed represents a massive investment of our time, energy, and resources. But a refit like this only happens because of the people behind it:

💙 Our Young People & Volunteers: From rolling up their sleeves in the yard to bringing infectious energy to the site on cold days, our young people and volunteers are the lifeblood keeping this operation ticking along. Seeing young crew members get stuck into the practical graft gives them a deep, authentic sense of ownership over the fleet they sail.

💙 Our Operations Team: Behind every lifted mast, removed engine, and scheduled yard milestone is a small, dedicated team managing complex project logistics. Having a vessel out of the water creates a massive ripple effect across our schedule, meaning every phase of the refit must be planned meticulously. Keeping everything strictly on track ensures we protect our overall voyage programme – safeguarding the number of youth adventures we run while maintaining our adult voyages, which bring in vital income for the charity.

Future-Proofing Our Mission

Looking after our fleet properly means we can keep doing what we do best: giving young people the chance to step out of their comfort zones, build resilience, and discover what they’re capable of out on the water. Stripping C2 down to her bare steel is unglamorous, heavy work, and it places us up against it in terms of the sheer resources required – but it is essential to future-proof our youth development work for years to come.

The welding sparks are flying, the paint tins are open, and Challenger 2 is one step closer to home. Stay tuned for the next update!

If you have an interest in seeing Challenger 2 out of the water, please drop our team an email!