A retired businessman is putting the finishing touches to a dream 60ft yacht he has spent 12 years building from scratch after selling two homes and his health food company to fund the project.
Mike Ludgrove, 63, has spent £1.3million on the classic sailing yacht called ‘Helena’ using timber imported from Canada and India, and lead from Exeter cathedral.
He has devoted tens of thousands of hours to the yacht which he has worked on full-time since its inception.
‘Helena’ is due for launch this spring and Mr Ludgrove is hoping his boat will be used to help inspire young people who would not ordinarily have a chance to sail.
Mike Ludgrove, 63, has sold two homes and his health food company to build this dream £1.3million 60ft yacht. The decking is made out of teak from an 1850s cotton mill in Mumbai which was salvaged before it was due to be burnt down
Mr Ludgrove’s vision is for the yacht, Helena, to be used to help inspire young people who would not ordinarily get an opportunity to sail. The lead in the yacht’s keel has been sourced from the roof of the 13th century Exeter Cathedral which has undergone recent renovations
The sailor had expected the project to cost £500,000 and take around three years to complete but he soon realised that was overly ambitious.
Realising he needed more money Mr Ludgrove and his wife Elaine sold their flat in London and main home in Exeter, Devon. The couple now live in a rented ex-council house.
The couple also sold their health food business five years ago to help fund the project.
The hull is fashioned from Douglas Fir imported from Canada and the decking is made out of teak from an 1850s cotton mill in Mumbai which was salvaged before it was due to be burnt down.
The lead in the yacht’s keel has been sourced from the roof of the 13th century Exeter Cathedral which has undergone recent renovations.
The 30 tonne yacht, which is coated with fibreglass to protect the wood, has a captain’s quarters and two large cabins which can sleep six people.
Mr Ludgrove, who started work on the boat in 2006, is now hoping that it will be fully operational by this spring. The hull is fashioned from Douglas Fir imported from Canada
The retired businessman thought the boat would be finished inside three years but it’s taken 12 years to complete
The 30 tonne yacht, which is coated with fibreglass to protect the wood, has a captain’s quarters and two large cabins which can sleep six people
Mr Ludgrove, who started work on the boat in 2006, said: ‘Helena has been my dream for almost 40 years. Every part of her has been personally fashioned, assembled, spoke-shaved, and brought into position.
‘It has taken 12 years and I have enjoyed most of it, although there have been some low points when I’ve wondered whether we were going to make it.
‘Everything that I am has gone into Helena, from my home to my business. I have nothing left in my pocket to give her.’
The yacht was designed with the help of the late naval architect Ed Burnett, who was also responsible for the Queen’s Jubilee barge.
Mr Ludgrove has devoted tens of thousands of hours to the classic sailing yacht which he has worked on full-time since its inception
Mr Ludgrove’s wife of 30 years, Elaine, 59, said she was ‘incredibly proud’ of her husband’s boat.
She said: ‘Mike was looking to buy a boat but couldn’t find one he liked so I suggested to him he build one himself.
‘We expected it would take two or three years, but it has taken considerably longer!
‘We’ve all helped out with it, our sons Henry and Tom have been involved and I’ve done sanding and painting.
‘The boat has cost more than we expected and we have had to sell the business and home but we have not gone without anything.
‘Mike’s boat is absolutely beautiful and I’m incredibly proud of him.
‘When it makes its first voyage all the hard work will have been worth it.’
Providing there are no more hitches, the 30 tonne vessel should be ready for her maiden voyage this spring
The aim is for Helena to become self-funding through chartering it out to businesses.
They will also offer it to charities to encourage disadvantaged people to try sailing.
Mr Ludgrove said: ‘I first sailed aged 12 with a charity which offered the opportunity to young people from urban, often deprived areas the chance to go out to sea, something which they otherwise may never have got the chance to experience.
‘It changed my life and everything in my life since has revolved around sailing.
‘The ultimate pleasure for me would be for people, young and old, to get to sail the seas for the first time, to get the thrill of cutting through the waves and harnessing the wind.’