Lymington-based Berthon Boat Company has been carrying out economical maintenance on the Sweden 41 yacht, Juno of Lymington, formerly Bearsbone.

Instead of a costly teak deck replacement, Berthon shipwrights raked out the existing caulking, trimmed the seams to deck level, refilled the caulking and sanded back the surface to a smooth finish. Some individual planks were relaid.

"This is a sensible solution, as the deck was technically sound,'' said Berthon director Dominic May. "Using this method saved about 90 per cent of the existing teak.''

The rudder mechanism was dismantled, new bearings inserted and re-assembled giving smoother movement, the engine was replaced with a reconditioned model and a brand new gearbox installed. The keel was also removed and rebedded.

"This minor refit will give the yacht a new lease of life, and has not been prohibitively expensive,'' said Mr May.