Epic rebuild of historic Fastnet boat bought for £1

Boatbuilder Leo Sampson Goolden is rebuilding a century-old sailing yacht called Tally Ho, which he purchased in 2017 for £1 to save it from destruction, and is funding the epic project via YouTube videos documenting the restoration.

Designed by Albert Strange in 1909, Tally Ho was built the following year in Shoreham and spent the next two decades in operation, going on to win the Fastnet Race for Lord Stalbridge, Hugh Grosvenor, in 1927.

However, after many adventures, Tally Ho was left in a remote port in Oregon, USA, to rot for decades, despite some valiant attempts to rescue her, says Goolden.

Goolden, a boatbuilder, writer and sailor from Bristol, UK, moved her to the Port of Port Townsend, on the Olympic Peninsula, where he continues to work to rebuild Tally Ho from the keel up.

“Generally speaking, the rebuild is going better than I could have possibly imagined. An amazingly supportive community has sprung up around the project, and it’s been an incredible privilege for me to work with so many inspiring, skilled and creative characters. And the best bit is – the adventure is just beginning!”

When the project is completed, Goolden plans to continue to document the adventures of Tally Ho as he sails it back to the UK, hopefully to compete in the Fastnet race. “Along the way, I’d love to use the vessel and video platform for various educational projects,” he adds.

When asked when the work will be finished Goolden says: “I’ve been asked that question a lot since I started this project. Since the beginning, I’ve always said that there are two years of work left, and I’ll carry on saying that until the end. That way, I’ll eventually be launching two years early!”

Goolden says the project is entirely funded through a mix of donations and advertising revenue from his YouTube channel. However, he says his biggest challenge is managing the videos and social media accounts.

After a long day of boatbuilding, Goolden says it can be hard to then find the energy to edit and upload his YouTube videos, but without that hard work, the whole project wouldn’t be possible.

Readers can donate to the project or become a patron.