In April 2019 James Bates and Luísa Alpalhão purchased Optimista with the intention of bringing her back to the water. Having been out of the water for seventeen years, Optimista was no longer on the Capitania’s registers as those had been made digital since the last sale in 2002. Optimista’s history had to be revisited in order to update the register.

 

When bought in 2019, apart from the hull there was little that could be rescued from the original vessel. However, with the information contained on the construction drawings provided by Abeking and Rasmussen, as well as on historical photographs and with certain elements that could still be used as templates, James and Luísa managed to proceed with the full restoration. The couple moved to Vaz Moreira’s farm where they initiated the works. (see full details under Restoration works)

 

In November 2019 Optimista was moved to Doca de Belém where she used to be moored in the 1970s. Soon she regained her celebrity status and those who remembered her from the 1970s and 1980s were excited to see the development of the works and looked forward to seeing her back in the water.

 

In August 2020 Optimista was back in the water with most of the restoration work completed. In the following two years smaller adjustments and improvements were made in order to make her ocean-worthy so she could be sailed to Horta, Faial, where she has been moored since July 2022.

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|  GALLERY   

| 2019 - 2022 ( Restoration works )