How a 3500 tour turned into a dream 4000 renovation for two best mates

There are few things better about the job at Rayglass than showing someone around their dream boat. We recently did just that for two childhood friends and keen boaties who were looking at a Rayglass 3500 - but the end result wasn’t quite what we expected. 

The pair were onboard getting a tour and loving it, when something on the factory floor caught their eye; Southern Cross, a Rayglass 4000 in the process of being restored. Just a few weeks later, Tim Tsoumas, head of the Rayglass Premium Restoration Department, was walking around the Westhaven Marina showing them around a Rayglass 4000 for sale. The rest is history.

This is not just a fishing boat. It’s a gentleman’s launch

The boys moved fairly quickly on the boat, and after an inspection, a sea trial and several excited phone calls Tim says they made an offer and starting talking options:

“I went and got it out of the water and moved it up into the shop. I priced it a dozen different ways and came up with lots of different ideas. The boys came in after that, had a look through the boat and finalised everything.”

“The budget was set early on. They wanted it to cost less than a new 3500 after purchase price and restoration.

Tim says his clients are all good fun, but these guys were a real pleasure to work with:

“It was 18 years old, but it was a brand new boat to them. They were fizzing since it was a one-off project they’d never done before. A big part of the process was inviting them in, they’d sit and chat for a few hours and talk options. It was so good to have them be a big part of it, and understand all the work that went in”

“I said to them this is not just a fishing boat. It’s a gentleman’s launch. It’s a privilege to own one of these - take care of it, enjoy it.”

You can see the crabs smiling at you

Tim was overbooked when the boy’s 4000 arrived at the shop but he was passionate about the project so he committed. And when he’s talking about the changes they made, that excitement comes through:

“The most unique thing about this is the open array bird radar for spotting work ups. It has a range of 15 nautical miles.” 

“There’s also a Simrad 3004 - 4 foot open array radar bar on the roof, a FLIR night vision camera, the latest SIMRAD NSS4 electronics, 1 kW transducers, for 3D active imaging on the boat’s underside. You can look at the crabs smiling at you with this stuff.”

There’s also full autopilot, which is great for longer trips, a thumping big fusion system, full stainless leaning rail all the way around, and new 20ft custom carbon game poles - plus custom rod rigs enough to fit 7-8 Shimano reels. But the best part, according to Tim is the hull wrap:

“One of the owners drives an Audi RSQ8 and all Audi drivers know the famous Nardo grey. So we wrapped the hull in that. When I showed him the render he just about dropped it and said, for f$@ks sake I love it.”

The humble origins of the name Majestic

One of the only hiccups in the process came when Tim spec’d TVs for the cabin. They were ‘Majestic’ brand, which are specifically built for boats and caravans, but when the client spotted them in the render Tim says they weren’t having a bar of it:

“They said that’s a bit rude isn’t it Tim, at least give us a Sony. They both got really into me about it, they were disgusted.”

“So when I did the next render I was having a laugh and put the Majestic logo on the side as the boat name. Same font and everything. But it backfired a bit and they said who thought of the name, we love it.”

We are hoping to hear plenty of stories

After months of hard work, Rayglass delivered Majestic to Whangamata late on a Friday evening and the boys were straight into it:

“One was in on Saturday spending the day on the boat, and the next came on Sunday and checked it all out. It was his birthday the next day, so they were getting it all ready.”

The two mates were certainly ready when we delivered - they’d purchased a marina berth in Whangamata, and one in Half Moon Bay, plus plenty of fishing gear - ready for their first trip out to Kawau and Great Barrier. Tim says getting there was a lot of hard work, but it was 100% worth it:

“There were a couple sleepless nights worrying about whether stuff was going to arrive, and trying to keep it all going, and keep everyone fizzed on the project. But at the end of the day the boat looks amazing. The boys are happy. And I can’t wait to hear plenty of stories and see them out there together enjoying it.”

 

Like the look of Majestic? Get in touch with Tim and the team at Rayglass Premium Restoration to have a chat about how they could transform your vessel too.