Lachlan Palmer fell in love at first sight with his 1991 Novi.
“The aggressive sheerline, the spacious, covered aft deck and big, bright, double-paned windows, with a simple yet elegant interior, had me calling the owner that night. A bonus was the Isuzu turbo diesel with only 600 hours,” says Palmer. He christened her Westcaper.
She wasn’t in great shape, and it took Palmer a few winters to refit her. “I completed 99 percent of this solo after work and on weekends over a total of 15 months, all the while living aboard in the boatyard,” he says. A total of 120 strip planks have been replaced, as well as the entire transom and aft deck, plus 50 percent of the beams and stringers.
A few summers ago, Palmer and his partner, Michelle Zimmer left their jobs and set off from their home port of Brentwood Bay, British Columbia.
“We loaded up the boat and went off to explore new territory for three months. We logged 1,600 nautical miles, taking us as far as Ocean Falls, British Columbia. It was amazing to be able to experience such beauty from the comfort of our home, and to immerse ourselves in nature for that length of time. We spent our days rowing and kayaking, exploring every little cove and beach we could find. We paddled close to 150 nm that summer,” says Palmer.
