NBOC BOAT TOUR DAY: Seiren 40ft ex-pilot boat - Built to Work, Restored to Last

On Saturday 9th May 2026, members of the Nelson Boat Owners Club gathered at Hythe Marina for another of the club’s organised Boat Tour Days. This time, the focus was on Seiren, a 1974 Nelson 40 owned and restored by long standing NBOC member and highly experienced skipper, Paul Gamsa.

The day began over coffee in the marina café where Paul talked members through Seiren’s history, sharing photographs from when he first bought her in 2003 after her working life as a Trinity House pilot launch. Alongside the photographs were original schematics and details of the boat’s former life, which helped paint a picture of what Seiren once was before the long process of restoration began.

It quickly became apparent that this was far more than a cosmetic refurbishment project.

As Paul and his brother-in-law slowly stripped the boat back, more and more problems revealed themselves. The hull osmosis was so severe that after around 18 months trying various methods to dry the hull out, the decision was eventually made to completely re-laminate it. The windows were rotten, water ingress was widespread and much of the boat required repair, redesign or replacement.

What makes Seiren particularly interesting is that Paul has never approached the restoration from the perspective of creating a gin-palace. Every decision appears to have been driven by practicality, longevity and ease of maintenance.

Unlike many Nelsons, Seiren is finished in battleship grey with a dark blue hull. There is no exterior teak anywhere on the boat. Instead, she carries a substantial rubber D-fender and practical non-slip decks finished in a tough rubberised grit coating that resembles tarmac. It suits the boat perfectly and feels entirely in keeping with her pilot boat origins.

The wide side decks are another reminder of her former working life. Designed to prevent the wheelhouse smashing into ships alongside during rough weather transfers, they inevitably reduce the available internal accommodation space but also give Seiren a purposeful look that sets her apart from many converted Nelsons.

Paul explained the thinking behind numerous modifications made during the rebuild. The original engine room door was repositioned centrally to allow better access and the opening side windows on the wheelhouse were eliminated entirely, something most boat owners who have battled leaking windows would probably consider a sensible decision.

Inside, Seiren is intentionally sparse. There are no unnecessary gadgets, gimmicks or decorative flourishes. Everything on board has a purpose. Despite that, she does not feel uncomfortable or austere in the slightest. Instead, there is a feeling that every inch of the boat has been carefully thought through by somebody who genuinely uses and understands boats.

That same thinking is particularly evident in the engine room.

The original engines were removed and replaced with two Cummins 8.3 litre C-Series bus engines which Paul marinized himself before downrating them to 220hp for longevity. The engine room layout was designed specifically to allow sensible maintenance access, something often overlooked in many motorboats. Unsurprisingly, the engine room itself was immaculate, very much reflecting Paul’s meticulous approach throughout the vessel.

One of the more interesting alterations involved the forepeak accommodation. By removing one of the original bulkheads and relocating the chain locker further forward into the bow, Paul was able to create a surprisingly spacious area beneath the foredeck. Additional deck hatches improved ventilation, and two small portholes brought much needed natural light into the space.

Another design decision demonstrated Paul’s determination to keep systems simple and efficient wherever possible. Wanting to avoid wasting valuable internal space and reduce excess heat beneath the wheelhouse floor, he fitted Halyard super silent exhausts and routed them directly through the hull sides in the most straightforward manner possible.

Of course, boats are always about compromise and Paul openly discussed some of the unavoidable ones. Originally, Seiren carried a glued-on D-fender which eventually failed due to UV exposure. Reluctantly, the replacement had to be mechanically fastened through the hull, something Paul had always hoped to avoid due to the risk of leaks. Characteristically though, even this was handled thoughtfully, with the internally visible fixings neatly concealed within trunking by the shipwright.

Throughout the day Paul was exceptionally generous with both his time and experience, openly discussing not only what worked well, but also the challenges and difficult decisions encountered during over two decades of ownership. With over 40 years as an NBOC member, there was no shortage of practical knowledge being shared and attendees clearly appreciated the opportunity to ask detailed questions while seeing the solutions first hand.

Following a lunch very kindly provided by Gill, attendees were then treated to a trip aboard Seiren herself. Paul took the group through Hythe Marina lock and up the River Hamble, stopping for tea at a riverside café before returning later in the afternoon.

It was another excellent NBOC Boat Tour Day and a reminder that some of the most interesting boats are not necessarily the most luxurious or expensive, but the ones shaped by years of practical experience, thoughtful design and careful stewardship.

If you would like to attend future Boat Tour Days, keep an eye on the events page on the Nelson Boat Owners Club website, we would love to see you.