When Stuart Potts fell for a 1985 Fairline 36 Sedan in 2013 little did he know he’d be celebrating his 40th wedding anniversary and its 40th birthday with a stunning retro refit
Living approximately two miles from the geographical centre of England was, and still is to a lesser degree, not the ideal location to start a passion for boating. However, back in 1973, my dad bought a Mirror 10 sailing dinghy kit and so it began. I was 10 years old at the time and enthusiastically helped with the build.
Around 12 months later we had a fully functioning sailing dinghy. I signed up for sailing lessons through my school and along with my brother enjoyed many happy weekends messing about on the water.
My big break came in 1979 when I left school having passed only one O-Level. My parents decided that although I was never going to be an academic, a few more qualifications could be useful so enrolled me into the local college to retake my exams. It turned out that I was not the only failure, and on the first day at college a small group from our school gathered together.
We all knew of each other but none of us were particularly good friends at the time. One of the group was a girl named Kay. Her parents had just bought an old 32ft wooden motorsailer.
Having discovered our shared passion for boating, we started to spend more time together and before long I got an invite down to the boat. It was kept on the Hamble and for the next six months the two of us spent most weekends preparing the boat for relaunch. I was completely smitten with the whole boating life. And Kay.
After 12 years of ownership they treated Bandit to a full interior refit. Photos: Stuart Potts and Setag Yachts
First love
We got to know the area really well and during a regular shopping trip to Southampton in March 1985, I asked Kay to marry me. We got married in August that same year.
Due to a combination of work (we both started our own companies) and other commitments, Kay and I spent less time on the boat until it became too much for her parents to look after and they sold it. Ironically, we soon realised how much we missed it and purchased our first boat together, a Fairline Carrera 24. We took it out at every opportunity. But life, and kids, caught up with us and in 1995 we sold her and remained boatless for a further 18 years.
Despite that extended break, my interest in boats never diminished and I regularly scanned boating magazines dreaming of my next purchase. It was during a trip to the south of France, when we hired a small electric boat to explore Port Grimaud, that we decided to take action. We wrote down a wish-list for our ideal boat. Kay’s main stipulation was to walk aboard and have electricity and water available. I had a slightly longer list! Our now 15-year-old daughter, Amy, had heard it all before and was convinced it would never happen.
Initially, I thought that an aft cabin boat was the way to go and viewed several trawler-type boats, including a C-Kip and Corvette 32, but Kay decided they were all too old-fashioned.
The original tired cockpit upholstery. Photos: Stuart Potts and Setag Yachts
I liked the more traditional look but took the hint. Eventually, I found a couple of Fairline Turbo 36s, which seemed to meet both our requirements. In May 2013 we got as far as a second viewing before deciding it wasn’t a perfect fit for us after all.
While despondently eating our dinner at the Navigator in Bursledon, Amy stumbled across an advert for a Fairline 36 Sedan for sale in Brighton. The next morning, we arranged a viewing and drove for what seemed like hours to Brighton.
Despite not having the aft cabin, we instantly fell in love with the Sedan. The large cockpit with seating all the way round ran through into a saloon, giving a linked indoor/outdoor living area all on one level. Coupled with the flybridge for hot sunny days, it was a winning combination.
The two cabins had ample space and full standing headroom. The only compromise was that it only had one heads but we decided we could live with that. It had been re-engined in 2002 with brand new Volvo Penta TAMD 63 engines and extended fuel tanks. After a second viewing, our offer was accepted. We now needed somewhere to keep it.
The layout of the saloon still worked a treat but there was no hiding the sagging head lining and dated leather seating. Photos: Stuart Potts and Setag Yachts
We had looked at a Turbo 36 at a small family run yard in Bursledon on the River Hamble called the Cabin Boatyard and knew that the berth would be coming available later that summer. Berth secured, we now had everything in place.
On 13 July 2013, we arrived on our mooring after a faultless trip from Brighton on a smooth, glass-like sea. Faultless apart from a slight misjudgment of the Bursledon road bridge, which I have never been allowed to forget! Thankfully, there was no serious damage except to my pride.
We have owned the boat ever since, using her all year round as a weekend escape as well as a summer holiday home. We have added heating to make the winter months more comfortable and meticulously maintain the hull and engines with regular servicing and lift-outs. In 2022 we had the gearboxes rebuilt and new throttle cables fitted. Bandit is a well looked after and loved boat.
Head linings and lights removed ready for new LEDs and modern fabrics. Photos: Stuart Potts and Setag Yachts
Upsize or refit?
However, like all boat owners we eventually convinced ourselves that we needed a bigger boat. We got as far as viewing several larger, newer boats before coming to the realisation that Bandit actually did everything we wanted. We also knew she was mechanically sound and what she cost to run, unlike a larger, secondhand boat. So instead of changing boats we decided to look at refreshing the interior instead. The saloon head linings were becoming detached, the upholstery in the cockpit and flybridge was looking a bit tired, and everything needed a bit of TLC.
The first couple of companies we contacted did not inspire us with confidence so after reading a couple of articles in MBY and doing some internet research, we contacted Setag Yachts.
I was unsure whether Bandit would be a project they wanted to get involved with as most of the work they undertake is on larger, newer boats but after a few emails and photos sent, a meeting was set up with Chris Gates (CEO) and Sarah (designer) aboard Bandit.
Every inch of the saloon was given the full Setag treatment. Photos: Stuart Potts and Setag Yachts
They were both very enthusiastic and Sarah came up with some great ideas to keep the classic look but using modern fabrics to bring the interior up to date. We decided to concentrate on the areas we use the most such as the cockpit and saloon, so ideas and fabrics were discussed and a presentation forwarded with sample swatches.
We wanted to keep some reference to the original red and navy detailing in the cockpit and the fluting on the cushions as these were the classic colours and details from the era of the boat. After seeing the proposed ideas, we decided to do the flybridge seating as well to keep some continuity. At that point it seemed a shame not to go the whole hog and refit the cabins as well, as these were also showing signs of age.
The master cabin’s carpets, head lining and bed covering were all replaced. Photos: Stuart Potts and Setag Yachts
Everything agreed and deposit paid, Kyle (production manager and delivery skipper at Setag) and I set off from our mooring at Cabin Boatyard at 5am on 12 March 2025. Despite near freezing temperatures, the conditions were favourable with light winds and a slight sea.
Adrenaline pumping and excitement at fever pitch, I steered the whole journey from the flybridge, keeping a lookout for the obligatory lobster pots and enjoying the scenery. We arrived in Plymouth seven hours later, having averaged 21 knots the whole way there. I slept very well that night.
New cushions and fabrics transform the look and feel of the bright new saloon. Photos: Stuart Potts and Setag Yachts
Work begins
The original timescale for the refit was between 6-8 weeks but it soon became apparent that it was going to take considerably longer due to some unexpected issues. The source of some water ingress had to be found and stopped, which had in turn caused some of the wooden panels to rot. Consequently, every panel that was being re-covered had to be remade first.
The saloon headlining was then reconfigured to run from front to back instead of side to side. This made the space seem bigger and a lot more pleasing on the eye.
We also stripped all the navigation equipment from above the inside helm and removed the old speakers from the side panels, to leave cleaner lines throughout. On the flybridge, I wanted a flip-back helm seat to open the area up and create a more sociable space but Setag convinced me to keep the original helm seat and make a new base instead.
This sits on four studs, meaning I can still lift and reverse the seat to achieve the effect I wanted while retaining the classic looks of the original. This is my favourite single aspect of the whole refit.
You’d never guess the true age of the boat from the newly updated owners’ cabin. Photos: Stuart Potts and Setag Yachts
They also made a backrest for the rear end of the flybridge, incorporating the colour scheme and design from the cockpit.
New headboards in the cabins made from the same fabric as the saloon seating, along with new linings, carpets and LED mood lighting kept a consistent and cohesive look throughout the boat.
On 23 July 2025, Kyle and I set off from Plymouth on the return journey, this time in much warmer weather than our outbound trip. Once again Bandit performed faultlessly and to make things even more memorable we were joined by several pods of porpoises along the way.
The second cabin appears bigger and brighter with its fresh new fabrics and finishes. Photos: Stuart Potts and Setag Yachts
Forty and fabulous
Bandit still does everything we want in a boat, only now she looks and feels like a new boat, while retaining the classic lines and layout we first fell in love with all those years ago. Having looked but failed to find anything we liked better for a budget we could afford we spent the money giving our beloved boat a makeover and with it a new lease of life.
It has to be said, we winced occasionally as our bank account emptied but we are delighted with the results and the love for our boat is as strong now as it has ever been, if not stronger. Yes, it is a 1980s boat and has a few external blemishes (work in progress) but because it was re-engined in the early 2000s, is mechanically sound and built like the proverbial brick outhouse, it has many more years left.
The refit has brought it up to date and the finish is now as good if not better than many modern boats. As we are hoping to wind down our working hours, and hopefully spend more time on board, keeping the running costs in check was also an important factor.
Sometimes when you find someone and something you love, it’s worth going that extra mile. This year we are celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary and we have a 40-year-old boat to match. Some things are just meant to last.
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