Based in Barcelona, Alexis Parcerisa is an example of new professionals offering different services to boat owners. His company ObrasVivas has been gaining recognition through the word of mouth between owners and boat captains for whom he has worked. Discrete and always smiling, it is usual to see him wearing his wetsuit in the most important Med races, sometimes accompanied by his inseparable “aquadog” Magic
How would you define your job? It has no mystery: my activity is cleaning and underwater maintaining of boats, both racers and family cruisers.
When and how did you decide to start with? It was 4 years ago. I used to clean some race boat sporadically, and when I left my previous job in a sailing school I decided to do it. Previously, I worked for 8 months at a cleaning company in Fort Lauderdale (Miami) upgrading my skills. This experience was my inspiration. I thought that this service was lacking in the Barcelona area, and little by little I have expanded my work area by the word of mouth.
Is it a grateful job? Yes, a lot, because you see the immediate result. Once the hull is done, the difference is very big. I always record a video so the owner or boat captain can see the difference and the result of my work, because as is done below the waterline, not all of them want to take a swim to check it.
How do you organize your work during important regattas? Trully, is phiscally tough. I must get up earlier than anyone to get their “booties” perfectly done before they leave the dock. I remember a PalmaVela that I dived several Wallys and other ORC/IRC’s entries in just one morning: I cleaned 6 big boats since the sunrise!
You also use to race some of those regattas, it is committed to clean rival boats? No, not at all, it’s a very professional world. They make me many jokes, “put a plastic in her bulb”, etc. But always with sense of humour and good vibes, there is no jealousy.
What type of boat do you prefer to dive? The big footers. I always feel proud to have done it and to able to say that I have cleaned those big boats is a good cover letter for me. Although, because of the difficulty involved, I prefer to clean two 60’s than one 120 footer.
Which regatta do you prefer to work and which one to sail? In terms of business Copa del Rey in Palma is the mother of all races in Med: warm water, great environment and th swimming-pool for afterwork stretches. I have many clients racing and as the boats are next to each other I don’t waste time going boat to boat.
What important race lack in your portfolio? The races of Porto Cervo are one of my pending subjects. In most of them are prohibited to clean the boat hulls. The Sailing Instructions expressly forbidden it.
Your worst moment? It was in Saint Tropez, cleaning a charter boat that my client has rented. It was badly painted (soft antifouling over gelcoat) and almost impossible to clean. I was two days trying it hard… and at the end I didn’t collect!!
How did you meet DrSails? During a boatshow in Port Ginesta (Barcelona). The stand next to mine was the DrSails’ one and I knew the product. The first time that I used DrSails was in PalmaVela 2016, covering the keel box screws of a Wally. There I discovered that DrSails is useful for my because it works perfectly underwater and it is structural, but also because its curing time is only 25 minutes. Seem a well-balanced technology in between and structural epoxy and the flexibility of a caulking sealant.
