So progress report for this week. My mate's been working away in the aft cabin and here is how things look so far. One of the big problems with the aft cabin was how dark it got during the winter months - cue brightening things up a bit. There's still more coats of paint and trim to be fitted, but it's definitely an improvement.

The wheelhouse was also due for a lift in tone, so it's now white from the waist up. I'll be looking forward to all the work finishing and the crap being put away.

Next on the list has been fitting the autopilot. Plumbing up the compass part was done last weekend and ended up with wiring everywhere, but this weekend required fitting the rudder sensor (the black "arm" in the photos). That connects to the steel rudder steering arm and effectively tells the autopilot where the rudder is at. Doesn't sound very complicated, but boy howdy, did it take some time to get it all connected up. The bilge is also showing some signs of grease and a bit of surface rust, but once all the work's finished and before setting sail, I'll do a full clean and repaint of the lower regions.

We've also made the decision to ditch the power-hungry electric galley and go for a Dickinson diesel cooker. One came up on the ol' Ebay that had barely been used, so it's being delivered next Friday and I set about sorting out all the plumbing parts today. Now, I'm including these next two images to put into perspective just how much work a simple thing like fitting a cooker is. Not only was there the time taken to make the money to buy the cooker, but the 6 day bidding war that ensued. Here's how Dickinson say the installation should be done:

And after spending yesterday finding the right diesel day tank (and then subsequently find it for half-price at a boat jumble today - I bought it today btw), here's the design I worked through today and had to order part-by-part in order for it all to work.

That doesn't include the two days it'll take to fit and test it next weekend either. Anyway, I'm not complaining - it's just remarkable how much unseen work is required to get a simple thing done on a boat project.


So that's it for this week. 36 of the last remaining 72 items done, 18 due to be done this next weekend (1/2 Feb) then the last few items the weekend after. That is IF the new sliding windows arrive. Apparently the window manufacturer have changed their glass supplier, so it's now a waiting game for the new parts......

Sail testing is also scheduled for w/c 15th Feb - it's half term here so if the weather plays ball, it's off to get some sailing in. Fingers crossed.

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Another weekend, another project. This week required the salon hatches to be removed and the wooden supporting ring replaced. With two very damp winters and what is now looking to be a dodgy batch of Sikaflex allowing drips to filter through, the wood had rotted sufficiently that it required full replacement.

Off to the local lumber yard we picked up some Iroko & Mahogany hardwood for a very good deal (about £40 for 9m of 50 x 40) then set about removing the old hatches, cleaning up the deck & surrounds, then trimming and fitting the new hatches. What an effort. This photo was mid-way through removal of the old hatch surrounds.

Anyways, fitted the new hatch surrounds and have had reports from the guy working for me that there's been no leaks. We used 3M's 5200 this time to attach the wood surround with Sika 292 holding down the hatch itself, along with 52 stainless screws. That should just about do it.

What else. The guy working for me has almost finished sanding back the toe rail, so next on the list when the weather clears up will be to get a few coats of white paint on it. The deck also needs a re-paint in a slightly darker shade of buff.... or maybe we'll just go for a layer of Flexi-Teek. Watch this space.

Our autopilot also arrives in the next week or so and I'm working on acquiring a diesel cooker to replace the existing electric galley. Another 3.5 day boat weekend is coming up (the joys of consulting) so I'm sure there'll be more solid progress to report soon.

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Happy New Year to you all, and what an interesting start to the year.

After a lovely, sunny December, the rain and wind arrived and with it, zero chance of getting any sailing in.

This was one of the quieter days by the way - we had >55kt gusts at one stage and coupled with super tides, well, staying put in the marina seemed to be a pretty good idea. Here's more photos of the yard - it's worth noting cars are generally parked around all the boats, but being the adults we are, the decision was made to take the tender for a paddle to see what else was floating around.

Anyway, no harm done. The boat made it through relatively unscathed although we've found a couple of leaks in the wheelhouse and salon hatches, so a crate of Sika 292 is on it's way from Germany and we'll have them re-bedded prior to summer.



What else.... progress is being made. The wheelhouse is now almost all white and the toe rail has been sanded back, ready for a fresh coat of paint to the deck (when the weather allows). The new sliding wheelhouse windows are also due in two weeks and after a few drinks, the final to-do list has been compiled. There is a bit to do (about 50 items) but the plan is to have it all done by the end of March, just in time for the spring season to start and some proper testing to get underway.

Onto a slightly different tack - the EU have implemented some changes recently as well so I'll be spending this summer upskilling. First on the list is a VHF licence, closely followed by an RYA Day Skipper course, which will allow me to obtain an ICC (International Certificate of Competence), allowing me to take the boat to Portugal and Spain. I've thought about a MIG course as well - as much as I love arc welding, most detail work requires MIG and it's one of those skills which will come in handy at some point during the trip around.

So that's all for now - back down to the boat on Fri & Sat to get a chunk of the to-do list done, and counting down 'til summer begins.....

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