clutches

Clutches turned up today, despite the letter only 2 weeks ago, saying they wouldn't be in stock until mid March! Still, musn't complain.... now I can be truly cockpit based.... might even dabble with a bit of single handing this coming season.... if i'm brave enough....

just rambling...

Not posted anything for 10 days, so thought I'd better put something up..... My parents have bought me a table leg for my birthday, and I have my eye on a table top on eBay, so perhaps we'll be able to eat belowmore comfortably than present, where we are forced to use a folding table.... its OK, but wouldn't be much good in any kind of sea..... Also, been planning away for our Oostende trip in May, and meeting up with a few peeps in Feb to discuss an intenary.... Also, have arranged for Maggie to be lifted out on 2nd March for 3 weeks to get her scrubbed, scraped, antifouled, polished, replace the anodes, replace one seacock (thats seems Ok, but inside is a bit corroded, so don't want to take a risk) that I've got to remove anyway, as M dropped a little rubber ball down the drain, and the ball is stuck in the bottom (know that cuz I stuck a hosedown the pipe and could hear the ball rattling around in the pipe!), and check the stern tube, rudder etc etc... So thats every weekend in March written off.... (I am going to be so unpopular!)

Greasy winches

Blimey, moving winches is a messy job! Spent the whole weekend on Maggie getting a few jobs done.... I've removed a three winches from the port side, along with 2 cleats and 2 jammers.... I then relocated the middle sized winch to the coachroof, and the primary 3 speed right back by the traveller.... This means that I am now commited to the clutches... shame really, as Saturday morning post delivered a letter from the supplier saying that they are out of stock, and will be in mid March...... :( After I had filled the multitude of holes left by removal, I realised that in order to refit the winches, I needed to take them apart to use the base as a template for the mounting holes..... so after removing the drum, I was pleased to see that they had plenty of grease in them, and on inspection seemed to be in good nick still. The grease however was showing the odd sign of being a bit wet in places, so a good wipe down (with a lint free cloth), and then a good allocation of new grease didn't do any harm... but what a messy job..... got through two complete rolls of kitchen roll trying to keep clean! The result however, is a huge seating area recovered...... with which I am delighted.... the mess of holes left over will be easily covered with a small sheet of treadmaster to match the original used elsewhere on the deck.... I had to take half the rear end of the interior apart to get at the underside of the winches.... so it took a good chunk of the weekend to do just this one side.... trying to hold the load spreading plate below the deck in place, and tighten the bolts with just one person is a challenge..... extensive use of gaffer tape to hold spanners in place, while working above deck, until the things had pinched up enough to just use the spanner normally below..... challenging enough, bit then add in the fact that you are working on your back, in a space measuring no more than 24" square...... I ache this evening! I also took the opportunity to remove the knackered old rope tidies and winch handle pockets..... got some nice new ones, donated by a friend after the proved surplus to his requirements on his shiny new boat! Just got the Starboard side winches and cleats to do as well..... shouldn't take as long as access is a lot easier as they are over a locker...so will be able to reach both sides at the same time... I also fitted the Navtex..... following advice, I tried it first with the aerial below... worked a treat... no point in putting the aerial on the pushpit..... got a really good signal with it by the chart table.... Finally, I used a roll of wallpaper backing paper to make templates for the cushions for the berths in the forepeak... now I can order the foam, start cutting them, and get them made.... As an aside, I took one of the cushions I have recovered down (so that I had somewhere to sleep!)... looked great... really pleased with the result....

GPS mouse

Forgot to mention that i've also bought a GPS mouse.... so no more mucking around plumbing the fixed GPS into the laptop..... works a treat... The old method of connecting the GPS to the laptop was a PITA as I kept having all sorts of port conflicts.... so this way, via USB is far easier, plus independent.... Mind you, my laptop battery is knackered, so still need power!... guess it draws around 2 amps, so it won't be on all the time other than for short passages, or at either end of longer ones!

More money

Planning on going down to Maggie this weekend to get a few more jobs done.... One of the major ones is to start moving the winches.... I've worked out how they are taken apart ready for moving... so ready to do just that, but one thing holding me back is the fact that once they are moved, then the boat is unusable until I've fitted rope clutches..... i'm removing 2 winches from the boat as well as relocating them...... we currently have10 winches on board! So.... ordered 2 sets of triple clutches, plus two deck organisers..... another load of money....... but at least it means that we are in business..... Now everything will be led back to the cockpit, so no clambering around on the coach roof to drop a reef in...... and we will have a massive gain in seating space in the cockpit....

The plan is to to remove the two old chrome winches from the coach roof, and replace with the two balck winches that are currently at the rear of the cockpit. Just in front of these will go the clutches, in the traditional manner. I will then also relocate the two large black winches (thats are 3 speed) back towards the traveller and slightly further outboard...... that way the whole area in the picture becomes seating space. The two banks of clutches will handle: Port side - 1st reef, geny halyard, genny furling line Stbd side - 2nd reef, main halyard, spinny halyard. There is also a 3rd reefing point on the main, but my plan is move the 2nd reefing lines on the sail to the third reefing point when we are doing a long passage before departure, and then if thats over reefed, I can in safe conditions (eg under-canvassed), put the 1st reef lines into the 2nd reef and shake some more sail out..... got that!!!!!! I am leaving the spinnaker pole uphaul and downhaul by the mast, as I figure I've got to go forward to rig the spinnaker anyway, and we only fly it in light winds..... I've also bought 4 stainless u-bolts, that will be mounted in the cockpit for harness attachment points, and 2 large stainless rings that will form the bridle on the spinnaker pole..... For some reason, the pole is currently bare of anything except the end fittings and a quick release cable.... when we tried flying the kite last summer, the pole tended to sky, so we had to drop the kite.... my guess is that they used it without an uphaul or downhaul, and barbour hauled the kite sheet down to the toe rail well forward with a snatch block on a short line in order to keep the pole down..... fine when you have a full racing crew on board, but not terribly handy for family cruising.... so I have bought these rings, and will create a bridle both sides of the pole, with the rings in the centres for attaching uphaul and downhaul. There is a pole uphaul on the mast, and a suitable attachment on the foredeck for a downhaul, so the additional blocks that will be freed up by putting in the clutches and deck organisers will give me the hardware to do that..... I Intend to use rope, perhaps spectra to make the bridle rather than wire, as its easier to attach (I can whip it) and less likely to mark/damage the deck when the pole is in its cradle...... Busy weekend ahead of me I suspect (assuming the clutches turn up in time!)

hum drum

Well, its 2006 already! We went down to Maggie new years eve for a couple of hours..... to check out she was OK..... all was well... only problem is that while the dehumidifier seems to drain through the hose into the sink OK, it also drips a little into the internal container, so eventually the cut out comes on.... seems to take about a fortnight though, so not too much of a problem.... While we were there I measured up the forepeak walls for carpet....The bottom companionway step had been a bit wobbly, so I had taken the whole thing home and repaired it... all now seems well.... Spent a load of last night recovering the second cushion......2 down, 3 to go... plus two more to make completely for the forepeak.... 2nd effort was definitely better... but i've only done the two easy ones... completely rectangular..... next is the more challenging ones from the pilot berths and the quarter berth... all strange shapes! Also, went out today and bought some carpet for the walls in the forepeak.... specialist marine wall carpet would have been £56 plus VAT and delivery..... following advice, bought foam backed bathroom carpet (made from man made materials, so won't rot) from local carpet superstore for £15.... and will have enough spare to cover a planned anchor winch motor box to avoid the kids smacking their heads on it! While we down at Maggie New Years eve, we popped over to Haven marina again.... guy in the office wasn't very able to help with regards to berthing space, but implied that there might be some.... will try calling on Tuesday..... The Chandlers was shut.... weather related apparently, even though all the snow had melted and gone 24hrs previously! and finally, popped over to see some friends who liveaboard (or rather popped over to see some friends after pleading from the kids to see their very cute puppy!), and are at Haven out of the water replacing their engine..... Did wonder for a while whether we should have sailed new years day, but when we got back to car, it was really very very cold.... and with no heating on board wouldn't have been that much fun...... Ah well.... only 2 or 3 months and it'll be warming up again....