Winter Maintenance

Part I

So now I know why I'm here in the Yacht Haven, a couple of days ago I was moved under the crane and lifted out.  Men started to jet wash my undersides but didn't get very far as I assume it was home time on a Friday.  So I was left for a couple of days swinging in the slings.

My skipper arrived on Saturday and lowered the Marlec wind generator as it's height above the deck was stopping the beam of the crane from passing over head.  He turned up again Monday night and I was still swaying about, it wasn't till Tuesday that I was finally moved into a cradle, where I assume I'll remain for a while.  Both Skipper and crew came down to put me on shore power and set up both heaters and dehumidifier, keeping my insides warm & toasty. This week saw a scaffold tower erected around my rudder complete with some bubble wrap; the new ammeter wired in a while ago properly cut in to my instrument panel and at least one of the two anodes around my prop replaced.

The space where my oven was, has been steam cleaned and a new gas pipe fitted ready for the new oven to go in and be connected.  All the soft furnishings in the cabins have been lifted and left so that air can circulate round them, although some have been removed to be stored elsewhere.

Part II

Well true to form the first weekend my skipper has free he's down complete with lots of tools and bits & pieces.  Firstly he sets up a scaffold tower around my keel and secures a ladder to my side.  Then he brings out the electric chisel or thin sanding belt tool and finishes off fitting the ammeter, followed by hoovering up sawdust it's created.

Then outcomes a steamer device and he sets to on the empty space where the cooker once was and proceeds to steam clean all the accumulated dirt that has stuck itself to the woodwork.  With that done he inspects the fixed gas pipe and prepares the flexible one ready for fitting, it looks as though the old fitting will have to be cut off not easy as it's in the corner.

Moving to the master cabin heads he steam cleans the pan, the ceiling and floor attacking mould that over time has made its mark, but before it gets a chance to look nasty.  Am sure it'll need several attempts before its all gone.  With the open hatch blasting steam in to the colder air outside like winters chimney, a hose is passed down and rinses all around, but not before the filter of the floor (shower) pump is cleaned of the usual debris.  The heads are pumped dry and the remaining water is removed to leave a glistening ceramic finish.  The bed linen is removed and made ready to be taken off the boat and the mattresses are made in to a pyramid in order that air can circulate.  Even the wardrobe is emptied of clothes that have been hanging in there for three seasons and hardly worn.  Those too join the laundry bag.

The other two cabins are tidied, wiped down and hoovered out before stacking mattresses.

Am sure the new cooker wont be long before its fitted, but am intrigued as to why the scaffold we'll see !


Part III

Yep the shinny new cooker is in and plumbed in too, the old fitting had to be cut away not easy when its fitted in to a tight corner but the dremmel came in handy, although died in the end.  A washing up liquid solution was used to ensure a leak free fitting and as there were no bubbles apparent and the replacement gas sensor likewise stayed silent the hob was left running for a while.  This oven not only has a grill but is thermostatically controlled and comes with electronic ignition, not wired in but with its own AAA battery, which hasn't been tested yet.

Every afternoon for a series of 5-6 days my skipper returned the scaffold tower removed from round my rudder and re-errected, then proceeded to clean the remaining dried on weed and mud stained waterline from under my stern all along the starboard side.  The other having been cleaned during my August travels.  The tower was raised and then the whole of my gel coat along the stern was chemically cleaned, waxed and polished with the final buffing being carried out with an electrical orbital polisher I've not seen before.  Each day he worked his way along the gel coat of the port side.

The last time I saw him it was a grey and much colder day than it had been for long time and rather than move around on the tower, he replaced both shot annodes (one was completely missing, believed fallen off), then continued to clean & polish up the brass folding prop until the both batteries of his cordless drill run out of steam.

Its been a few days now since then and I'm sure he'll be back soon.



Part IV

Both skipper and crew arrived on Sunday and immediately set to on my rudder, having cleaned it before, it was prepared to receive yet more Coppercoat.  My skipper had arranged with the manufactures to supply him with an additional bag of copper filings and so with the resin mixed, it was liberally rolled on.  This has been brought about when they had spotted in Weymouth, back in August, long trails of fine weed sailing in the tide.

Following that, the skipper removed the whole of the propeller this time and took it away for further cleaning & polishing.  Unfortunately during the strong wind on Saturday the lazy jacks plastic O ring that failed during a gybe whilst heading in to Fowey back in August failed again, so my main sail whilst still remains in the bag is awkwardly hanging to one side of the boom !  Yet more work for the skipper to sort ?

Unfortunately having coated the rudder and after they had gone, the weather turned and started to rain.  This kept the lower part of the exposed side of the rudder from going off and I think it'll have to either be redone or my skipper may decide that it'll be low enough in the water that it is unlikely weed will have enough sunlight to grow.  See what happens the next time he arrives.

Part V

A few weeks have passed and my skipper has returned.  Stainless steel O rings have replaced the top plastic ones, the rudder has been re-coated and rubbed down and a band of Coppercoat applied around the water line.  My hull even took a bit of cleaning & polishing, but unfortunately the machine broke down before he went away.

I'm now back in the water and back on my pontoon, only Poly Agatha is here.  I have a new shinny cooker complete with grill, thermostatically controlled oven and electronic ignition.  Lets see what this season brings.

Winter Warmers

Well since my month at sea with my skipper and crew, things have been pretty quite.  I've been out a few days but apart from that nothing much.

My whole charging system has had an entire overhaul since my skipper worked out why it was I was chewing through my fan belts and all three of my charging systems, be it wind, shore or engine power, comes complete with an intelligent regulator.  That ensures that all eight of my batteries not only get re-charged , they're subjected to a conditioning phase and a trickle (floating) charge.  Apparently the science behind this is to prevent the build up of chemical deposit on the plates within each cell of my batteries and so keeping them fresh.  Also my skipper has fitted an ammeter that measures to the nearest 0.1amp whether the batteries are discharging or charging.  He can also interrogate it further such that he can enquire as to how long at the current rate of charge/discharge the batteries will be either fully re-charged or at the level when they need to be recharged.  This will be useful when sailing long distances in light winds when the wind generator isn't capable of  keeping tabs on demand and also at anchor, ensuring that there's enough power to keep the instruments on anchor watch etc., over night.

The new 100amp alternator and Balmar ARG-5 intelligent regulator has an additional two sensors to inform it of both battery and alternator temperatures, this ensures that the whole system is delivering the right amount of power at all times whilst the engine is running.  When it is, a healthy charge rate of a  14.8v is seen once more.  The faulty battery mate my skipper replaced whilst in Plymouth this year resolved the fan belt issue.  This could all be down to the 3.5 tonnes of water I took on board during my passage down from Scotland all that time ago.

Weekend before last my skipper came down on his own and then disappeared as he heard cries for help and ended up pulling a fellow sailor out of the river a pontoon or two down river.  Then proceeded to show his guests around me afterwards.

This weekend as twilight was settling in on Sunday, my crew arrived.  My engine fired up and my lines made ready to slip.  All my navigation lights and some cabin lights turned on.  Where was I going, surely it was far to late to go sailing, the wind was northerly and varying in strength.  Never the less with lines cast I was heading down stream.  The inly black surface and lack of any other vessels in the river made for an eerie prospect.  We came across The Craftsman the 60 foot + ketch that I share the pontoon with during the summer and I was swung in to the entrance of the north basin of Cowes Yacht Haven and before I knew it tied up to N5 pontoon.  Although yet again the wind just caught my bow, but the lines prevented me from going to far before the bow thruster brought me back in to line and the remaining springs could be set.

Today the crew brought a new oven down and I assume this is where I'll be over winter.