Having been moved back to my pontoon where I joined my old friend Polly Agatha, plus another small yacht who I've not seen before. My skipper has been back and forth over the last couple of weekends cleaning the decks and white work. He arrived last Sunday and hoisted out of the dinghy the laundered jib, laid it out on my foredeck and working fore and aft hoisted it back up the forestay. After making sure it was tight at the leach, furled it in.
This time last year, I had no main sail and so if you remember I took my crew and get up with the ebb tide to Totland bay for the night and back with the following days flood. Hopefully this year, weather permitting, we'll venture further afield as I'm all ready to go. The bump stops at the ends of the self tacking track rod ends, was a job that was to be done whilst I was out, is the only thing that needs to be sorted before I'm let loose.
Since being back in the water, the remaining scar on my hull where I had a coming together with Polly, plus where holes were drilled for the foot of Marley the wind generator, have all but gone. Skip have rubbed them down with wet wet & dry, sprayed them and rubbed some more. The result is that you'll soon not know where the repairs have taken place.
The electric fan and variable rheostat switch have gone oon shore, so am sure there's something a foot to have those fitted, enabling the hot air from the diesel fired Webasto heater to be drawn through to the master cabin. This has never really happened for one of two reasons. Firstly, the fan on the Webasto heater is not powerfull enough to get the hot air 40' away, even when closing the other vents. Secondly a combination of the fan not man enough to get the heat away quickly from the overheat sensor, together with the cross sectional area of the ducting being to small. Apparently bit like a water hose the smaller the diameter the higher the pressure you need to get it to the end, or something like that. So not only will the fitting of a fan draw the hot air away from the unit but it will get it to the front as well. Why has nobody else thought of it !
The battery amp & volt meter is likely to have the engine battery wired to it. The unit is currently set up for the main bank only although the system was manufactured for two banks. Other changes to the wiring is also being considered to ensure accurate readings.
With the wind instruments working, autopilot working I could be starting a season at 100%, just need that shake down sail to see if that's the case !
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