So with my skipper turning up on a couple of occasions, first removing the main sail from the mast and storing it in my saloon, then turning up a few days later to do the same to the jib, I should've known something was happening.
With the wind gusting quite strongly, my skipper, complete with back muscle issues, still managed to unclip my main from the mast, which involved climbing the lower part and releasing it all in the flagging Lazy Jack bag, before spilling it on the deck and hurriedly dragging it back to the cockpit and finally down below. This is no mean feat given the amount of material involved, still he managed it at the cost of a pair of glasses that, due to the rain the sleeves of his coat caught his face removing the glasses from his nose and smashing in two on the floor.
Several days later with the wind still gusty he returned to drop my jib too, sending that down the hatch in to the Master cabin. Still a job done.
More recently my skipper returned with the crew and moved me from my pontoon in the Medina to the Yacht Haven, where I spent the weekend before being lifted out and stored on the hard once more. The Medina mud hosed off before being placed in my resting place over winter. Skipper soon arrived to inspect my prop and hooked me up to shore power and had the dehumidifier running, waiting to pack the sails away in their bags before setting up the oil filled radiators. Then starts the work on his list. Already I've given him another task by separating the work top from the top of the fridge. No warning that there was an issue I've just peeled one item from the other, I'm sure its a simple task for him to complete.
My hull has been jet washed removing the gloopy mud that is the base for the very fine weed that gets a hold and produces very whiskers. Once I'm out and sailing along this mud soon lets go. For now the additional Copper Coat my skipper added last year is clear to see and lessens the effect of the mud.
However, my anodes are shot to pieces but may have been slowed by the additional 'manual' one fitted in the summer. At least it may have stopped the prop from being damaged further, this will be removed and taken away for further discussion with the specialists. The softer Aluminium sail drive has pitting on it too and this the skipper is going to coat in the left over epoxy resign from the Copper Coat, but of course without the Copper being mixed in. Then once hardened apply a paint on anti-fouling.
Both sails are now off, packed and ready to go to the mainland to be laundered and serviced. So with three months I'll let you know how many and which jobs he manages to complete.
Tuesday 15 December 2015
Monday 7 December 2015
Thor II
This week saw my owner arrive with a couple of friends, it was lovely and mild but I didn't get to go out as they were shown around and had tea before heading back. At the weekend my skipper arrived with another large sail bag - bright yellow and a neatly folded sail within. I had no idea what this was as I'd not heard any chat from the skipper for a while.
The fog was just lifting gently out of the valley and there was a faint hint of a breeze, ideal I suppose if your hoisting a sail of some size on your own. Skip delved in to the Gennekar bag and removed the strop from its clew, he then hunted around for a line to act as a sheet and then eased the spare halyard from the bow. Unfolding the well packed sail to locate the head, clew & tack, each were then connected to lines and readied for a hoist. Skipper cam back aft and put a turn around the winch and released the cutch, then began to wind in.
The dark navy blue Code 0 rose up to about half way up the mast and then the slightest of zephyr's came through and filled the sail. This took it over the neighbouring yacht and on to the pontoon, at least being fixed at the clew and tack would stop it going any further. The slightest breeze in the cloth prevented my skipper from hoisting any further without the winch handle, so had to lock it off and go amid ships to retrieve it, stuffing yards and yards of cloth through one of the hatches. Once in and out of the way, skipper then lowered the remainder and clipped the head to the stays. With everything back on board he then re-packed it back in to the bag making sure he could get to each of the three corners. Lesson learned, that a snuffler similar to that used on the Gennekar is required.
If it was impossible to raise it in this subtlest of breezes whilst I'm stationary, then trying to hoist it whilst I'm moving may be a task too far. Better find out now when it doesn't matter than be disappointed later when it may.
So it's been a few weeks and the skippers bag this time with a snuffer to go over the Code 0. This makes hoisting and lowering a lot more simple for the short crew and is the similar to one supplied with the Gennekar.
He also arrived with the long awaited McMurdo M10 AIS transponder. This when fitted will enable you all to follow our travels, providing of course that the secrecy switch is off. More importantly it'll enable the crew to see all other vessels using such devices on the monitor in the dark or fog etc, but unlike radar which of course I have, it supplies an MMSI number so that the skipper can 'phone' the bridge of a vessel he's concerned about to make sure or find out how the impending situation is going to be resolved. In other words, have you seen me and what action are you taking or do you want me to do something different ! The device also relays lots of information about speed, direction, destination and all sorts, but the important one is the ability to communicate directly to the bridge. You may recall last year an incident when I was belting back from Alderney at 8.0 knots and a freighter would not respond on channel 16, my skipper new he was the stand on vessel and did so, but kept a careful lookout in case he had to make avoiding action. With the M10, he will be able to ring the bridge and ask questions, whether dark or in fogy conditions.
The fog was just lifting gently out of the valley and there was a faint hint of a breeze, ideal I suppose if your hoisting a sail of some size on your own. Skip delved in to the Gennekar bag and removed the strop from its clew, he then hunted around for a line to act as a sheet and then eased the spare halyard from the bow. Unfolding the well packed sail to locate the head, clew & tack, each were then connected to lines and readied for a hoist. Skipper cam back aft and put a turn around the winch and released the cutch, then began to wind in.
The dark navy blue Code 0 rose up to about half way up the mast and then the slightest of zephyr's came through and filled the sail. This took it over the neighbouring yacht and on to the pontoon, at least being fixed at the clew and tack would stop it going any further. The slightest breeze in the cloth prevented my skipper from hoisting any further without the winch handle, so had to lock it off and go amid ships to retrieve it, stuffing yards and yards of cloth through one of the hatches. Once in and out of the way, skipper then lowered the remainder and clipped the head to the stays. With everything back on board he then re-packed it back in to the bag making sure he could get to each of the three corners. Lesson learned, that a snuffler similar to that used on the Gennekar is required.
If it was impossible to raise it in this subtlest of breezes whilst I'm stationary, then trying to hoist it whilst I'm moving may be a task too far. Better find out now when it doesn't matter than be disappointed later when it may.
So it's been a few weeks and the skippers bag this time with a snuffer to go over the Code 0. This makes hoisting and lowering a lot more simple for the short crew and is the similar to one supplied with the Gennekar.
He also arrived with the long awaited McMurdo M10 AIS transponder. This when fitted will enable you all to follow our travels, providing of course that the secrecy switch is off. More importantly it'll enable the crew to see all other vessels using such devices on the monitor in the dark or fog etc, but unlike radar which of course I have, it supplies an MMSI number so that the skipper can 'phone' the bridge of a vessel he's concerned about to make sure or find out how the impending situation is going to be resolved. In other words, have you seen me and what action are you taking or do you want me to do something different ! The device also relays lots of information about speed, direction, destination and all sorts, but the important one is the ability to communicate directly to the bridge. You may recall last year an incident when I was belting back from Alderney at 8.0 knots and a freighter would not respond on channel 16, my skipper new he was the stand on vessel and did so, but kept a careful lookout in case he had to make avoiding action. With the M10, he will be able to ring the bridge and ask questions, whether dark or in fogy conditions.
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