Winter 2024

 Hi all,

It's been ages since I've posted anything, largely due to there's been nothing much to post!

But as always winter comes and there's always something to do.  As I was lifted out of the water, the Copper Coat that Skipper applied last year over the keel having removed the old filler and re-filled, looked to have worked well.

Just the usual Medina mud slime except for the flat surface at the base of the keel where weed growth has taken hold

However, one thing that wasn't right, was that the inner section of the anode shown below and the four bolt heads had been worn down by 5mm halfway across the heads. After contacting the prop manufacturer Flexofold, they suggested a washer was missing, a washer that Skip had never seen before in all the years of removing and cleaning, but was clearly there. A nice shiny new one sits in its location at the back of the shaft.  Something else to keep an eye on next year.

Skip, also noted that the Marlec MPPT, which diverts the power from the solar and wind generators to the batteries, appeared to be playing up, solar would only generate when the wind was also.  Another e-mail to the manufacturer and it was decided the best option was to send it off for inspection/analysis.  Let us remember that the Rutland 1200 wind generator and the MPPT, are one of the first for which Skip negotiated a deal following the burn-out of my previous model.  It was released following the Southampton boat show years ago and so the software in the MPPT has remained unchanged.

At the cost of under £70, plus P&P of course, Skip was informed that the software had been updated together with the replacement of 'some' components. The likelihood is that the only original part is the outer casing!  Still, whilst all this was being sorted, the Sterling shore power charger was put into action and the batteries went through another phase of bulk, absorption, and trickle charging.

The wind generator has been un-tied and the solar panel put back, putting the Sterling back to rest, glad to see that working as intended.  Boat electrics live in one of the harshest environments and as such you never know from one day to the next what may go wrong.

So, when Skip turns up and decides to empty the anchor locker having lowered it and all the chain to the ground, leaving a mess of rust on the floor, he collects the hose nozzle and connects it all up to the deck wash pump fitted last year to wash it down.  Would the pump draw water, were the tanks empty, was there an air leak with a joint?  Turns out that the main water pump was leaking, allowing air in, (the second time this has been an issue), and so the job switched to taking the pump apart and servicing that instead!

That took two attempts, as it was discovered that on re-building it didn't quite go back together properly causing the electrics to trip. Once re-assembled now the pressure appears too high causing the relief valve on the hot water tank (clarifier) to blow water out instead! One step forward one back.

Another unforeseen job came when Skip raised the companionway to expose the engine, which lifted so far and then stuck.  On lifting it, to its usual position, it pulled the bracket off from the underside of the steps, on the righthand side leaving it attached to the air-sprung damper.  It took a couple of chats on the Hanse forum before locating replacements.  Today (12th March), the bracket was glued and screwed, whilst the companionway was supported by block and tackle from the boom and the dampers fitted.

With the warmest but wettest February, only the gel coat on the top sides has been washed down, ready for polishing so it may be that I may only have one side of the hull done leaving the other side to be done when back on my pontoon.  See how time goes.

What happened to 2023?

 Hi folks well the good news is that I'm still here.

With June very hot and little to no wind, then of course heavy rain for parts of the UK, although down here on the island it wasn't too bad and much needed by those gardeners.

We did go out a couple of times but even those were fraught with either problems or issues.  The usual run to Totland for an overnight stay was a sleepless night for the Skipper.  Not sure if it was the abandoned motor vessel on the rocks that played on his mind, but needless to say he was kept awake by all the noises and creaks.  This isn't unusual for him for the first night, but clearly, he wasn't happy as the engine went on and despite decent winds, we motored all the way home.

On the next trip out, and there could be quite a few weeks between, my impeller decided to shatter itself, despite being replaced during the winter servicing.  They took me out as it was first thought that weed had gotten into the system. but by the time we were in the Solent and spun me round and round, the problem persisted.  With tide against we managed to make Trinity landing at the entrance to the river and the engine was at 105C.  We tied up there and let the engine cool down. This was when the state of the impeller was discovered, with a replacement fitted it was thought the problem was solved, but no.

Some water did come out of the exhaust on the way to the home mooring but nothing like usual.  It took a further three weeks to work out that where the butyl rubber impeller had worn and scored the stainless steel plate the vacuum had been broken!  This allowed air to pass breaking the suction the impeller created to draw water through.  A few weeks later the new plate arrived and all was well. Except, where the engine had gotten so hot the plastic on the exhaust had melted allowing water to now enter the engine bay and the bilge.  It took another couple of weeks before the new parts arrived and could be fitted.

Skipper and crew had promised, as usual, to look after two Pointers and a Viszla for a week around the August bank holiday.

Skipper has been back and forth more recently.  The Webasto heater took three attempts to start up and by accident, he learned that the socket in the cockpit had no power, which was only recently discovered that the connection had been pulled apart.  He also had ordered a pair of six pulley organisers from Spinlock to replace the existing ones that still struggle to turn despite several trips through the dishwasher.  With the deck wash pump, they can now be washed down with fresh water before the build-up of salts and dirt.

New organiser

Skipper was also recently looking at an anchor counter and remote control system.  The intention was so that anchoring could be done without leaving the cockpit, baring getting the anchor out of the locker and secured of course.  However, the counter available is not compatible with a horizontally orientated windlass so the project may be shelved.

I'm already booked in for my usual winter tern on the hard, but hopefully, I might get some wind in the sails before then.

Till next time 'fair winds'.

Spring 2023

Oh, how time flies.

April was not a particularly nice month weather-wise, plus bedroom 3 of Dagmar House was the attention of my crew for this year, and turned ankles and other distractions meant that progress was slow.  On launch, the water that spat out of the exhaust readily on the hard stopped.  With Skip's crew mate still nursing the ankle, he opted to take me up to my home berth on W pontoon on his own, as it's not that far from the Yacht Haven and with two cooling systems to the engine he was not too worried about overheating.

No issues and on his own he took me to my berth and sorted out my mooring lines.

Skip always has little ideas to make improvements year after year.  He came up with the idea that to improve crew comfort whilst sailing and looking forward he would have simple devices fitted to the steering plinths so that it is possible to sit comfortably with your back supported, whilst facing forward.  Without this device, your backbone rubbed against the hard surface making it uncomfortable.  Skip being Skip, always wants to dual purposes out of something to make it worthwhile.

So here's the backrest come drinks holder:-

Backrest mode whilst sitting facing forward

Drink bottle mode whilst helming

So it wasn't till mid-May before I came out of the box for a shake-down and then again a couple of weeks later.  On this occasion with the gradient wind only forecast at 10-13kts, but with the prospect that I was likely to reach 6.0kts of boat speed a reef was put in and a couple of rolls of jib held back.  Sure enough, the apparent wind was on average 16kts gusting to 22kts at times, and we flew.

It's the end of May and the crew of Nimrod will arrive the last Friday for a RORC race which Skip will meet up with them. Then hopefully before May is out and the weather changes, we'll be off pushing the boundaries.

Winter III 2023

The weather always is an element to consider when I come out and usually this far south in the UK it is reasonably mild, despite the moanings of the residents. Being out of the water and suspended in the air in the cradle means that the temperature around the base of the hull is probably colder than it is inside.

This year, unlike in previous years, due to the hike in energy prices, Skipper is being charged for the electricity he uses, as explained in previous editions. Presumably, it was built into the fees previously and lost, rather than being an element on the bill, which it now is and so a meter has been fitted along my shore power cable.  In the past, I had an oil-filled radiator on a timer and a heater element on low(ish), with a dehumidifier running.  Now, the dehumidifier is only on when Skipper comes on board and he sets it to turn off up to five or six hours after he's left. The radiator comes on only during the early hours and if he's working on me he may run the Webasto heater for a couple of hours, to warm me up inside and him when he stops for tea or has lunch.

However, the cold or rain is not conducive to working outside and the inside jobs can be done at any time. And so, time ticks on, and what was three months on the hard soon becomes two, then one. Skip struck a deal, in that rather than all the boats behind penning me in, having to be moved, to get me out for the pre-arranged launch date, Skip suggested that I remain there for another month at the lower winter rate.  Again in the past, I have been moved to the marina itself where the internal jobs can be done but shore power is still available.

The keel was filled rubbed down filled and sanded again and then Copper Coated job done.  Hopefully, the crack that always appears each year I come out will not, let's see.

The weather has changed them slightly from these shots

and they've been rubbed back slightly to expose

the Copper from within

There's always a great list of winter jobs, those that are necessary and the 'would like's'.

This year's 'would like' was to fit the deck wash pump, whose parts had been steadily arriving end of last year. Late summer, the back plate for the pump itself had been drilled, and the nuts for the bolts had been countersunk and resin into position and painted.  The glass fiber resin enables the bolt to be undone without the need to access the nuts, which when fixed are between the bulkhead and the plate, glued and screwed into position.

Deck wash pump sits in with the bow thruster

wiring was already there back

to the control board

So a 15mm domestic underfloor heating pipe was fed through my bilge from the fresh water tanks looping around under the floor of the master cabin and back to the cupboard in the ensuite. In here, is the clever bit, a valve.  This valve switches between the freshwater pipe and the seawater pipe, taken from the flushing system of the heads. Depending on what you cleaning down you have an option, fresh water to remove the salts from the pulleys by the mast and salt water to clean the mud off the anchor and wash the deck.

Although the 15mm domestic underfloor heating pipe

looks to be the same size, but it isn't, hence the

reinforced pipes at the sides.

The Hanse pipework is also much thicker, 

probably acts as an insulator

Having fitted all the pipework, the valve on the deck by the anchor locker and wired it in, it appeared not to want to draw water from the tank, seawater can't be tested till I'm actually in it!  24 hours later on his return, the joints were checked and tightened and the pump ran again, water spurted 24" into the air - result.  Due to another expected cold snap though, part of the system was drained down and 25mm thick foam pipe insulating was added to the section of pipe in the anchor locker and in the bow thruster compartment that now also houses the deck wash pump. The section of pipe to the pump is easily accessible and as such can be disconnected and drained down.

The switching valve under the sink in the master cabin ensuite,

above the lowered shower pump.

This is a push-in valve that stops water from entering, only exiting, black plastic fitting on the right is pushed in and locked, waiting for a 90 degree bend so that the hose lays on the deck rather than heads skywards.

The manual anode fitting was also replaced with a better solution enabling easy access at the point where the bolted joint is.

The hull has been washed in a boat cleaning solution and is waiting to be polished. Skipper having spoken to one of the professionals has bought a product and waiting for better weather before undertaking the last job on the hard.

The gear oil in the sial drive has been changed and engine oil and filters are on board waiting for the servicing of the engine.

Time is running out and I'll be back in the water on the 29th (March), the day after Skipper returns from a short break in Ireland again.

Today 16th March, Skipper came down with his new product and set to on my Port side, managing to complete the whole side in the day.  Bet he'll feel it in the morning!  It's not supposed to be such a nice day tomorrow, so I may have my engine serviced giving his shoulders a rest.

Winter II - 2023

Winter has finally arrived since the New Year, with temperatures dropping as low as -4C here in Cowes, a lot warmer than lots of places, but it doesn't make it too comfortable for those that want to work outside.

Skipper being one of them, as he has his list of winter jobs to get through.  The work to the keel is a unique one on the list this year and is progressing well, with the port side now having all the old anti-foul removed, just a few awkward bits that need to be finished by hand.  Still have the pin holes to fill in the filler and rub back and then it should be ready for the application of Copper Coat, once there's a bit more warmth in the sun.

Portside rubbed back exposing the old Copper Coat, which glistens

around the lead bulb where the mix slumped previously

(the white bits are the original keel).

Next, his attention was to clean my teak deck and then taking four recommendations over the years, purchase and apply 'Wet & Forget' over the wet surface. It's surprising how grubby the deck gets, but he does a good job and hopefully, the product will keep them clean throughout the season.

Work to clean the teak did mean that a hot water bottle was required

in the evening to ease the back muscles.

Day two and he learned to keep his

back straight.

I think the next is to ensure that there's a good electrical contact for the manual anode, as some corrosion appears to have stopped it from working judging by the state of the anodes that were renewed when I came out to replace the prop.  Whilst he's in my rear storage area, he can try to locate and seal all the tiny leaks that enable rainwater to enter and requires sponging out.

I know there's a valve to be fitted up by the anchor locker to enable the hose to be fitted such that the deck wash pump can be installed together with its switching valve, fresh/sea.  Whether the pump itself will be fitted or just the deck fitting as power is needed to drill a hole, the rest can be done whether on the hard or not.

Usual engine service and filter changes, and then the wash & polish, that should sort his back out!

Skip has also just completed a three-day refresher plus course on Astronavigation, tailor-made by Stokey, the guru, to match his requirements.  Back in 2005 he took the RYA course but opted not to take the exam as it was wasting his and the examiner's time.  He's always wanted to be able to use one and keep the skill of doing so alive and spotted two in a shop in Cowes, but um'd and r'd as whether to purchase or not.  Eventually, the one he preferred went from the window however, a few months later it returned and so having negotiated a price bought it.

Stokey took a look at it and adjusted the mirrors to take out the Instrument Error (IE).

Sip is now able to take a sun, planets, and star sights including Polaris, and plot his position in the Northern hemisphere, (he can do the South too but needs different stars). The next is to meet up with Stokey for a day in February to undertake a sun run sun sight for real using his sextant.

 

Winter 2022

Seasons greetings,

It is that time when I'm back out of the water for a spell on the hard for a deep clean inside and a wash and polish out.  However, as with these things the mere fact that there are three months in front of you, there's an option to leave it for another day. Certainly, this cold snap does not bode well for the Skipper to dip his hands in buckets of hot water only to splash it all over my cold sides to remove the salty sticky, polluting particulates that adhere to my sides.  So I'll give him that, it can wait and it is bound to rain at some point too!

The electricity charge of £5/day has been resolved with the fitting of a meter maid that like your electricity meter at home just counts the kWh used. At £0.19/KWH plus an admin fee of £0.27/day, it means that I have just the single oil-filled, timed radiator in the master cabin disseminating the heat through the saloon to the rear cabins if it hasn't gone cold by then.  When Skip arrives on some occasions he does run the Webasto heater, which runs on the diesel he topped up before moving me to the marina.  That tends to warm me throughout and probably him too whilst spending time down here.

As usual, a visual inspection of my hull is carried out whilst I'm in the slings and being jet-washed, this defines if there are any areas that need attention due to the build-up of weed, that the Copper Coat in the main keeps off.  As is usual, the crack between the 3.5t lead bulb and the cast iron keel from which it hangs, is closely inspected for any deterioration.

My Keel last year

 This year when I came out in August, to have another prop fitted, the tail of the lead bulb was slightly damaged. When inspected more closely, it appeared this was either a repair from a previous event or more likely a feature of when the lead bulb was formed and miss-shapen. Once fitted, it was then reshaped with a filler.

This has proved also to be the case for that annoying crack.  A few areas of rust have appeared on my keel and so Skipper went around with a wire brush and a hammer. When he looked at the crack more closely and tapped it he realised that it had been filled and went on to remove it back to the lead underneath.  Once cleaned up a bit more he'll build it back up in resin layers, with fiberglass fragments cut into the mix, before finally finishing off with a filler to give a smooth surface.

Then it'll be rubbed right back to the Copper Coat previously applied and re-coated.

The filler material removed exposing the lead

The first job, which is the easiest, is the removal of the prop and cleaning it at home.  This is where it is likely that last year the job wasn't completed as the rear anode wasn't available and it was put back on but not torqued up, then forgotten.

As most marine life forms other than fish and other large marine animals etc consist of calcium carbonate structure, the use of a 'limescale' remover dissolves the build-up as can be seen with the main body of the Flexofold body below.

Prob body in a bath of Limescale remover

I brush each blade the same and it comes off without any scraping or mechanical process.  You do have to pinch an odd baking tray from the kitchen though, but as you can see this has the same blue as the keel!

It is hoped that the deck wash pump, stainless steel deck fitting, and the sea/fresh water switch valve can be fitted and ready for next season.  Sea water, to wash down the anchor and deck, the build-up of green fungia which only grows in fresh/rainwater, so a dash of seawater kills it leaving my decks free of a green coating.

The loud hailer is still to go up the mast, Skipper has already fed the wiring up there ready and has it working from the radio set.

Another winter project is to re-make the connection from the manual anode to the earth (base of the wind generator). It was noted that one of the two anodes fitted to the prop was nearly eaten away and that was replaced in August of course.  The state of the manual one is whole, suspicion grew that it wasn't doing its job properly when weed was spotted growing on it. The bolt at the base has corroded and so stopping any residual current from flowing that should prevent galvanic corrosion.

Well, that's about it for now, I'll update you as progress is made or not if the cold weather continues.

May be next year!

It is mid-October and the winds around the shores of the south coast are starting to build more frequently,, the temperature too is dropping and this must mean that winter is on its way.  The clocks haven't gone back yet but it won't be long.

I'm booked in to come out again on the hard at the beginning of December and back in, in March 2023, will next year be the year when the longer trips I've been set up for will come?

It has been a disappointing year, but a busy one for skipper and of course the loss of his crewmate's mother so it was what it was.

The lee cloth was eventually made to order and has been fitted, handy for both the companionway and the chart table, and convenient to hear the alarms from either the AIS or Doppler radar, during power naps.  Seven hooks fitted under the lip of the table and the cloth extends right to the back of the set and is stapled in place however your weight will hold it in place when being used.  When not in use velcro strips hold it folded back to keep it flat.

Lee cloth

What else has been going on, well, the loud hauler has the wiring in situ and only the 6 holes need to be drilled up the mast the unit fitted and wired in.

Remember the Skylink 6000, well the satellite side of the unit is currently being tested this month too, and as you can see below, a phone has appeared at the back of the galley. Is this to ring for takeaways?  The whole point of this system is to ensure that weather Grib files can be successfully downloaded so weather forecasts can be viewed anywhere whilst at sea. This appears to work well together with voice calls and at $0.43/m is not too expensive, although the monthly rate, which can be stopped and started as and when in whole months is twice that of the cell network.  That's to be expected.  The phone's handset will need an elastic band or similar around it in lumpy seas probably to stop it from coming off its cradle.  Alternatively of course you could get an accurate weather forecast and avoid such conditions!

I have my own phone number and if I want an e-mail address too.  Still, this does mean that skipper is still able to work and keep in touch with Clients (providing no alarms are going off in the background!)

Ordinary phone

Apologise, for a short one, but without much to report on, there's little to say.  Hopefully, I'll keep you posted before or at least when I come out.  The Marina has suggested that the daily rate for electricity will go up from £1 a day it has been to £5, so I might need some thermals and certainly keep an eye on my water tanks, possibly emptying them if the temperature looks to plummet.