What can I say? For a while now, I’ve had this nagging feeling: I really should write something on the blog. Truth is, there’s not much to report. This being winter and all.

However, I am very pleased to report that that all the recent upgrades and repairs are performing as expected or better. The new solar panels in particular have been a bulls-eye. No matter how run down the batteries are when we leave the boat, they’re fully topped up the next time we visit (even if it’s the following day). Even more impressive when you consider it is winter and we’ve not been blessed with abundant sunshine.

There have also been grunts of approval for the new self-tailing winch on the mast. It has made hoisting the main so much easier. Putting in a reef can now easily be done singlehanded (major boon).

The rudder’s also doing well. The initial stiffness when turning is gone. In short: all’s well that ends well.

The only untried item is the wind vane self steering. A shame really, is this is the one item I’m looking most forward to using. But to do so safely we need a bit of room to manoeuvre, not a narrow river channel. Soon though.

Sailing: as usual, not as much as I would have liked. A couple of pleasant daysails in the winter sun (what there has been of it). Happy crew – happy skipper. The Christmas Day family cruise was a particular highlight.

So, what’s ‘the plan’ for the coming year? Nothing set in concrete, but there’s a glimmer of an idea on the horizon. More on this (very) soon.