A long time since the last blog. Tillandsia is now moored off Torpoint Yacht Harbour and we have not voyaged far yet, still mostly daysailing.

Just spent most of the day running new cables for new chartplotter, AIS and VHF from the taffrail to the chart table via the little visited intercises between the cockpit moulding and the inner moulding of the quarter berth and cabin interior. (Don't think its worthy of a picture) Finally threaded 3 cables through and now have a good idea of the cable runs on that side. Tomorrow is assigned to other tasks but on Saturday I hope to be able to see if the VHF AIS and chartplotter will be on NMEA speaking terms. Then i have to sort the depth and log display - which seems to have gone AWOL and add a remote VHF handset in the cockpit.

Finally had a chance to blow away the cobwebs and get a bit of sailing done. Daughter Jess visited me and asked where I wanted to go for a meal on my birthday. I said I'd like to have a meal on board so we took a small trip to Penlee point and Cawsand bay. Found we were out of gas so had to repair to the Barbican for the meal itself but it was all very enjoyable except for discovering that leaving the ignition key in the stop engine position results in some electrical overheating and a worrying burning smell after an hour or so. Luckily it seems no damage done. Saw two subs making their way out of the sound, got close enough to one at the breakwater entrance that the escorting police RIB approached us to make sure we kept our distance, which we did to the best of our ability given our proximity to the breakwater end.

Well since there is no sailing to post, (and BTW I feel suitably humbled when I read other Sailblogs telling of globe trotting adventures) just some retrospective thoughts on the work done ashore overwinter prior to launching.

The work was done by Mike Lucas and his team at Totnes, - see his website in the links, which has a superb technical discussion forum for Sadler owners - and included leading all the control lines aft to the cockpit and renewing the stanchion bases. The sails though old were valetted and repaired and will do for a season or too yet, and the 28 yr old engine had a bit of TLC expended on it including fitting preheat kit to aid cold starting. It seems so far to slog away without complaint.

The biggest shock was the rigging which had seemed OK but which on closer inspection needed a lot of work. Ah the joys of yacht ownership where the depth of your purse is challenged to breaking point! Anyway the mast had to come down and all the standing rigging was replaced along with the mast fittings, sheaves and some of the running rigging. I console myself that since it was mostly original it would have been necessary anyway sooner rather than later and it does afford a bit more piece of mind. The mast electrics were also repaired or replaced since it seemed opportune.
Thanks go to Mike for his advice and breadth of knowledge on Sadler and Moody yachts, and the riggers at Baltic Wharf. Now a nice new set of sails and we'll be almost good as new - oh and then the upholstery, and then....
Never ends does it?

When I bought the boat I wasn't sure of the name, but it seems to have stuck, and is unchanged after now 2 changes of owner since new. Not being au fait with botanical terminology the actual reference was a mystery to me until I sought help from mr Google. It turns out to be a plant genus, and when I later took my annual out-of- season trip to the Eden project I managed to get this snap of one of the varieties. They are part of the bromeliad family and often sold as 'air-plants'.

I became the proud owner of Tillandsia , a Sadler 29 class yacht, last winter.
This blog will recount our adventures together as I get to know her and we explore the home waters around Plymouth before hopefully setting off further afield.

So far only one voyage ( in April) , down the river Dart from the yard where she was laid up over winter at Totnes to Darthaven marina and then round the South Hams to her current berth in Mayflower marina, Plymouth. No pictures as I forgot my camera, but an uneventful sail in waters that were familiar 18 years ago. Light to moderate wind almost dead astern most of the way and very sunny.

Since then I've been ill with pneumonia whilst the weather has been beautiful. Typical!