Nichola / Sunny and very windy
05/11/2009, Brighton, UK

Varnishing into the wind..... a bit like p***ing into the wind but more sticky. Requires careful control of the brush and where all the varnish blows to off the end of it.

We have begun the 10 coats of varnishing on a section of toe rail and on the forward hatch in readiness for the new bow roller and hatch respectively. The wind has been getting steadily stronger - we've recorded a gust of 40 kts and unfortunately its from the north east - right onto where I'm varnishing rather than from the west from which we are protected. But as the sky is blue for the last time for a few days I just have to varnish a bit more carefully. Its unlikely I'll get the full 10 coats on before the rain arrives so we'll have to do a bit of a rub down once its dry again and I can do the last 3 coats.

Hopefully with the weather keeping us to indoor jobs the next few days we will get the instruments wired up.

We had a set back yesterday where we did too good a job on the mast when it was out, tying the rigging to the spreader ends with wire thinking we had positioned them correctly. However, once the mast was in and the rigging tightened we realised the spreaders were pointing down but now we can't move them due to the super wiring on of the rigging. Another job to be undone and redone!!!!

On a positive note I have started reading up on the area we are going to cruise over the summer and ordered a couple of pilot books too. The chart plotting software (Maptech Chart Navigator Pro) should be here this week too so I can start passage planning.

And on a second positive it is home made lasagne for tea tonight - yum! :-)

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skip / drizzle
05/04/2009, Brighton

Hello all,
as today is a bank holiday (is that an oxy'moron') we've had a half day off the boat work.

We are busy trying to fit the new forward hatch (a tricky job as the radius of old and new hatch corners are different doh!)

Nichola has been busy today doing a chart inventory and planning which charts we need. (probably about 3 passage charts to get us to norn iron)

Nichola has also been busy planning menus and victualling lists to match them, which means we should be able to stock the boat with good healthy food knowing how long we can hold out for when the zombies head down the pontoon during the 'aporkalypse' (pinched that from the paper)

To that end we have one packet of Huntley and Palmer biscuits which if they are good enough for Scott then we should be ok, mind you that didn't end so well............... hmmmmmmmmmmm!

So the question is when are we leaving? well.... answer, as soon as possible.

But when, when indeed. We hope to be sea worthy in another 3 or 4 weeks. then a few weeks cruising from brighton for shakedown, then leg it west to the west country and decide from there whether to head for a decent pint o guinness on the south coast of oireland.

until then

skip

PS more on the hatch saga later

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skip / drizzle
04/30/2009, Brighton still

Hey all, we've yet to see the zombies walking down the pontoons (like in Dawn of the Dead) that we are to expect according to the press.

We have however been busy, the Hydrovane is fitted , solar panel mounts made (just waiting for a few fittings and stainless bar)

We've begun the slow journey to installing the new hatches with Nichola starting to varnish the surrounds.

Photo is of the hydrovane but we will have to move the wind genny unfortunately to allow it to clear the vane itself on all points of sail.

The weather has turned a little today so we will run some errands and perhaps do some instrument wiring.

The rigger is due on Friday to tune the rig and allow us to get out for a test sail some afternoon.

Until the next time or the world ends
skip

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