The weather has been awful of late. But it didn't take much, just one good day without rain or wind. So when that one day came, I quickly mustered up a strong hand of a good friend and up I went!
It was the first time I actually did work up at the top of the mast. Since I got over my fear of heights, I can't say it bothers me much these days. So once the hard work was done - winching me up - it was a very concentrated hour of careful fixing to replace the wind rotavecta, resolder the connections, and change the mast top light wiring. I changed to LED lights and ran a new cable through the mast as the old one had become inflexible and corroded.
To change the wiring, I had devised to sew the old one to the new end finish with some insulation tape. And to my surprise, this worked a treat! The most difficult was connecting the leads to the lamp housing, as I had a hard time getting high enough above the mast head to see what I was doing. I still feel my thighs 3 days later from pressing my muscles to stabilize against the mast and stays.
Once that was done, it was down again. I must admit that even though it is a balancing act, being up there is quite the experience. After thanking Jorn for his much valued assistance, I finished the wiring with the connector and then took out all the halyards and other lines. I hope I haven't forgotten to do anything up there, because it'll be spring before they go in again, freshly washed!
Next item on my planning is getting quotes for the sails. It'll be the first serious investment in a long series.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Down below - and even further down.
The first few items have been crossed off the list. The ceiling was off once again to install the coachroof winch. Also, a new light spot has been added over the new sink I installed last year. The old light fixture is still there but it no longer contains a bulb as it's in a bad location and is never used owing to this.
Next item was the diesel tank. It got ruptured when we filled it last spring, so will get repaired by the original builder. They assured me heat welding PE is possible after being used, so we got lucky there. It also provides the opportunity to clean it out as I may have had a slight bacteria infestation two years ago.
While the tank is out, I've refitted the shore power installation. The wires run underneath the floorboards and with the tank out, getting at them is easy. The short in the circuitry is now gone and the wires neatly suspended from beams etc. Also, all the junction boxes have been made water tight - they were not.
I spent a dreadful two hours repairing the Henderson pump next to the loo. I'll not go into it too much. Suffice it to say I'll not be planning on doing that anytime soon. And I'll always stress proper usage of the toilet with any crew.
Next up is the mast top: weather permitting, I'll get up there and replace the wind instrument rotavecta as well as the wiring for the navigation lights. I should have done the wiring when the mast was down 4 years ago. One never anticipates enough the things that will break down. The wiring has been faulty for over a year, so it's about time I did something about it. I am also replacing the masthead anchor light with an LED to reduce consumption while at anchor.
Next item was the diesel tank. It got ruptured when we filled it last spring, so will get repaired by the original builder. They assured me heat welding PE is possible after being used, so we got lucky there. It also provides the opportunity to clean it out as I may have had a slight bacteria infestation two years ago.
While the tank is out, I've refitted the shore power installation. The wires run underneath the floorboards and with the tank out, getting at them is easy. The short in the circuitry is now gone and the wires neatly suspended from beams etc. Also, all the junction boxes have been made water tight - they were not.
I spent a dreadful two hours repairing the Henderson pump next to the loo. I'll not go into it too much. Suffice it to say I'll not be planning on doing that anytime soon. And I'll always stress proper usage of the toilet with any crew.
Next up is the mast top: weather permitting, I'll get up there and replace the wind instrument rotavecta as well as the wiring for the navigation lights. I should have done the wiring when the mast was down 4 years ago. One never anticipates enough the things that will break down. The wiring has been faulty for over a year, so it's about time I did something about it. I am also replacing the masthead anchor light with an LED to reduce consumption while at anchor.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Gearing up for the last leg.
I'm so glad the season is over. It's been very hard indeed. Never before have I actually been glad to have Victor Too in Brussels. The first reason is the start of the final winter before going across. I've been planning working on her for so long, my patience to finally get going has run out a while ago.
Moreover, every day out sailing seemed to have another item break down, giving trouble or needing replacement. The last straw was the shore power wiring which has now developed a short, which means I can't plug in shore power without tripping the fuse. When we first had this in Breskens, it was after 7 hours in a Northerly force 7 to 8 so we weren't really expecting anything other than a well deserved rest.
So now all the wiring needs checking, and since most of the wires were run along the bottom of the bilge, this means I'll probably have to rip it all out and replace it, until everything is ok again. None of the wires are seperately fused, so there's no way of checking which wire is faulty without disconnecting every one.
The upside of this is that I can now do it properly. I've already redone all the 12V wiring connections up to standard, now the 220V system will get done as it should. It's just a lot of extra work I wasn't counting on doing.
I've been making lists in my mind of things to do and get done. It's time I made a proper project planning where everything gets some time slot as well as financial provision. A lot of things depend on other stuff being available or getting measured. This week will be spent away from the boat and trying to devise a comprehensive plan. Next week-end is pretty much booked full, so the start is set for October 31st.
So after a difficult season with plenty of set-backs, now's the time for making the immediate future a bit brighter. Because, after all, I love working on my boat. Especially augmenting equipment and building my ocean crossing future is something which I enjoy thoroughly. And that time has arrived. We're in the last straight leg.
Moreover, every day out sailing seemed to have another item break down, giving trouble or needing replacement. The last straw was the shore power wiring which has now developed a short, which means I can't plug in shore power without tripping the fuse. When we first had this in Breskens, it was after 7 hours in a Northerly force 7 to 8 so we weren't really expecting anything other than a well deserved rest.
So now all the wiring needs checking, and since most of the wires were run along the bottom of the bilge, this means I'll probably have to rip it all out and replace it, until everything is ok again. None of the wires are seperately fused, so there's no way of checking which wire is faulty without disconnecting every one.
The upside of this is that I can now do it properly. I've already redone all the 12V wiring connections up to standard, now the 220V system will get done as it should. It's just a lot of extra work I wasn't counting on doing.
I've been making lists in my mind of things to do and get done. It's time I made a proper project planning where everything gets some time slot as well as financial provision. A lot of things depend on other stuff being available or getting measured. This week will be spent away from the boat and trying to devise a comprehensive plan. Next week-end is pretty much booked full, so the start is set for October 31st.
So after a difficult season with plenty of set-backs, now's the time for making the immediate future a bit brighter. Because, after all, I love working on my boat. Especially augmenting equipment and building my ocean crossing future is something which I enjoy thoroughly. And that time has arrived. We're in the last straight leg.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Finding crew is fun
At a party I threw last Saturday, I announced the trip and got a lot of crew in return. I had displayed the trip dates and some graphic representations of the route and invited people to put their names down. I was surprised to get as many interested folk to sail along for a short (1 week) or longer (up to 3 months!) period. Of course, there is still a lot of explaining, checking and organizing to do, but getting this kind of encouragement is fantastic.
For those interested in the exact route, these are the legs:
Ostend to Brittany: July 3rd to 15th 2010
Brittany to Porto: July 18th to August 1st 2010
Porto to Faro: August 15th to 31st 2010
Faro to Madeira: September 1st to 9th 2010
Madeira to Tenerife (Canaries): October 1st to 7th 2010
Tenerife to Boavista (Cape Verde): October 26th to November 1st 2010
Boavista to Grenada: December 5th to 28th 2010 (First crossing)
Then we island-hop along the Caribbean
Martinique: January 15th 2011
Dominica: January 29th 2011
Guadeloupe: February 6th 2011
Antigua: February 19th 2011
St Kitts: March 5th 2011
Anguilla: March 26th 2011
Tortola to Faial: April 21st 2011 (Second crossing)
Visiting Azores: May 8th to May 29th 2011
Faial to Scilly's: May 30th to June 5th 2011
Scilly's to Boulogne: June 24th to 29th 2011
Boulogne to Ostend: June 30th to July second 2011
I feel I've taken enough time to be able to reach every stop along the way and still be able to organize crew for the longer legs. Starting days are generally in a weekend, so relatives and friends joining us along the way, can arrange flights and so on.
I'm not entirely certain if the conditions for the second crossing will turn out to be good enough, but there is some spare time for that trip. I've read several pages of advice, and none are conclusive as to when to start and which route to take. There is the Azores High to contend with, so taking plenty of fuel seems paramount for this leg.
At the moment, I'm very pleased with all the excellent feedback I've gotten.
For those interested in the exact route, these are the legs:
Ostend to Brittany: July 3rd to 15th 2010
Brittany to Porto: July 18th to August 1st 2010
Porto to Faro: August 15th to 31st 2010
Faro to Madeira: September 1st to 9th 2010
Madeira to Tenerife (Canaries): October 1st to 7th 2010
Tenerife to Boavista (Cape Verde): October 26th to November 1st 2010
Boavista to Grenada: December 5th to 28th 2010 (First crossing)
Then we island-hop along the Caribbean
Martinique: January 15th 2011
Dominica: January 29th 2011
Guadeloupe: February 6th 2011
Antigua: February 19th 2011
St Kitts: March 5th 2011
Anguilla: March 26th 2011
Tortola to Faial: April 21st 2011 (Second crossing)
Visiting Azores: May 8th to May 29th 2011
Faial to Scilly's: May 30th to June 5th 2011
Scilly's to Boulogne: June 24th to 29th 2011
Boulogne to Ostend: June 30th to July second 2011
I feel I've taken enough time to be able to reach every stop along the way and still be able to organize crew for the longer legs. Starting days are generally in a weekend, so relatives and friends joining us along the way, can arrange flights and so on.
I'm not entirely certain if the conditions for the second crossing will turn out to be good enough, but there is some spare time for that trip. I've read several pages of advice, and none are conclusive as to when to start and which route to take. There is the Azores High to contend with, so taking plenty of fuel seems paramount for this leg.
At the moment, I'm very pleased with all the excellent feedback I've gotten.
Monday, August 31, 2009
The holiday that went bump
Just got back from a two week holiday on the English east Coast. We had two different sets of experiences; on the one hand everything was fine, with nice weather, walks and visits.
On the other hand, though, everything went wrong. We hit two other boats, suffered two major scratches, hit ground thrice of which two times fairly hard and once in a major way, and dropped a £85 VHF in the black East Coast mud. The sprayhood stitchings came loose before we even set off, and the wind measurement instrument gave the ghost. On the way back, in an unforecast Force 7, two waves piled on top of another dropped right in the cockpit at just two Miles from port, drenching us thoroughly just before we arrived. The wind was always either on the nose or dead astern, with the exception of the crossings, which gave us a Force 6 and 7.
So did we enjoy it? Well, it wasn't too bad as holidays go, but it was a mixed feeling we took home and not that of the leisurely cruise we had planned.
I did manage to get a new anchor, chain and rope extension, but not the second anchor roller I'd hoped to find. But the anchor was a big step towards the all important reliable ground tackle so much needed for cruising. Here's some pictures of the new stuff:
On the other hand, though, everything went wrong. We hit two other boats, suffered two major scratches, hit ground thrice of which two times fairly hard and once in a major way, and dropped a £85 VHF in the black East Coast mud. The sprayhood stitchings came loose before we even set off, and the wind measurement instrument gave the ghost. On the way back, in an unforecast Force 7, two waves piled on top of another dropped right in the cockpit at just two Miles from port, drenching us thoroughly just before we arrived. The wind was always either on the nose or dead astern, with the exception of the crossings, which gave us a Force 6 and 7.
So did we enjoy it? Well, it wasn't too bad as holidays go, but it was a mixed feeling we took home and not that of the leisurely cruise we had planned.
I did manage to get a new anchor, chain and rope extension, but not the second anchor roller I'd hoped to find. But the anchor was a big step towards the all important reliable ground tackle so much needed for cruising. Here's some pictures of the new stuff:
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
11 months to go...
As we'll be casting off the lines for the Caribbean around July 1st, 2010, it is now less than a year before this long anticipated date. A good time, it seems, to start the story of our preparations and tribulations to get out there.
The reason I post this now, is because I succeeded in buying a second hand wind vane. I've been looking for a used Hydrovane for a while now, and I was just starting to take a concrete interest in actually buying one. And then, all of a sudden, two appeared for sale the same week! I bid on both and ended up paying £1000 for one in good condition somewhere in the Welsh Wild West (Cardiff).
Needless to say, this is a bargain price and what could have set me back £4500 (list price) turned out quite nicely. This leaves more for other equipment, of course, since there is no doubt that I will be spending quite a lot of money on other goodies before next July.
But self-steering is now officially off the list of things to get! Now only to mount it on Victor Too's nice fat transom.
Things to come, things to do...
We're off to England for a well deserved holiday!
The reason I post this now, is because I succeeded in buying a second hand wind vane. I've been looking for a used Hydrovane for a while now, and I was just starting to take a concrete interest in actually buying one. And then, all of a sudden, two appeared for sale the same week! I bid on both and ended up paying £1000 for one in good condition somewhere in the Welsh Wild West (Cardiff).
Needless to say, this is a bargain price and what could have set me back £4500 (list price) turned out quite nicely. This leaves more for other equipment, of course, since there is no doubt that I will be spending quite a lot of money on other goodies before next July.
But self-steering is now officially off the list of things to get! Now only to mount it on Victor Too's nice fat transom.
Things to come, things to do...
We're off to England for a well deserved holiday!
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