Well, I have got most of the chock like things for the new anchor on the foredeck now though it has taken an inordinate number of M6 bolts to get there.
I have also got the tubes on the Aries drilled and in their holes. Investigation of the issues with fitting the thing fully have revealed a fair bit, not least that I am going to need a proper power drill to achieve it. Also, it will not be possible to drill through the cockpit coaming so that will have to be done with stud bolts. On the positive side, there are already holes drilled in the aft rail. All, we have to hope is the original holes are in the right place.
On a completely other topic. I tried to copy the photos off the camera but found that the ubuntu I have installed on this netbook cannot recognise SD cards when they are put in the slot. Those others of you who have had to fight with linux device drivers will know what I am talking about.
Still, the weather is changing with the wind now in the south west and a spot or two of rain. Audrey arrives later and I will be able to get into the B&B shortly as well.
Friday, 26 November 2010
Thursday, 25 November 2010
Still Freezing but with Aries Parts Now
Well, it is, if anything, even colder now and is forecast to drop below freezing tonight. I am huddled below with the Bengco going full pelt and gobbling charcoal at a rate of knots. It isn't too bad except that I still manage to get cold feet. Sitting still is not good for them and that is what I have been doing a lot of today.
The good news is that I now have the mounting tubes and brackets to enable us to install the Aries. An abortive trip to Falmouth was a bit frustrating but then I got an email from Helen Franklin/Bell and drove down today to pick them up. Now, all I have to do is work out how to drill the holes I need. I will start looking at that tomorrow once the sun is over the hill and has melted off the inevitable frost. The docks were decidedly slippery this morning.
Other progress: I bought sixty meters of nylon multiplait, a couple of thimbles and a single Barton block to make up some lazyjacks. I will need another block of course as well as the bosun's chair to get to the spreaders. Then we should have a much easier time of lowering the main.
Well, now is probably the best point to get eyes out and head for bed. It is too cold for anything else really. We will be in a Bed and Breakfast tomorrow as it is not very likely that Audrey will enjoy sleeping aboard at the moment.
The good news is that I now have the mounting tubes and brackets to enable us to install the Aries. An abortive trip to Falmouth was a bit frustrating but then I got an email from Helen Franklin/Bell and drove down today to pick them up. Now, all I have to do is work out how to drill the holes I need. I will start looking at that tomorrow once the sun is over the hill and has melted off the inevitable frost. The docks were decidedly slippery this morning.
Other progress: I bought sixty meters of nylon multiplait, a couple of thimbles and a single Barton block to make up some lazyjacks. I will need another block of course as well as the bosun's chair to get to the spreaders. Then we should have a much easier time of lowering the main.
Well, now is probably the best point to get eyes out and head for bed. It is too cold for anything else really. We will be in a Bed and Breakfast tomorrow as it is not very likely that Audrey will enjoy sleeping aboard at the moment.
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
Freezing cold on the boat
Well, I am down here now and am huddling up to the charcoal heater which is now going nicely though it did take some serious starting. I am going to have to work on my technique on that one.
There are a few plans for this week which I have down here in Kingswear. The main one is to get the Aries fitted and, to that end, I am off down to Falmouth tomorrow to pick up the parts we need to get it fitted.
Experimentation with the VHF suggests that it might well be the VHF cable rather than the box itself so we are likely to have to make a trip up the mast.
Looking ahead, I have got agreement from work to take an extended break next year so we will be off to Southern Spain or Gibraltar next August to October. This is great news but of course will require quite a lot of work done to get the boat ready for that.
There are a few plans for this week which I have down here in Kingswear. The main one is to get the Aries fitted and, to that end, I am off down to Falmouth tomorrow to pick up the parts we need to get it fitted.
Experimentation with the VHF suggests that it might well be the VHF cable rather than the box itself so we are likely to have to make a trip up the mast.
Looking ahead, I have got agreement from work to take an extended break next year so we will be off to Southern Spain or Gibraltar next August to October. This is great news but of course will require quite a lot of work done to get the boat ready for that.
Friday, 19 November 2010
Finally got some news
Well, the account of our cruise hasn't yet materialised and now all sorts of things have happened in a boaty way.
The plan to winter her in Emsworth fell foul of the atumnal weather and we wound up being stuck in Torquay for rather longer than we would have chosen. We also started hunting round for somewhere to keep her in South Devon and are now happily esconced at Darthaven Marina in Kingswear. It feels a bit odd to be based in the Dart having visited it so often.
The other item only came in today. My workplace have agreed to me taking a two month extended leave next August to October so we will be able to cruise Sarah G down to Gibraltar or somewhere in southern Spain.
Details will of course have to be worked out but it is a lot of fun to be able to definitely plan an extended cruise. We are looking on it as a way of dipping our toes in the long term cruising malarky while still having an easy route out if it isn't for us.
I will be down there working on her all next week so will try to do some updates and perhaps some photos.
The plan to winter her in Emsworth fell foul of the atumnal weather and we wound up being stuck in Torquay for rather longer than we would have chosen. We also started hunting round for somewhere to keep her in South Devon and are now happily esconced at Darthaven Marina in Kingswear. It feels a bit odd to be based in the Dart having visited it so often.
The other item only came in today. My workplace have agreed to me taking a two month extended leave next August to October so we will be able to cruise Sarah G down to Gibraltar or somewhere in southern Spain.
Details will of course have to be worked out but it is a lot of fun to be able to definitely plan an extended cruise. We are looking on it as a way of dipping our toes in the long term cruising malarky while still having an easy route out if it isn't for us.
I will be down there working on her all next week so will try to do some updates and perhaps some photos.
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
Change of plans
Well, we had our annual holiday and first proper cruise on Sarah G over the last two weeks and very enjoyable it proved. A full account will follow shortly. However, as seems to be the way of our holidays, we took some big decisions and one of them is that we are going to have to withdraw from the Azores race.
Various changes in circumstances and the increasing complexity of complying with the regulations for the race have forced this decision.
We are now going to focus our efforts on our long term cruising plans in the Medditerrinean in 2012.
Watch this space and here is a picture of one of our pleasanter evenings in the upper reaches of the Fal.
Various changes in circumstances and the increasing complexity of complying with the regulations for the race have forced this decision.
We are now going to focus our efforts on our long term cruising plans in the Medditerrinean in 2012.
Watch this space and here is a picture of one of our pleasanter evenings in the upper reaches of the Fal.
Friday, 20 August 2010
AIS installed and working
Well, we have finally done it and the bloody thing is now installed and working. We actually did the deed over last weekend and wound up not sailing anywhere but it is now done. The unit is on the bulkhead, the splitter is on the side next to the chart table sailing instruments and the switch panel. We had to run an extension from it to the AIS unit itself and finally, I had to thread the wire from the GPS aerial on the pushpit through all the cockpit lockers, along the quarter berth and finally behind the switch panel and bookshelf but it is all in and working.
We start our holiday this weekend so will be trying it out for real now. Off the boat, I have become addicted to the AIS tracking web site
Marine Traffic
Keep an eye out for us.
On a side issue, congratulations to fellow AZAB entrant Marco Naninni who has just successfully completed his 1000 mile qualifying passage for the Route du Rhum
Marco Naninni
We start our holiday this weekend so will be trying it out for real now. Off the boat, I have become addicted to the AIS tracking web site
Marine Traffic
Keep an eye out for us.
On a side issue, congratulations to fellow AZAB entrant Marco Naninni who has just successfully completed his 1000 mile qualifying passage for the Route du Rhum
Marco Naninni
Monday, 2 August 2010
More AIS blues
The saga of the AIS transponder continues. We have concluded that the process of running a second aerial up the mast and getting it two meters away from the other one is not likely to be a goer. So, we have bought a Comar splitter. Now the problem is to install the splitter.
A lot of head scratching later and we have decided that the only practical place to fit it is immediately above the bookshelf. This means lots of hole drilling as we not only have to fit it but also get the co-axial cables routed. There are however different sorts of co-ax connections. The VHF has a PL-259 socket and thankfully, the cable coming out of the splitter has a nice PL-259 connector crimped onto it. However, the AIS cable has a BNC bayonet connector while the AIS unit has a PL-259. It transpires that a BNC to PL-259 adaptor is not an easy thing to find and no chandler stocks them. Grrr.
Thankfully all is not lost thanks to a Ham Radio site who do stock them. Martin Lynch and Sons. They sell everything possible to do with radios and can be found on:
Martin Lynch & Son
Hopefully, that will bring an end to it and we will really be able to test the thing out though I still have to work out how to get the GPS element wired from the pushpit to the chart table. I suspect that this will need lots of cable ties and contortions into uncomfortable positions in the cockpit lockers. Watch this space.
A lot of head scratching later and we have decided that the only practical place to fit it is immediately above the bookshelf. This means lots of hole drilling as we not only have to fit it but also get the co-axial cables routed. There are however different sorts of co-ax connections. The VHF has a PL-259 socket and thankfully, the cable coming out of the splitter has a nice PL-259 connector crimped onto it. However, the AIS cable has a BNC bayonet connector while the AIS unit has a PL-259. It transpires that a BNC to PL-259 adaptor is not an easy thing to find and no chandler stocks them. Grrr.
Thankfully all is not lost thanks to a Ham Radio site who do stock them. Martin Lynch and Sons. They sell everything possible to do with radios and can be found on:
Martin Lynch & Son
Hopefully, that will bring an end to it and we will really be able to test the thing out though I still have to work out how to get the GPS element wired from the pushpit to the chart table. I suspect that this will need lots of cable ties and contortions into uncomfortable positions in the cockpit lockers. Watch this space.
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