This Weekend's Achievements

[Island Time 1,293]

19 hours ago, Island Time said:

Ive used the lockdown to make a new Stackpack, and a new dodger. The stackpack came out pretty good, but the dodger is mediocre. Dodger's are hard! First one I've done, another would be better...

Still, passes the time! When it's finished, I might post a pic. Maybe. 

Well, its done, not perfect, but I learned some stuff, next one would be better;

 

[Island Time 1,293]

50 minutes ago, L00seM00se said:

Hey IT, that was actually a “halfway through” photo. Here’s one with all the wood removed, before I took the grinder with a flap disc to it and cleaned a lot of the edges and detail work up. 
 

Attached is how it originally was setup, not mine but someone else’s (mine was in far worse shape). There’s a second stainless bit on the other side of the bulkhead, it’s not joined to the rest of the assembly, just used to both through  

The whole thing was full of massive air voids. I had to grind off large chunks of what I’m guessing was thickened resin  I’m guessing they just slopped it on and called it a day  

Ok, that makes sense. The important bit of glassing then is the vertical bulkhead to the hull. Provided the deck itself is solid, the load is transferred down the angled SS bit and the rig tension is trying to pull that bulkhead off the hull.. Provided the ply is dry, and the tab to the hull is well done, your plan is fine....

[aardvarkash10 1,103]

any way you can rebate the bulkhead into the hull and deck structure?  Epoxy that into place and then the glassing over the top of it all.

Whatever, its a lot of work - I admire your kick-on approach!

[Island Time 1,293]

18 minutes ago, L00seM00se said:

Thanks! I’ll certainly be glassing the heck out of it to get the thickness it had before. 

Just be aware that minimum resin to fully wet out the cloth is stronger than lots of resin...

 

[Island Time 1,293]

Use Peel ply on the inside, saves heaps of sanding. When reassembling, use bed-it tape not sealant, and you'll likely never have any issue again

[DrWatson 382]

Finally made it back to the Fête des Canots in Rolle after a 6 year absence.

Family Watson about to dock at Île de Harpes. 

Managed to pass all these guys - turns out the primary key to speed is light weight and massive sail area.

This guy's first time on the tiller, took it very seriously and did pretty well.

This guy spent his time practicing his knots.

[funlovincriminal 218]

Press ganged some bored locked down kids into linbiding the antifoul off my 1020 rudder on Friday only to find it has at some stage been faired with polyester/lightweight fairing compound and had blisters for Africa. Nothing that a planer and a weekend couldn't sort!

Damn thing had more lumps and hollows than room full of camels anyway so I'll call it a win. 👍🏽

[Cameron 96]

Sea Nymph / McDell Marine didn't build great rudders... maybe it was construction methods/materials of the time? They all seem to leak and gain bumps and hollows, I think due to the stainless stock which expands/contracts at a different rate to the glass and eventually breaks any seal. What have you done on the stock?

[funlovincriminal 218]

It looked pretty intact but I ran a moat down around the stock with a die grinder and just poured thickened resin in.

The rudder is heavy but when I took it out a few months ago I drilled a few holes in it and left it standing on its edge and nothing seeped out so who knows.

[marinheiro 364]

12 hours ago, funlovincriminal said:

Press ganged some bored locked down kids into linbiding the antifoul off my 1020 rudder on Friday only to find it has at some stage been faired with polyester/lightweight fairing compound and had blisters for Africa. Nothing that a planer and a weekend couldn't sort!

Damn thing had more lumps and hollows than room full of camels anyway so I'll call it a win. 👍🏽

looks like the Farr office had a standard rudder design in those times which they just scaled up and down, my Farr 46

[Cameron 96]

22 minutes ago, marinheiro said:

looks like the Farr office had a standard rudder design in those times which they just scaled up and down, my Farr 46

They had just discovered the enlarge/reduce function on the photocopier!

[DrWatson 382]

So this wasn't exactly a weekend achievement but here's a rundown of our return trip from Brest to Jersey. 

Brest-Jersey

Arriving late Sat night on the train into Brest, me and 2ic headed down to the Marina where the other crew member had already arrived a few hours earlier and opened up boat, fired up all the systems and loaded food and beer aboard that had been delivered to the Marina office a few hours earlier. He diligently loaded the fridge with as much beer as possible and cranked it up to max.

A few hours of getting to know each other, the 3rd crew was a old acquaintance of Martin my 2ic - they grew up in the same village in a valley in Austria. Rumour had it the guy (Frisco) had once seen a picture of a boat in a magazine - that was his total experience. But he'd just ridden his pushbike clear across Europe and was heading to Spain, so he was fit and keen. Martin has joined before for a week here n' there, so he at least knew how to use the toilet and where the beer was stowed.

Sunday morning safety and passage briefing, a few last minute vittels and we slipped out of the berth at about 1330. A nice warm 15knt WSW. Beat our way out of Brest harbour with the last few hours of the outgoing tide helping us then turned the corner as the tide also turned and headed North enjoying an easing 8-10 knt beam reach up through Chenal du Four past Ushant, making it to pretty much dead abeam of L'Aber I'ldult before the scene glassed off. Pulled the plug there and headed into the tiny harbour looking forward to a comfortable and easy night before an early getaway in the morning.

Jumped down below to turn off the water maker which we'd been running since clearing Brest Harbour to find the aft Stb. cabin awash. Had checked only an hour earlier, but by now things were floating - shoes bobbed past, my multimeter drifted by, both mattresses were sodden, and the shelf where the water maker is located was overflowing, all through the new guy's gear; iPhone, laptop etc. etc... And it was salt water. Colourful language. The water maker had developed a catastrophic leak under high pressure, resulting in 2-4L per minute (maybe more) of salt water flowing liberally. Have initiated a warranty claim...the thing has made less than 600L of water. At least now I know the bilge pump works well.

Our "easy night" relaxing turned into a complete cabin reno. Everything chucked into the cockpit and rinsed with the 100L freshwater we'd made. Mattresses squeezed out, and rinsed etc etc. on it went. But, by morning the cabin was dry and not sticky salty, all tools were rescued, and by miracle, laptop and iPhone still functional.

Me repairing a squab cover that got torn in the fracas. Can see how glassy it was there.

Next day bright and early (0700) we motored out of L'Aber I'ldut into a dead calm that lasted until about midday, replaced by 5knt WSW and an alarm. Motor over temperature. Jumped below to check while ordering crew to hoist some sails. Motor seemed fine, raw water circulating and not too hot to touch - suspected a sensor but to be sure we sailed from there on. Wind built nicely and we had a great sail with up to 20 kt on the port quarter, code0 and a reef, but with the wind always just that little bit too aft for maximum fun and bucking the tide up around the North Western end of Brittany. Eventually pulling into the mouth of the river Le Trieux and anchoring under sail in the shelter of a small island (cant find a name) just as darkness surrounded us. Started the motor to lift the keel and had the alarm go off within 3 min... not encouraging.

You can see here the blue dot where we spent the night, looks hella exposed but was actually pretty sheltered, and the wind moved a bit more W overnight. I'd wanted to get in closer to that little Island, but with the motor playing silly buggers, and rocks all over the place, we dropped the pick there about 50m outside the buoyed shipping channel that runs up the river. 

Up again at 0600 on the Tuesday (3 Aug), clearing away and out of Le Trieux as the sun rose, a nice 12knt WSW positioned to give us a comfortable sail across to Jersey, albeit a bit deep for our sail setup, leaving EU waters at around midday, and seeing us off St Helier at around 1530 UTC+1 (time zone change between France and Jersey waters). Still not trusting the engine a radio call saw the marina guys pop out in the dory and tie alongside, taking us up the busy channel (narrow, steeply walled, and with completely blind corners) and bringing us nicely into Albert Pier. Popped up for our complementary Covid19 PCR tests, made a call to the local Volvo mech. who agreed to pop down early next morning, and completed entry formalities. Also, popped in to see the registry office folk (and complete our change of address - Pierre and Angela are SUPER helpful). Celebrated crossing my first international border in a private vessel with a nice meal followed by rum 'n cigars.

Albert Pier in St Helier, Jersey.

[SloopJohnB 328]

Covid Project.

 

[Black Panther 1,765]

Lockdown bread making lesson.  Loose the timer, use Spotify.  Most songs are around 3 minutes. So knead for 2 songs. Second kneading one song. Cook for 10 songs. That’s harder, but just look ahead in your Playlist and say out loud  bread will be cooked when Hey Jude starts playing.

[Brien 22]

Like it! You could use Guitar Man too.

[aardvarkash10 1,103]

33 minutes ago, Black Panther said:

Lockdown bread making lesson. 

Tried making brioche a few days ago.  Ended up with sweet scones.

[muzled 140]

21 hours ago, Black Panther said:

Lockdown bread making lesson.  

Do you want some sourdough start BP?

[Black Panther 1,765]

I tried making some and it was unsuccessful.  Where are you?

[muzled 140]

3 hours ago, Black Panther said:

 Where are you?

I'm on the shore.  Apparently you can dry the starter out and reconstitute it back to life by adding some fresh flour n water.  

Could pop some in an envelope and send it to you if you want.

(my first few loaves didn't turn out very well, it def takes some trial and error)

[Black Panther 1,765]

PO box 367 Whangaparaoa.  Let's try It!