BLUEMOMENT

I've never before been first to post in an entirely new section. What an honour, eh?

Avilion should hopefully be available for CC10, hopefully, but I seem to have a wee structural problem that I'll be looking into first. I've been bothered this year by rain water coming in from the mast base. In preparing the boat for coming out I noticed that the deck under the mast base is depressed by about 10mm which is presumably what has causing the leak. The mast base bolts to a compression post which in turn is bolted to the forward keel bolts. It would seem that all of this has moved down by about 10mm which is confirmed by a gap at the bottom of the bulkhead.

The obvious thought is that the rigging has been over tensioned, but I rather suspect a more serious fault. I might have to be rather busy over the winter...

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Boats eh? Dontcha just love 'em.

I hope it turns out a lot less serious than you fear.

If you think that an incentive to get it sorted in jig time might help, I can offer you a berth on the good ship Silkie should you fail.

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we are star dust

Thanks for that, you never know...

Hopefully Avilion will be coming out sometime this week. Once ashore and sitting on her keel with the mast off I would expect to see everything back in its usual position. Then it'll be a case of removing woodwork to (a) see if there's any cracking in the floors, and (b) see what repairs / reinforcement can realistically be carried out. One complication is that the bulkhead must have been inserted before joining the hull and deck and, fixed as it is between GRP shoulders on both sides, cannot now be removed in one piece.

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Are there criteria for entry to the CC? Looks like we'll be on the west coast from early March, and not having attended any such gatherings I am unfamiliar with the etiquette.......

No criteria whatsoever. In fact last year, somehow, the Cruise Director was in London and his boat in Fleetwood throughout the event, so we had to ring him up all the time.

It is for this reason that approximately three hundred thousand boats took part in CC09, altho of course, due to pressure of work and (mostly) not knowing about it, the actual number of boats taking part was about seven, on and off...

As this season draws to a close, except for the few hardy souls who intend sailing over the winter, it's very nice for Mme S and myself to look forward to next year, and the possibility of fulfilling some unrealised dreams or ambitions.

The CC rates high in the Shard social calendar (bit sad really...), so, Mr McP, no etiquette except a desire to muck in and enjoy the company. I wasn't around in its early manifestations, but have thoroughly enjoyed the last two or three. Hopefully some good sailing, but definitely some marvellous company. Great fun.

PS: A robust constitution can be an advantage.

Didn't you enjoy the first couple then?

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we are star dust

My kind of sailing.....great excuse for an early season dawdle. For those that don't mind early reefing (avoids gin spillage), there will be spare beds on Ogun and plenty opportunities to tell the skipper how things should be done.

No musical talent at all, but according to previous shoreside excursions apparently I can erupt into full gaelic song after sufficient refreshment.

Jings, crivvens, helpmaboab, izzat five of them then....?

And what with Mr McP saying that he's gonnae gie it laldie wi' "apparently I can erupt into full gaelic song after sufficient refreshment", it's chust going to be tickety-boo. Chust so.

Harrummphh
There'll be no dawdlin' if you don't mind - take that man's name, I shall see him at the Bar.

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Regards

http://www.yotblog.com/claymore/

Well I've done 4.5 and although you wimped out on the 0.5 you've still done 4 by my reckoning.

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we are star dust

What was the 0.5 then?

In 2007 DaveS and I met up for a night in Puilladobhrain and then ran for home the next day after a forecast for severe gale 9 imminent.

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we are star dust

If you turned up, that's a full 1 score. Claysie gets a CC2009 medal too, somehow.

Indeed - courtesy of BT and Orange.

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Regards

http://www.yotblog.com/claymore/