BLUEMOMENT

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Went out to Fairwinds today - must be three months since we were last aboard. The tape over two of the screw holes where I have still not replaces the port cabin-top grabrail (split on the way back from Spain in 2007) had come off and one of the bunk cushions was a bit wet at one end, plus the charts underneath that were not in placcy folders. These amounted to one Moray Firth chart with Decca rings on it and one nearly new Imray of the N. Minch which I am optimistic of saving. Also some chafe on the top leading edge of the sprayhood because I had not topped the boom up enough (but it is as thin as tissue paper anyway).

Otherwise not too damp, not too squalid, no chafe etc. Bilge less than half full. Engine started first time after I had WD-ed the Morse button and the keyhole and ran sweetly. Apart from the beard she is pretty much in 'sail-away' condition and I find it hard to see why anyone takes their boats out every year if they have a sheltered swinging mooring.

We will have to lift briefly to antifoul thoroughly this year as we didn't last year. Of course I had hoped to reinforce the foredeck and fit a new windlass, demountable inner forestay, better bow roller and more cleats but yet again that ain't going to happen. Apart from anything else my Cruising Instructor qualification lapses in the Spring and so I am doing a YMI course which is costing me £650

Plans still include taking the boat down to Cornwall after the CC in preparation for a Summer cruise to Brittany, but it depends on money - I am saving pennies for the ARC in November.

We started Ishtar for the first time in 5 weeks last week. Key only got halfway round before she fired, but it is brand new.

Loading the bag for the boat now. Then a few beers at the club and a day out in the Bristol Channel tomorrow. Not as picturesque as up there with you lot, but first sail of the year, as long as we get some wind.

I checked out Sea Rush the other day. No big deal perhaps, but I got caught out by the cold spell. Family matters had prevented me checking her out or even winterising her before the snow hit in November.

In the event, she was fine, but quite damp with condensation because she hadn't been left with proper winter ventilation set up & ice on the decks causes massive condensation underneath in the locker tops.

HM told me that there had been ice on the river (-10C) but, the sea underneath must have still been about 4C as there was no ice damage to the fresh water system - also not drained for winter. A couple of ropes were hanging over the side - probably dragged off by the weight of ice/snow. Also one of the stern warps had jammed above the rudder - no idea how that could have happened, but it did & I had to get up at 2am (LW) to free it. In the end I had to take a kitchen knofe to it.

Very pleasant break, but blinkin' cold at night - still icy decks in the morning & the cockpit cover frozen solid inside & out.

Managed to get the saloon temperature up to 3 degrees yesterday morning after running the Eberspacher for 1/2 hr. Very poor for sailing, but lovely to be out. Bristol Channel at it's most benign

Amazing - the webster uses morse to start his engine.......

Alcyone wrote:Managed to get the saloon temperature up to 3 degrees yesterday morning after running the Eberspacher for 1/2 hr. Very poor for sailing, but lovely to be out. Bristol Channel at it's most benign

Cor, that ship looks close, did you have to run for cover?

Arghiro wrote:

Alcyone wrote:Managed to get the saloon temperature up to 3 degrees yesterday morning after running the Eberspacher for 1/2 hr. Very poor for sailing, but lovely to be out. Bristol Channel at it's most benign

Cor, that ship looks close, did you have to run for cover?

Nah, twas actually at anchor waiting for a pilot. When I first saw it, though, it was quite foggy, and I was more concerned.

Went to fit the refurbished raw water pump and found the engine wouldn't start due to failed solenoid - less than a year old. Durite/dealer supplied a replacement under warranty, but it is a different design. Durite say they changed source in March '10 so if you have one recently fitted WITHOUT a rubber manual activator cap on the bottom, be ready for sudden irreversible failure.
Have a heavy screwdriver nearby to short the terminals...

Have now got the Yanmar 2GM sitting between the galley and the chart table. 1 broken engine mount and one soaked in oil and a bit soggy - and they're only 28 and a bit years old! Broke the drain tap off the heat exchanger - it was plain brass and a bit soft, now replaced with a BSP blanking plug. New exhaust mixer is a different angle to the old one so it looks like a new pipe is required, wee pipe to the mixer from the heat exchanger has a wee split, so that's where the water that is rusting the back of the engine is coming from. Prop is off and sent off for repitching (last years effort got the engine blasting out black smoke at 2800 rpm max), shaft has marks so humming and hawing about replacement - any experts? Tried to get the yard to lift the engine down to ground level but apparently their forklift won't go high enough - now in negotiation with local farmer for a wee loan of the thing he loads straw lorries with, oh, for a skyhook! Should I lift the head or perform other major surgery on the lump while it's out or just put it back 'cos it was running reasonably ok and it's only done about 4000 hours. Liferaft off to Cosalt for service today. F'c'sle ready for staining and varnishing to hide the watermarks if only the temperature would stay up - today would have been good but I missed that. Got a relaunch date of 21st March - only 55 days to go and I haven't even dented the list yet.

Why didn't I just leave it in the water and antifoul it between tides?

marisca wrote:Have now got the Yanmar 2GM sitting between the galley and the chart table. 1 broken engine mount and one soaked in oil and a bit soggy - and they're only 28 and a bit years old!

I am replacing my 3ym30 mounts this year - in serviceable condition, 6 seasons old. Cost of postage if you want them.....

They will be available in about 4-5 weeks time.

FullCircle wrote: I am replacing my 3ym30 mounts this year - in serviceable condition, 6 seasons old. Cost of postage if you want them.....

That's an extremely kind offer. I have procured mountings from R&D Marine after perusing the PBO site. They are not straight swaps, need packing up by about an inch and are on a different bolt pitch but seem to be recommended. I've just checked my parts book/internet and the Yanmar mounts seem to be the same for the 2GM and the 3YM at 100 front, 75 rear - they would certainly save me a lot of faffing about. So yes please.

As a matter of interest - why are you changing them?

marisca wrote:
As a matter of interest - why are you changing them?

I was gifted new R&D mounts for £40 the set. They retail at some huge figure. Also, it is recommended to change them after 4 years, which is total tosh of course. Yanmar's marketing department hard at work.

Marisca:

Tried to get the yard to lift the engine down to ground level but apparently their forklift won't go high enough - now in negotiation with local farmer for a wee loan of the thing he loads straw lorries with, oh, for a skyhook

Why not use the boom & mainsheet, I did for my Volvo MD2B which is probably a lot heavier than your Yanmar.

I would if the mast wasn't lying horizontal au moment! I can pay to have the boat moved to the crane at the end of the pier and then back again (twice), or hire a crane - apparently the crane hire is the cheaper option.

marisca wrote:Have now got the Yanmar 2GM sitting between the galley and the chart table. .......... oh, for a skyhook!

I've read somewhere that someone slid his engine down a scaffold plank to get it on to the ground -don't think that I would try it with a 100+ kg lump - and you would still need to get it back on board again.

You could try an HSS Demountable Gantry - you are not supposed to move it under load - but a 120 kg load on a 2 T gantry on a smooth surface? The 3 metre height might be limiting - can't remember your draught.

Do you have any contacts with access to a HIAB?

Ash