2009 - A Short Season?

Athene V30

Athene V30

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Well put Flipper back in water Sat 28 Mar. Couldn't get to boat the following weekend so got down to boat on Weds 8 Apr for a long Easter break afloat.

Weds Brightlingsea to Walton Backwaters mostly down hill sailing with Sea Feather vane steering pretty well for a first attempt.
Thurs Backwaters to Lowestoft (just so I can say I have been there - not sure I'd bother again RN+SYC marina cost £16.80 for a very uncomfortable night) Again down wind with yet more wind vane action. Helicopter escort into Lowestoft
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Fri Lowestoft to Wrabness (on Stour) on the wind F4 to 5 (apparent speed) and what can I say about the wind vane but WOW!
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On picking up mooring at Wrabness noticed the auto bilge pump (float switch) was on quite a bit, at least every 30 mins so had a look about. Water was coming in through the sides of the keel! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Had a go at a temp repair with some epoxy stuff and slowed it a bit but far from happy! So after a lousy night I set off for Brightlingsea (contemplated Shotley but decided OK to get to home port) and got a list out at Morgans to find
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2 cracks across the aft end of the keel just below the hull big enough to get a finger nail in. Brasso was on hand to add his professional opinion which was a 'Peter bodge job' was not a good idea!

So Flipper is back ashore and I am boatless until can get insurers (hopefully) to get repair done.

And to top it all when I got to the car the battery was flat and I had to wait two and a half hours for the RAC.

So how was your 2009 season?
 
Peter

Very sorry to hear this news.
I hope that your insurers will sort this for you.

Any idea what has caursed this?
Was it poor handling ashore or is there something under your burth that has stressed the keel.

Best of luck in getting it sorted.

Clive
 
Quite a few miles packed in there !

Glad the wind vane worked out well. I find them very satisfying .

Hope the keel repairs are just isolated bits and can be fixed easily.

Sure to be out and about again soon ! You navy types are normally a very positive lot !
 
If you have no joy with the insurers you can pm me.

I have an angle grinder and a very positive attitude.

Paul

How do you think those cracks came about??
 
Sorry to hear this Peter, I was going to moan about my latest issue that's reared its ugly head with all this rain we've been having, but at least mine is a leak above the water line. Hope you get sorted out and back in soon
 
Thanks all. Yesterday was a bit of a c$£p day feeling more positive today, maybe it is the thought of my Cadbury Cream Easter Egg - oh I know how to live!

Hadn't seen the Dylan Winter clip but now you come to mention it I have noticed odd marks about the boat that I was pretty sure were not there pre Morgan! I am always there for launch so can see the boat picked up etc but not usually there for the lift out. Maybe I will in future.

It would seem like Flipper has had a heavy grounding presumably pushing the back of the keel up. Maybe the beat from Lowestoft, particularly the occasional slamming shook the boat up and opened up a weekness. The only heavy grounding I have had in Flipper was in the Solent in 2005 - surely that would have shown itself well before now so maybe the boat was put into it's winter cradle a touch too hard?

Still better to find out now than when off soundings! On a positive note the Sea Feather is absolutely fantastic. No boat should be without one! Not only does it steer the boat well there isn't that annoying noise you get with crew or autopilot! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Will try the Insurance route first as laying up fibreglass isn't something I have ever done. Been given the details for Steve at G Finishing who has been recommended but also told he is usually very busy so if anyone knows a good firbreglass repairer close to Brightlingsea please let me know. If insurance draws a blank then it may well be Paul and his angle grinder /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I think SWMBO has plans on my time now - the garage roof leak still needs fixing plus several other jobs on HER list. She muttered something about every cloud having a silver lining /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Sorry to hear of this but I am sure with time it will be sorted. Lets hope the insurance are positive about it. If you think it was an old grounding, does this mean a look at the keel bolts?
 
Peter, Is the keel bolted on or is it a single piece moulding as part of the hull? You can't really tell from the photo.

If it was caused by a grounding you might want to have someone have a thorough lookover to see if any of the laminate elsewhere has been damaged.
 
I had a similar problem when I first bought my boat. Stress cracks around the fibreglass keel stub that were not picked up on the survey. I had the whole keel stub strengthened and reinforcing stringers laid across my bilge and cabin floor to prevent a re-occurrence. This was done by a fibreglasser who works out of Rochford in Essex. So far it has survived several hard groundings in the Thames Estuary [Sunk Sand], and two mid ocean knockdowns with no further re-occurrence of the stress cracks. I was very pleased with the professional job and have never regretted it.

Could give you the fellow's name but it is long way from Brightlingsea, although I think the fellow concerned keeps several boat at Burnham which brings it slightly closer. Give me a PM if you want further details.
 
I met with Steve from G Finishing at the boat this morning and with Brasso (a friend & surveyor)

The cracks at the back of the keel may not be that significant, more worrying is the ammount of apparent delamination in the port side amidships and in the starboard quarter. Next step is a full hull survey by an independent surveyor. I have been recommended (by three different people) and given the details for Colin Mallard South and will try him first thing tomorrow.

Don't want to think what it will cost yet but I hope the insurers are going to play ball rather than call it a total loss! From reading the policy I think I am covered. Owned boats for about 10 years now and not made a claim until now. About to find out how good GJW are!
 
Sorry about the news! , but would support Sailorman's rec: re Martin Evans.. also might be worth ringing Richard Thomas @ Medusa Marine... is the dogs b######ks on hull repairs, not too pricey, and not to far away @ Ardleigh. If you are out of water can probably find space in Barn...now that Swedish Lass is back in. PM if you need any info. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Peter,
Not great news and really sorry to hear it, but the self steering test sounds really positive. I hope the news re the hull isn't too horrible !
 
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