Fed up

Koeketiene

Koeketiene

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 Sep 2003
Messages
18,433
Location
Le Roussillon (South of France)
www.sailblogs.com
Completely, totally and utterly - fed up!!

What a year, what a year.
Been sailing today - replacement autopilot hydraulic ram not performing as it should. In fact, hardly performing at all. Hope it's just me [--word removed--] up the calibration. Too much current to attempt a rerun on our mooring.
Engine no longer leaking water - faulty impeller pump now replaced. Instead the engine's now liberally spraying bilges with lub oil.
Electric bilge pump fried - sump pump acting up.
Main torn in two places - genoa just one tear.
Stern gland needs repacking (best case scenario) or propshaft bent after I ran over our mooring earlier in the year (worst case scenario).

Then, today - squalls and horizontal rain.
Why don't I just play cards or collect stamps?

Money (lots of) committed to the new deck this winter. Little - if anything at all - left over.
Things I had hoped would last another few years all packing in at the same time.

Completely, totally and utterly - fed up!!
The way I'm feeling... I'm even looking forward to visiting the outlaws in France next week - and we haven't spoken in over 7 years.

The only thing that keeps me going right now... the words of Stanley Norman Fletcher (Porridge): Don't let the b*st*rds grind you down. But at the moment I find it hard to live up to them.
 
I think the original J P Morgan is credited with the saying:

"a boat is a hole in the water into which you pour money"

Nothing changes
 
Will

normal state of affairs i think, Artemis is out of the water for my annual two week blitz which consists of a list of tasks normal day tick off 3 or 4 items and add a couple more very slow progress ths year, weather is not helping much either
 
I know just what you ean. However, FC showed a good 4 months without a single breakage (until Burnham Week actually) and it seemed like a different boat.

Hit the snooze button for a week or two, and you may find the sun is shining again soon. Bugger the overdraft.
 
It can only get better..... hopefully. you will get there, its only money afetr all /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
Thought you looked quite cheery in the rain yesterday as we passed you heading up river. How wrong we were!

It'll get better (I hope).

CD (Start Again)
 
Will,

your passion for sailing shines through in your blog - and on here. It's an encouragement to less committed or wavering souls - so don't let go now. I'm sure the payoff for toughing it out won't be too far away.

Nil illigitimi carborundum (as Mr. Fletcher's latin ancestors might have said)

cheers

John
 
Thanks for the supportive words.

Quitting sailing is not an option. I’ve been afloat – one way or another – most of my life. I could never give that up. I think the family feels the same. My eldest even started dreaming of a boat of her own.

Selling the boat’s NOT an option. It’s not even been/being considered.

We are by no means rich – the government pays my wages FFS. Owning, keeping and maintaining a boat costs a bloody fortune. We did the math recently – 22% of our annual family budget goes towards the boat. Mooring, insurance, maintenance and replacing 25 year old bits at the end of their life.
There’s no denying it: that’s a lot of money. As a family, we’ve owned a boat for the past 8 years. In those 8 years every spare penny has gone towards the boat. It’s been 8 years since we’ve had a ‘proper’ (non boat related) holiday. Every bit of furniture in the house is at least 8 years old. Etc…

Over the past year I’ve managed to scrape together the required 10K to replace the deck and a bit extra for the standing rigging. And I had quietly hoped that would have been the end of it.
The engine has been rebuilt 3 years ago; I had hoped the sails would just have needed a few stitches. Now it turns out both engine and sails might well be ‘beyond economic repair’. And I really don’t know where the money’s going to come from.

In an effort to keep costs down, I always go down the cash in hand route. I can hardly go to the bank: gimme some money coz I need it for this chap I know who’s doing some things for me. You don’t need to know who or what and there’ll be no invoice.

Had there been some return on investment – some decent weather, a few good sails without anything breaking or falling off – it would all have been bearable. But now…
We did reach the otherwise illusive Channel Island(s), but for best part of the cruise I have felt like a hunted animal – weather-window there, go for it, shelter for a couple of days, and on move on. Relaxing it was not.

So there we are; now what? I’ve put my name forward to do a tour in Afghanistan; always good for a couple of K. Mum said she might ‘help’. Short of a massive lottery win, that will have to do.

Soon there’ll be tuition fees, but I’ll worry about that then. No point trying to solve a problem that hasn't manifested itself yet.

‘They’ say it’s always darkest just before the dawn – here’s hoping it’s true.
 
[ QUOTE ]
the government pays my wages

[/ QUOTE ]

WE pay your wages Will - no problem as long as you spend it wisely, on boat-fixing!

The sun came out for 10 minutes today - perhaps it's that dawn we have been waiting for. Blooming hope so.
 
Hmm, this encouragement thread is essential. And it's not just the money. Found myself with dearly beloved at close quarters with all sorts of sand and mud banks, no marks, in the dark, when it should have been still daylight (bad passage planning) having also chanced the spitway at low tide. Realised (again) just how scary even familiar places can be in strong winds at night. Resolved to sell boat and take more warm holidays but something irrational happened and bought a plotter instead so at least I can work my way out of holes. Why take the risks when you can be tucked up warm with a good book? Or maybe it's the risks wot makes the other times bearable...like when you stop banging your 'ead on the wall. And of course, when the weeks up, getting the pilot out again to think about the next trip. Not sure how I got into this, but it's even harder letting it go again.
 
[ QUOTE ]

but for best part of the cruise I have felt like a hunted animal – weather-window there, go for it, shelter for a couple of days, and on move on. Relaxing it was not.


[/ QUOTE ]

That sums this year up perfectly for me. The boss, however, read 5 books in the ten days we were out on our last trip, and came home totally chilled out!

I know that I'll be doing the sailing thing next year, can't imagine going on a holiday with nothing to plan or risk !

better still, she says we need a bigger boat, so I guess I'll have to sell Limbo /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

and then start looking for a replacement /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
As far as the sails are concerned, 'beyond economic repair' only means it'll cost to get a sailmaker to do them. Let's face it, any sail will blow you along.

Answer; Do 'em yourself!

Sails are only cloth and can be sewed on a normal machine (apart from lots of layers of patches, and there's ways round that) It's not as if you're re-cutting them, DIY repairs are do-able.

There's nothing magic about sail repairs, get a book and sewing machine and have a go. All you need is a sharp knife and a clear consience. It's easier than you think!
 
'Beyond economic repair' means in this case that there's hardly a patch left we haven't mended ourselves. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I've been putting off buying/renewing, often essential, bits to be able to afford the deck. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
I appreciate the feeling. Having spent a huge amount to get the boat basically sound, I need a year just get a buffer built up again. I simply have no answer if I was to encounter the problems you list. even the recent failure of the house batteries was a knock.

You have my sympathy.
 
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