What boat projects did you do over Christmas?

[Baggywrinkle]

I managed to sort out my instrument upgrade at the chart table .....

Before ...




After ....

 

[rotrax]

We cleared, cleaned and presented our boat ready for sale. Already got interest.

First Mate is very upset - as am I - but the time is right to downsize and be less adventurous.

We shall save many thousands in fixed costs too with our next boat as it will be in our Club Marina in Gosport at a fifth of the cost of keeping the big one.

So, some advantage financially, but we will certainly miss Jarrow Lily!

 

[Koeketiene]

Minor instrument/autopilot repairs and upgrades

 

[Baggywrinkle]

We cleared, cleaned and presented our boat ready for sale. Already got interest.

First Mate is very upset - as am I - but the time is right to downsize and be less adventurous.

We shall save many thousands in fixed costs too with our next boat as it will be in our Club Marina in Gosport at a fifth of the cost of keeping the big one.

So, some advantage financially, but we will certainly miss Jarrow Lily!

The couple we bought our boat from were very sorry to let her go ..... it was registered in the wife's name and they had ordered it from new. Poor woman was in tears when we signed the sales contract and she had it certified at the notar. It is easy to get emotional as a boat holds so many treasured memories.

 

[justanothersailboat]

Managed two rather chilly days in the yard. I'm working on adding double-line reefing, I finished all the changes to the boom (grafting a block into the gooseneck, fitting some cheek blocks and fairleads to guide the lines smoothly, riveting patches over the holes left by old equipment), almost finished putting new clutches on the deck. Just need to finish that and get the new deck organisers on and I'm ready to rig it all up.

Also finished up putting an inspection hatch on the original stainless water tank, which by now really needed a way to properly clean it. And put the rudder back on after earlier work. And lots of measuring for the next jobs. I could do with another Christmas just in the yard... good job I enjoy these jobs

 

[Porthandbuoy]

Pulled four rings of sticky, greasy gland packing out of the stern gland yesterday. TIP: I used a long screw screwed into the packing. Made pulling it out a doddle one ring at a time.
It's a water cooled/lubricated gland from a T off the seawater cooling line. I'd ran out of adjustment and, while it didn't drip with the engine off, it sprayed water with the engine at cruising revs. Replacing the packing with graphite impregnated stuff and see how that performs this year.

Currently got a sole board up and am making good the oversize screw holes which I will re-drill and cover with cup washers.

Just before Xmas I re-finished the cupboard fronts over the galley and the woodwork beneath. Took everything back to bare wood and laquered. Between coats I removed two redundant u/s depth transducers. Glad I did as one of them simply fell off when I hit the fairing block with my hammer leaving a 12mm hole in the hull.

 

[justanothersailboat]

Is that a wooden boat or a plastic one Porthandbuoy?

You've got me looking at my redundant speed log thinking maybe this IS the year I rip it out, after all.

 

[Porthandbuoy]

Is that a wooden boat or a plastic one Porthandbuoy?

You've got me looking at my redundant speed log thinking maybe this IS the year I rip it out, after all.

GRP. A Neptunian 33. The transducer in question was in a fairing block fastened (allegedly) to the hull by two self tappers which were barely 6mm longer than the hull is thick. The wood was soft and wet, ergo the screws had no grip. When I applied chisel and belted it with a hammer the plastic stem of the transducer shattered, the block fell off and I swore. More about it here.

 

[justanothersailboat]

Wow, that's pretty scary. Good thing you caught it. (also, googling Neptunian 33s... nice boat.)

 

[rotrax]

The couple we bought our boat from were very sorry to let her go ..... it was registered in the wife's name and they had ordered it from new. Poor woman was in tears when we signed the sales contract and she had it certified at the notar. It is easy to get emotional as a boat holds so many treasured memories.

Yes, we know. I dont think there will be tears, but we will be sad. We have our downsize lined up once she is gone, from a long standing and regular contributor to these pages. A mini version of what we are selling, long keel, sloop rig, pilothouse, inside steering as well as a tiller.

We shall have something to keep us busy getting her how we want her. That is half the pleasure of boat ownership!

 

[Boathook]

Been a bit to chilly / damp for me to work on the boat, especially as it is all outside. Come March will service the engine and do the antifoul. Jet washing / cleaning the decks, etc will take place once back on the mooring and away from other boats. Hopefully ready for sailing early April.

 

[Supertramp]

Turned the heating on and spent 6 hours stripping, cleaning and adjusting the shims on one of my steering bevel gearboxes. 90% of the job was getting access removing electrics and cutting away wood. Whilst I like having two helm stations and integrated autopilot, I do appreciate the simplicity of a tiller and windvane. Generally the boat has reasonable access to systems and fittings but not this one and it has needed the free play taken out for the last 5 years. Big tick on the to-do list. The next day was spent doing the engine and heat exchanger service. Both jobs benefitted from having plenty of time and some warmth for comfort.

 

[Slowtack]

Planning, scheduling and procurement....

 

[chris-s]

Finished replacing the headlining in the heads after the previous owners replacement fell apart due to plasticiser migration turned the glue back to a gooey mess that took a month of weekends to clean back to a good surface.
I used double sided sticky back foam from hawk house underneath the vinyl which worked better than you might think over convoluted surfaces. We made a simple Formica covered panel for the lower part and did a bit of work to the cabinet. Since the final photo, a little more trim has been added and some wrinkles worked out. I had hoped it was a job I started at the beginning of October and hoped to complete by November(working every weekend) but in the end it took me until New Year’s Eve.

 

[The Q]

Sewed a new jib, I'll actually trial fit it to the jib club in a few minutes.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I tend to do no work on my boat over Christmas as it always too hot to do work on boat December, January and February

 

[Sea Change]

Added three new 450w solar panels. Getting them out to the boat was an two dinghy job. Fortunately we have two dinghies

 

[greeny]

They're a fair old size. Where are they to be mounted?

 

[Keith 66]

I resealed the two frd cabin windows out of our Sabre,(Main ones were done last year) took half an hour to whip the frd pair out under the winter cover.
The butyl rubber seals had broken into sections about an inch long & were starting to leak.
Now wait for the silicone to cure properly & they can go back in.

Other boat job is in the warm workshop, polishing a mould for a grp replica of a vintage Sugg pond yacht 27" long.
I have the original boat & its a classic Edwardian racing cutter style that sails very well.

 

[Sea Change]

They're a fair old size. Where are they to be mounted?

They're 1134x1172mm each.
I already had four 100w panels on an arch. These are a foot wider and extend forward 2ft more, but are still clear of the bimini.