Monday 27 April 2015

Here comes the sun!

It is likely that I will spend much time onboard Rosie this summer. One thing I that Rosie used to have is an inbuilt ice box, but this was removed at some stage. The quarterberth used to be a generator locker, but now it seems electrics are provided by renewables. She is equipped with a Rutlant wind vane, but after auditing the electrics, this is not enough to run a fridge. I have decided to for the Waeco coolfreeze 18litre that just about fits in the locker under the quarterberth - where the original ice box would have been. It also has a very low power consumption. I need to install 50w of solar panels. It has taken some time to source ones that can fit on the coachroof and be as aesthetically pleasing to a wooden classic yacht as possible. The new Scanstrut deck glands are brilliant even though tricky to fit. So I now have 2x20w on each side of the coachroof and one 10w on the poop-deck which should provide 50w of power when the sun faces one side of the yacht and a lot more when overhead.


Saturday 25 April 2015

A step up on the Ladder front



I decided that the plastimo standard chandlers ladder that was inherited with the yacht was bit below Rosie's standards. So a I have refurbished an old mahogany ladder and and with new stainless steel lugs, looks the part. The only trouble is that it can only be mounted on the flattest part of the hull, but that was true of the old one too so I am not sure why I am concerned. The wooden one though fold over so you get three rungs under water which is better for a swimmer (or a man overboard).

Sunday 5 April 2015

Water water everywhere except on Rosie


It's Easter and Ipswich seems to have been invaded by eye wateringly expensive and smelly double-diesel guzzling mobo's. It's okay is you like that sort of thing, but it does seem they miss the tranquility of yachting. This one parked up next to me and rew's compliment came complete with teenagers requiring TV, Ipad, Pods, all over the place. All those Frozen songs being transmitted easily through the water into Rosie's hull. There was nothing for it but to be the electric drill out and do some onboard DIY.

It does appear that marina etiquette is somewhat missing these these days. The photo above shows this constantly filling the tank of water throughout the weekend. I wanted to use it - the only hose on the pontoon - but alas, the owners decided to go into town and leave it running. On their return I asked to retrieve the hose. No, they wanted showers onboard as their "ensuite" is nicer than the marina's ones. This required constantly filling the tank as a family of 5 went off to have their showers... Am I missing something here?

On a serious note though, I worked on Rosie's safety gear this weekend to bring it upto ISAF spec - something that is required for any ocean passage if I am to get her insured for that. This means an upgrade of the lifebouy. The old upside down light did not work and new more modern has been added. Then there is an old strobe light that came with Rosie's inventory that I have now added to the top of the danbouy. Lastly I have added a drogue to the lifebouy and connected the two with new floating line. The danbouy flag was very faded and that has now been replaced and there is now a cover on it attached to the backstay to protect it from UV. All of this took me all afternoon to set up and then I looked at mu neighbour. I could not see one bit of lifesaving equipment anywhere? No lifebouy, no lines, no nothing...