Today it's been blowing around F6, so it made rowing out to the boat a bit of a slog. Eventually got there and then the heavens opened. So just a quick visit to check the hatch would fit the front panel.
It does, although it takes up most of the front panel. An Ocean 20 is just about the max size for that panel I think. I didn't check on what the fit was like inside, as I was fearful of losing the dinghy it was that windy. I was only there for a minute but already one of the fixing had come undone, such was the wind and wave action tugging at the ropes.
So back in the dinghy and to row against the wind again back to shore.
The wind was blowing parallel to the beach so I was fighting it there and back again.
I must admit I'm not a fearful rowing out to the boat in this weather, I'm just not happy about losing the dinghy and getting stranded on board. :-)
Anyway, it's good news the hatch fits. Now I know it does, I've been cleaning off the old sealant with my new power tool: my multitool with scraper attachment. It made short work of the sealant, I'm hoping it will make scraping the bottom of the boat an easier and quicker job too.
Showing posts with label dinghy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dinghy. Show all posts
Sunday, 26 February 2017
Tuesday, 9 June 2015
Good Weekend
I finally got more than a fleeting visit aboard the boat.
Saturday I was babysitting all day, but Sunday I got out to the boat as early as possible, about 3 hours before high tide.
I had to repair one of my locker tops that had started splitting: my fault for using exterior grade plywood I suppose. Some Marine ply will be on the shopping list this autumn then.
I also sorted the other turnbuckle on the main stay. Jim snapped me at work from his boat:
The dinghy looks almost as big as Sprite, which at 14ft I guess it is!
Here's a zoomed in look:
With that complete, it was a case of have a brew and wait for high tide and another job: using Sprite 2 to move Nicky's yacht Meagles to a new mooring down the beach.
Not an easy task given the number of mooring ropes fouling the shoreline from all the boats on or very nearly on the beach. But with a bit of effort we got Meagles away from the ropes and into clear enough water to move her down the beach.
No pictures of this yet. I was too busy at the time! But Jim took some from a distance so I may be able to post them later.
So a swim from Nicky pulling ropes out to us and me using Sprite, we got Meagles down the beach to her new home.
Then back to my mooring for another brew and then pack up and row ashore.
All in all I think I had 4 hours aboard Sprite and the Sun shone all the time, so not a bad day at all
.
Saturday I was babysitting all day, but Sunday I got out to the boat as early as possible, about 3 hours before high tide.
I had to repair one of my locker tops that had started splitting: my fault for using exterior grade plywood I suppose. Some Marine ply will be on the shopping list this autumn then.
I also sorted the other turnbuckle on the main stay. Jim snapped me at work from his boat:
The dinghy looks almost as big as Sprite, which at 14ft I guess it is!
Here's a zoomed in look:
With that complete, it was a case of have a brew and wait for high tide and another job: using Sprite 2 to move Nicky's yacht Meagles to a new mooring down the beach.
Not an easy task given the number of mooring ropes fouling the shoreline from all the boats on or very nearly on the beach. But with a bit of effort we got Meagles away from the ropes and into clear enough water to move her down the beach.
No pictures of this yet. I was too busy at the time! But Jim took some from a distance so I may be able to post them later.
So a swim from Nicky pulling ropes out to us and me using Sprite, we got Meagles down the beach to her new home.
Then back to my mooring for another brew and then pack up and row ashore.
All in all I think I had 4 hours aboard Sprite and the Sun shone all the time, so not a bad day at all
.
Saturday, 30 May 2015
Time on the Boat at Last.
Finally got to get on board the boat today.
Flipping the dinghy over and dragging it down the beach was fine, no back strains there.
I went out and changed the starboard turnbuckle on the main stay. It was a bit windy so it took a while to devise a knot to tie on the stay to hold it down and prevent anything happening to the mast.
Anyway a few loops wrapped round the stainless wire were tied just above the eye and then the rope led down to the deck fitting. before I undid everything I fitted the new turnbuckle to the deck fitting so I only had one end to deal with reducing the time the stay and the mast were loose.
Anyway everything worked out, got the turnbuckle on working from the dinghy lashed to the side of Sprite. That way I could work sitting or standing up, keeping my back straight. After doing the starboard side I decided the port one could wait. I drank my coffee and decided to head back to shore while the tide was relatively high and there was less beach to drag the dinghy up.
Just pulling the dinghy up after getting out made my back twinge, so I emptied the dinghy and chucked the stuff in the car.
Then I returned to the dinghy with my back-saving not-so-secret weapon: a rachet winch:
With a double pull through a block it can pull up tree stumps (allegedly) but I rigged it for single pull, which sped up the pulling process. The bad news was it was still painfully slow, lots slower than dragging up the beach by hand. Especially having to do the pull in stages. I felt such a fraud, but at least when I got in the car to go home I wasn't in agony!
So, only a couple of hours on board today but I feel so much better for it.
No visit to Sprite tomorrow, I'm off to Littlehampton for lunch.
By the way there's a really nice looking Invader 22 on eBay at the moment. £750 with only 2 hours to go. No bids on it... Very strange, but I guess the bad weather this Spring has depressed the market a bit.
Flipping the dinghy over and dragging it down the beach was fine, no back strains there.
I went out and changed the starboard turnbuckle on the main stay. It was a bit windy so it took a while to devise a knot to tie on the stay to hold it down and prevent anything happening to the mast.
Anyway a few loops wrapped round the stainless wire were tied just above the eye and then the rope led down to the deck fitting. before I undid everything I fitted the new turnbuckle to the deck fitting so I only had one end to deal with reducing the time the stay and the mast were loose.
Anyway everything worked out, got the turnbuckle on working from the dinghy lashed to the side of Sprite. That way I could work sitting or standing up, keeping my back straight. After doing the starboard side I decided the port one could wait. I drank my coffee and decided to head back to shore while the tide was relatively high and there was less beach to drag the dinghy up.
Just pulling the dinghy up after getting out made my back twinge, so I emptied the dinghy and chucked the stuff in the car.
Then I returned to the dinghy with my back-saving not-so-secret weapon: a rachet winch:
With a double pull through a block it can pull up tree stumps (allegedly) but I rigged it for single pull, which sped up the pulling process. The bad news was it was still painfully slow, lots slower than dragging up the beach by hand. Especially having to do the pull in stages. I felt such a fraud, but at least when I got in the car to go home I wasn't in agony!
So, only a couple of hours on board today but I feel so much better for it.
No visit to Sprite tomorrow, I'm off to Littlehampton for lunch.
By the way there's a really nice looking Invader 22 on eBay at the moment. £750 with only 2 hours to go. No bids on it... Very strange, but I guess the bad weather this Spring has depressed the market a bit.
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