She's in

Yesterday afternoon saw some frantic activity around Ciao Bella.  I was home by 3pm and high tide was going to be just after 6pm.  No time to lose, I fitted the new antenna and got the other paraphernalia ready and hot footed it down to Baiter park.   With some help from John the mast went up without a hitch, Julian also showed up to help shunt cars and trailer around.  So, cold, wet and tired I left Ciao Bella nestled on her new mooring, while I paddled back to the club in the Coracle.

It's all a bit of a mess on board and the mast is not straight but she's in.

I need to get  out again to adjust the rigging, fit the boom, bend on the sails and have a general tidy up before I can go for the first sail... but I can't wait.

A fly in the ointment

Things were looking pretty good for a launch yesterday.   I had, in record time and with some help, knocked off the essential jobs stopping Ciao Bella hitting the water.  

Antifoul done, rubbing strakes coating with Sadolin, I'd even worked up the enthusiasm to take the hand rails back to bare wood and epoxy them prior to varnish.

Seats,tiller and washboard given three or four coats of varnish.  All clevis pins for the standing rigging checked, you would believe the number of times I've got to the slipway to find I've lost a clevis pin!

I'd even remembered to refit the chain hawser which had come lose as it had been previously held on with screws.   It now has through deck bolts and big penny washers.. much more solid.

So it looked like I was ready to go,, I'd checked the tides and weather, lined Paul up to help me get the mast up, I just had one more small job to do... and here comes the fly in the ointment.

I needed to fit connectors on the antenna cable.  Last year I had removed the deck connector, as it was just a little crusty, and replaced it with an index marine through deck gland.  I'd temporarily spliced the cable and just snipped through it at the end of the season.

Although the camera has focused on the pavement (D'Oh!) what it is supposed to show is the state of the shroud sleeve on the Coax.  It is black and powdery, Absolutely unusable.  As the cable runs up the mast and is integral to the current antenna, my only option was to postpone the launch until a new antenna was sourced and fitted. :(

Time to get a shufty on.

With the season already started and Ciao Bella still on the front garden, I thought it best to get on and do some jobs.  Fortunately my father in law was here and at a loose end so was happy to rub down and varnish a few bits and pieces.

 The head linings had gone mouldy so needed rubbing down and varnishing and painting on the inside.   Maurice also rubbed down the grab rails, seats and rubbing strakes.

 I concentrated on stopping leaks, primarily from the solar vent, and and antifouling Ciao Bella and the tender.  Looks like the boat tailed spitfire is about to lose it's bodywork 😁

Another item which needed attention was the solar panel.  The rather expensive Marlec panel which I  had fitted three years ago had given up the ghost, very disappointing.  

The old panel when new.  10W with Single cable through a standard cable gland.

So I have replaced it with these two 10W panels from RS components. Twice the power and cheaper than the Marlec, also the inherent weak point on the on the Marlec is the connector block which is just bonded to the panel.. on these the block is glued and screwed, hopefully it will be more robust.

2 x 10W in same footprint, 2 cables through index marine deck gland.

 I also did away with cable gland and fitted an index marine twin side entry deck gland, much nicer.  It would have been neater to have the cable entry towards the hatch but I had to use the hole already there so this was the only way it would fit.  They seem to work well, in 24 hours they took the battery from 60% to 82% which considering I'd had one panel temporarily hooked up for weeks and that really just maintained and  only gradually crept the charge up.

 I managed to get some varnish on the seats and the grab rails and refitted the headlinings, then in true 'sods law' fashion the heavens opened before the varnish was dry.

 I'd also got 2.5 litres of Flag cruiser antifoul on.  it was the cheapest I could find, lets hope it keeps the barnacles at bay.  What's left to do?.. well, the VHF connector needs replacing, the outboard needs a service, the rubbing strakes need a coat of sadolin and the seats and grab rails need a couple more coats of varnish.  I think that's about it.

not sure how good the Flag anti foul will be but I do like the dark blue compared to last years light blue  

Rip Van Winkle awakes

Oh hello...

 remember me :)     This not being employed lark is seriously impeding on my free time for things like blogs and working on Ciao Bella.  There shouldn't really be any excuses when she is this close to home.

So what have I been doing?

I have been busy on my Diploma and work on other boats though.    It's been interesting getting stuck into other more fulfilling work than Sales account management.  I've fitted a mast compression post to a quarter tonner,  glassed in floor strengtheners, serviced inboards and outboards and sweated on a stern gland removal.... I've even reglazed a VW camper van!

 Most importantly I've been getting to grips with boat surveys.  I've invested in a Tramex Skipper moisture meter  for GRP & wood hulls and a Cygnus 4  wall thickness gauge for steel hulls.steel hulls.

There is a link to my website at the top right, You can also hunt me down on Facebook :)  www.channelyachtservices.co.uk

Plans for Ciao Bella

As the balance between study and work has been tight, no work at all has gone into Ciao Bella.  With 1st April approaching at a vast rate of knots I shall have to put some time aside to get her ready. The good news is that there are no real big jobs to do, the interior is quite bad at the moment;  damp has taken hold so a simple rethink is required before launch.  The Marlec solar panel was goosed so I bought some RS branded items.  They are good value but have to buy them in packs of five.. I have three spare if anyone is interested.:)

Click image to go to webpage.

These panels are half the size of the old Marlec but still 10W.. good news as it means I can get twice the power from my front hatch :)

I gave her a good blast with the power washer when I got her home so antifouling should be quite straightforward.  If I get time I will rub down and epoxy the grab rails etc before varnishing.

In terms of plans for sailing this year, the big trip will be to Plymouth for the Hurley 18 & 22 50th Anniversary bash.  If the weather is kind, I know it won't be, I intend to cross the channel to Alderney  for a few days, then back across to Dartmouth before trotting around to Plymouth for the celebrations.  Sounds simple.

Click here for link to HOA site.

Outline programme

Friday 22nd July 2016	Hurley boats gather at King Point Marina
Saturday 23rd July 2016	afternoon - Hurley boats sail-past evening - meal and social/presentation evening at the Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club
Sunday 24th July 2016	Visit to Richmond Walk; plaque unveiling (to be confirmed). Boats disperse.

Out she comes

Following our trip to Lymington I checked the forecast for a suitable day to take Ciao Bella out.  As I now have to be a bit more canny with the pennies, the luxury of having a crane out would have to be forfeited this year.
Tuesday 21st Oct was looking pretty good, light Northerly wind and sunshine.. followed by a week of high winds and rain!!  The plan was to drag the trailer to the club, sail across to Baiter, get James to drive me back to the club to pick up the car and trailer go for a swim, drag her out and go home... Simples.
The club was quite busy, it may have been mid-week but the good forecast has spurred the a few people into a late sail.  I managed to blag a lift out to Ciao Bella, which mean't I wouldn't have to go back and retrieve the tender from the mooring.
The weather was perfect so there was no way I was going to motor over to Baiter,  the sails were up in a trice and it was surging across the harbour.

My good friends Roger and Nick were out on 'Big Easy' doing some trials on their Ocean Steer product.  It's an emergency steering device for blue water sailors.  Oceansteer is a simple and effective device which is easy to store on a boat.  I said that I'd swing by and take some photos for them.

After our play in the harbour it was time to head for the slipway, timing was everything today as I had to get the boat on the trailer bang on high water.  I saw James driving into the car park as I was pumping up the coracle.. all good so far.  Trailer retrieved and it was time for a swim, I pushed the trailer right to the end of the slipway then paddled back out to Ciao Bella. Engine on and aimed her slowly at the trailer.  At this point I'd like to say that she floated majestically onto the trailer.

Unfortunately, because I hadn't done this for a couple of years, I'd forgotten to widen the docking arms.. D'Oh!   With the tide starting to fall I jump off and was able to pull her through the posts and onto the trailer, panic over.

After wrestling the trailer back up the ramp, James jumped in the car a pulled her the rest of the way out.   Paul arrived in time to help lower the mast and before we knew it she was on her way home.
Well that's it for this year.. already missing it and looking forward to next year.

Just a foot note, I spent some time last month digging out six tonne of soil from the front garden, hand barrowing it around the back garden and replacing it with six tonne of Crush limestone and Limestone chippings.   It has made manoeuvring much easier as the wheels don't sink into the soft turf and I no longer have to try and cut the grass around it :) I think it looks so much better than it did at the beginning of the year.

Last gasp to Lymington

With the end of the season racing towards us we organised a last minute cruise to Lymington.  The Tides for the weekend were pretty good,  just a 5am alarm clock this time.  I was at the club for 0540 and made my way out to Ciao Bella.  I got the engine running, and released the mooring and motored about 10 meters before the keels touched down.. this is getting far too common, I will have to pledge to get up really early when there is a morning low or be content to leave as the tide returns.  I had to refit the battery before setting off as it had been taken home to charge.  A replacement solar panel is very high on my wish list.  So at least I had time to fit that, clean the Nasa paddle wheel and have a general tidy.

The forecast was for NNE but only f1 or 2 so very calm, I lifted off and was underway by 8am.  I had a good sail to the entrance before having to start the donk to push me past the chain ferry and left it on through the East Looe channel.

Thermos twins make a welcome return.

When I did turn the motor off the speed remained at around 4 knots, clearly the breeze was a little stronger than forecast,  I had a great sail across the bay and in through the needles channel.  It was all a little chilly so I pressed the Thermos twins into service for the first time this year... The blue one full of Tea and the black one full of Leek & Potato soup.

I caught Paul up just outside Lymington, where we dropped the sails and motored in. It was just Paul and myself for this cruise so once alongside the town quay we tidied up and pushed off to grab some lunch.  Pauls family had driven over so we we settled into the Kings Arms for Bangers & Mash.  On the way out I bumped into Kirk who had decided to set off late, great to have someone new on the cruises. Fully fed it was time to find a suitable venue to watch the Rugby.

The next morning arrived far to early as workmen were bashing the railway bridge around from around 6am.  It was a very slow morning as I gradually came back to life after the previous evening, helped by a runny egg and bacon sandwich. 

Lapwing (Corribee) and Hannah Snell (Seal 22) rafted up

Ciao Bella wedge in between the bigger boats.

Departure time was planned for around 12 noon with a bit of tide against us for the first hour.  We took the shallowish water towards Keyhaven before popping out into the main channel as the tide changed.

Hannah Snell posing in front of the Needles

The wind in the solent had been good but when we got out into Christchurch bay it was the opposite of yesterday.. F3or 4 with F5 Gust were forecast but really it was only F2 at best.  With the tide we were able to maintain 3.5 to 4 knots.. we would most likely need to start the engines at some point.

Nice to be sailing in Company

That point came as the wind just about disappeared as we transited from Bournemouth to Poole.  We pushed into the harbour entrance about 20 mins after high tide and the ebb through the entrance was starting to really go for it.  I kept in close to Sandbanks to avoid the worst of the flow.  The sunset as I arrived at my mooring was just stunning.  It's been a great season, I feel like I have really made the most of Ciao Bella this year.

Wow

Newton Creek

Time for a little Catch up.. I'm a bit out of sync with this one :)    A few weeks ago John and myself went for an overnighter to the Isle of Wight.   The Tides were at awful times for us to go, I like to get out of the harbour on the last of the ebb tide when going East. This Meant leaving around 2am.  We had our stuff ready and got to the club at 2am... bugger, As this was the weekend of the Super moon I'd missed the tide by minutes.  The tender was still afloat but I knew it was pointless trying to rush to get out.  Plan B.. Have a cup of tea then have a nap for an hour or so.

With a fresh departure time of around 5am we headed out to Ciao Bella.  The wind was a gentle North Easterly which, after a motor out of the harbour and along the East Looe channel, allowed us to head straight for the needles.  

As the sky started to lighten and the Sun made an appearance we felt blessed to be out here.  Our original plan had been to go to Cowes and find some where to watch the England v Wale rugby world cup match, but with the later start that needed rethinking.  I thought Newtown Creek would make a great stop over while we waited for the next tide to take us to Cowes.

We got to the needles channel as the tide started to slacking so pressed the outboard into service and motored in through Hurst and on to Newtown against an ever increasing tide.  

Once in the Creek we motored towards the Anchoring zone and picked a spot to drop the anchor.  I was at the pointy end while John steered.  About 100 yards from where I wanted to be the engine spluttered and cut out.  John used the forward motion to steer us to a safe area, away from other boats,  and I chucked the hook over the bow.

I had a quick look in the tank and although there was some fuel in there I  assumed it was just too low for the pick up pipe to reach.  

I thought there had been plenty of fuel, clearly we'd run the engine hard getting up the Solent and used it all?   I made us a pasta lunch then we settled down for a kip while we waited for the tide to change and allow us to make our way under sail to Cowes.  

I woke a while later suspecting something was wrong,  because we had anchored without choice we were out of the channel and had taken to the mud as the tide dropped.  We needed a plan B ver2.   

Cowes was now out of the question. We would now wait until she was afloat and either try to slosh the fuel enough to fill the carb or sail or paddle to get us into the channel so we could leave when we wanted.  I would also call on the good will of Liam, who lives on the Island to bring a can of fuel over for me.  Liam was a star and said he'd meet us at the pub after the Rugby.  

Newtown Creek is Beautiful and the amount of wildlife is fantastic.. I know very little about wildlife so I wont try to describe what we saw beyond some birds and fish :)  The unmistakable's were the pair of Kingfishers, giving us a fleeting glimpse of iridescent blue as they flashed past. Eventually Ciao Bella floated and I primed the engine.. only to get a face full of fuel!  The pipe had split and was clearly drawing in air.   If we hadn't been so tired when we arrived I would probably of  checked it,  a lesson there.  Anyway, pipe shortened and working, we repositioned the boat and pumped up the coracle for a paddle up to the quay and a walk up the the pub.

After a belly full of good food Liam came over to give us the fuel and the bad news about the Rugby. Always good to have a catch up with Liam. 

The next morning we prepared to head back to Poole. We left before the the high tide to catch a back eddy which would give us a head start going to Hurst.  This made it interested getting out of Newtown Creek as the tide rush in through the entrance was pretty quick.

The run back to Poole was great, we had the wind and tide with us and flew back.  The excitement started as we approached the Swash channel.  The sea state had been really good all day but with the tidal conditions this weekend there was a huge amount of water coming out of Poole and the wind was trying to blow it back in :)   It was like being off St Aldhems.  We eventually made it in to the harbour, there was no point heading for the mooring as it would be high and dry for a while yet.  I turned left towards south deep, just wondering how far I'd get before running aground... the answer was not far :)

Stuck in the sand again I put the kettle on while we watched the mud islands appear around us.  A great sight, the coastal birds were gorging themselves on the freshly uncovered feeding grounds.

We weren't the only people getting stuck.. Motor boats, a Dinghy?  and even the harbour Master :)  We were in good company.

and this is what caused all the grief :)  Great to see, taken from my bedroom window :)