Apologies for the lack of posts in the last few weeks - although it's only February I think it safe to say that there may be a sniff of spring in the air (although that may be wishful thinking) as boating matters have begun to bite - delightfully - into my available time....
The mast went away this winter to have all the standing rigging replaced - this is a 10 yearly task, and by some strange case of serendipity, just after I'd arranged for this to be done, I found some old paperwork in the little pile that came with the boat that shows it was actually last done exactly 10 years ago...
It's now back so the last two weeks have been involved with rounding up the innocent for a little mast lifting exercise - which was successfully completed last weekend. It looks like the rigging needs to stretch a little (being new, and made of twisted wire it does) as it was a tight fit - but the boat looks "complete" again...
Tick that one off from the 10 year plan then - that was the "big" project for this winter - next winter there'll be something else to do...
There's also been sailing club membership to renew, a new mooring to check (it was renewed by the club this winter), voluntary duties to perform (I was making cheese and onion toasties and Ploughman's lunches for a couple of hours last weekend, and I'm breaking up the old gentlemen's conveniences this weekend in readiness for new one's being built!) and boat insurance to source...
All of which is guaranteed to make you start thinking about getting back on the water, the current target for which is the first week of April - just 7 weeks away!
...and that's quite enough for now...
The mast went away this winter to have all the standing rigging replaced - this is a 10 yearly task, and by some strange case of serendipity, just after I'd arranged for this to be done, I found some old paperwork in the little pile that came with the boat that shows it was actually last done exactly 10 years ago...
It's now back so the last two weeks have been involved with rounding up the innocent for a little mast lifting exercise - which was successfully completed last weekend. It looks like the rigging needs to stretch a little (being new, and made of twisted wire it does) as it was a tight fit - but the boat looks "complete" again...
Tick that one off from the 10 year plan then - that was the "big" project for this winter - next winter there'll be something else to do...
There's also been sailing club membership to renew, a new mooring to check (it was renewed by the club this winter), voluntary duties to perform (I was making cheese and onion toasties and Ploughman's lunches for a couple of hours last weekend, and I'm breaking up the old gentlemen's conveniences this weekend in readiness for new one's being built!) and boat insurance to source...
All of which is guaranteed to make you start thinking about getting back on the water, the current target for which is the first week of April - just 7 weeks away!
...and that's quite enough for now...
I'm looking forward to the St. Michel battle report.
ReplyDelete-- Jeff
I look forward to both the pending battle report and more stories of your boat prep. I always love doing spring boat maintenance. This April my son and I are going to "J-School", which is offered by the manufacture of J-Boats. Hmmmm, the new J-97's look really nice, I wonder if I can sneak one past my wife?
ReplyDeleteI spent last weekend helping a friend fix some weather damage on his penguin class sail boat - Spring is almost here!
Table looks wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThe adventures of the esteemed General Pettygree are a firm favourite of mine, looking forward to something similar here.
(Although Mr. Kinch has threatened to run St. Michel with me, so I shan't pay attention to the campaign details too much!)
Quote:
ReplyDelete"Quelle domage!! (As they say in all the best French language books).."
I hate to point out the obvious but they say "Sacred Blue" (although how a colour can take on some quasi religious importance is beyond me...Europeans eh?).
Looking forward to more (I am a fan of the General Pettygree also! Stiff upper lip and no colour iconography!).
Matt