Shakedown cruise....

So on Sunday, with not a little trepidation, but accompanied by smallest little'un, we departed for a shakedown cruise... click on any of the pictures for a gratifyingly bigger view, by the way......and this is the track - a four hour trip (start of tide to end of tide), at an average speed of 3 knots...

Continue

Papillon is....

..afloat!!!!!!!!The plan was for me to tow her across the road from the sailing club and launch from the slipway I used last time [click here] - I need to do this as the sailing club slipway is on the opposite side of a low bridge to my mooring, so if I didn't tow it up the road I'd be looking at a...

Continue

Mast is... (part 3)

...up!!! ..and just to prove it - here's Papillon looking like a proper boat again..I dragged in a couple of "willing volunteers" to help me put it back up (thanks Dave, thanks Rod!) as although the mast is not big - it is long and awkward...As it turned out the mast went up far easier than it did...

Continue

Mast is... (part 2)

..back!! The rigger delivered it back yesterday afternoon - went down to check it last night and he's done an amazing job on the mast foot - I'll post some pictures when I remember to take the camera with me..! I have volunteers with two pairs of willing hands laid on for Thursday morning so all...

Continue

Mast is...

..repaired! Got a call from the rigger this morning that the mast is repaired, only the bottle screws and forestay to complete and it'll be coming back - hopefully next week...Put the mast back up, get the rigger to double check, and then it will be time to start looking for an early mid week high tide to re-laun...

Continue

Mast collected...

The rigger came and collected the mast yesterday - he tells me they're very busy, but that the critical path is the stainless steel fabricator (the new mast foot)...Fingers crossed now that all goes well - my main concern is the electrics on the mast (deck and mast-top lights, and VHF aerial) and whether they survived the dunking - I've told the rigger that the main thing for me is the VHF. The rest...

Continue