Sail Cover finished... Now for the dodgers.

Not much writing today.. The pictures should be enough :~)
The canvas sail cover is finally finished and I have started on the dodgers. The dodgers are very simple to make but the lettering take blinking ages.
Scaling up the font for the templates and accurately cutting them out took a whole evening. Sewing them on is currently running at three letters per evening... that means it'll take a whole week to make these and it's shaping up to be not very interesting.

New sliders

Just to prove that I have been doing something constructive, rather than just watching sunsets and poking around washed up boats, here are my new sliders.

In the end I made them from the aluminium plate that I had in the garage. It was 10mm thick so, using a hacksaw, I cut some strips a bit wider than required. I then cut the strips to length and then carefully  cut the edges out. A massive amount of filing and fettling followed. It took about five hours to make these four so quite a lot of time for someting that won't be seen but that's just the way it goes. :~))

All I need to do now is drill and tap the screw holes and refit the hatch.

I have an ever growing list of things to do.

• Finish sail cover (Need Zip and fastenings)
• Make dodgers
• Fit rope clutch
• Fit winches (I bought them at a boat jumble about 4 years ago and they are still in the garage).
• Fit downhaul for jib and lead back to cockpit.
• Sort out better Anchor stowage on foredeck.
• Fit access hatch in cockpit to access quarter berths. (Store Warps and fenders)
• Possibly fit boarding ladder (Might just get a step fender)
• Possibly fit work light to mast to aid picking up mooring bouy at night (Saw this on washed up Hurley).
• Find easier way to reef main.
• Make lazy jacks system

Some need to be done, some would be just nice to do and some will never get mentioned again ;~))

The cost of winter moorings

Every now and then while I'm boring non sailors rigid with tales of swashbuckling adventure (Well as non sailors they'll never know the truth ;~P) some one will ask why I don't leave my boat in the water all year.

It's a good question.. I even ask it off myself sometimes. There are always some fantastic winter days when you could put several layers on and go and explore knowing full well that even in Poole and the Solent you'll be able to find lots of peace and quiet... no motor boats, no jet skis no dinghy racing. I'm not being curmudgeonly, everyone has the right to use the water but occasionally it would be nice to get out on the water out of season and enjoy the peace and quiet.
The reasons that I have fall into two areas, Cost and Practicality. It would certainly cost more to keep the boat afloat during the winter. EDSC only have seasonal moorings so I would have to find a suitable alternative in a sheltered part of the harbour, I would then also have to upgrade my insurance adding more cost.
On the practical side is the fact that the boat deteriorates quite quickly over the few months that it is afloat and it seems to take a life time to complete the jobs that need doing.
Jelly Bean will of been out of the water for Four weeks on Sunday and it's difficult to see what I've done since she came out. (The unfinished jobs are the give away).

Another very good reason for taking the boat out over the winter is to avoid potentially writing the boat off during winter storms and high winds. This Hurley 20 was washed up at Shore Road, Sandbanks the other day. looks like it had broken away from it's mooring at Northshore and scooted across the harbour and up onto the beach. The rudder was missing and I don't suppose the landing was gentle or over with quickly. Bad enough for the owner of this boat but also how many craft could it of hit on it's dash for freedom?
I don't intend to rush out a rent a mooring further up the harbour but I am going to double my efforts to get Jelly Bean ready early so I can drag her down on the trailer for a weekends sailing or two, maybe ever somewhere exotic... like Devon or the Norfolk Broads and enjoy the peace, quiet and the stunning scenery and sunsets that are enhanced by the superb light that you only get in the winter.

Sail cover part 1

I have always been envious of those of you who have nice canvas sail covers and dodgers with the name of the boat emblazoned on them. I have had quotes for sail covers to be made but have always shied away as I would prefer to spend that kind of money on a world cruise.

So whilst browsing eBay the other day I came across a local supplier of Canvas. http://www.acorncanvas.com/ . I had some work in that direction the following day so arranged to go and see what he had a see if he could give any advice on how to make such thing.

What a great guy, really helpful, I came a way with Canvas and thread, I'll leave the fixings until I have decided what method will be best for me.

I had been given a rough idea of how to go about making the cover so once at home I fired up the ageing tower PC and designed the pattern on auto cad to make the best use of the material. I then marked this out on the Canvas, I know, a professional would mark the canvas with a purpose bought chalk or some thing but I just laid down some masking tape and mark it up with a biro.

The curves were marked with what ever come to hand, a nice 200mm diameter pan lid for the boot top, I had to free hand the 300mm radius as I could find a 600mm diameter pan in the kitchen :D

Tools of the trade above,auto cad pattern, tape measure, piece of wood for a straight edge, pan lid and masking tape... if it  works don't knock it.

Once I'd cut out one side I used that as a template for the other side to ensure that they were both the same.

Then cut that side out ready to sew.

More high tech machinery.. I picked this up from Freecycle a couple of years back and it is the Bees Knees. Built in Scotland in 1907 it still works perfectly... If only I could sew in a straight line.

Here it is with both sides sewn together along the back bone. A 3/4 inch hem then double sewn  along its length.

First trial fit. Lots of amussing comments from neighbours about weather forcasts etc as I put the mast up and the sail on the boom. I used clothes pegs to hold in place while I measured where the next cuts should be.

Well that's it for now. I think you'll agree it look pretty good even in its unfinished state.

Well the Sail cover is now finished.. Hoorah. I have a zip to close the front and a row of turnbuckles to close the underside.  The back end has a draw string running through it and the boot top has a strap that wraps around and ties tight.

I'm really happy with it and will add some pics later :D

Just need to start on the dodgers now (Lettering is already cut out, that took a while to get right).

New (second hand) rope clutch.

Have been looking out for a second hand double rope clutch for some time. It will be so much nicer to be able to control the halyards from the cockpit. I saw this one on  Boats and outboards for £35... not bad, so I bought it.

Hopefully I'll be able to take the cleats off the bottom of the mast now as the Jib sheets have a habit of getting caught on them.

Slider drawings

These are the drawings for the forward sliders. The rear sliders a 53mm in length but have the same pitch for the screw holes.  I have found a 10mm ali plate in the garage, that I used to repair my mast foot, so I will probably make some out of that. I have included a recess at the end of each screw hole for the nut to fit into but if I am going to use the Ali plate then I will just tap a tread into the plate. I'll let you know how I get on... otherwise I'll go back to Steves plan, which is probably better.

Hatch sliders

During the summer, every time I looked across the companion way hatch the rusty screw heads on the hatch would wind me up. Any fastener on a boat should be stainless as all other metals will just disolve or go furry.Fortunately I had the good sense to leave well alone until the end of the season.


It was a real struggle to get these apart without damaging the fibre glass. The sliders are a mixture of what looks like perspex and Tufnol so have probably been replaced at some time in the past. Also bourne out by the saw marks on the GRP around the screw heads.
What I need to know now is, is there an off the self replacement for these or do I need to fabricate new ones.
And if so what out off? Tufnol, Acetal, Aluminium or something else. The runners are aluminium so I'm assuming they will need to be made of something softer. The bolts will certainly have to be A4 Stainless.

Any suggestions gratefully accepted.