New Hawk Antenna.

One piece of equipment that I have been meaning to buy for sometime is a Windex type apparent wind indicator. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I saw this ad on the PBO Forum.

Hawk masthead ariel and wind indicator



This is a combined masthead VHF ariel and wind direction indicator - don't wait for yours to fail - change it now whilst the mast is down


Cost new £70 plus p&p selling for £47 including p&p

 


















As I had managed to snap my antenna against the house wall I thought this would be a good opportunity to kill two birds with one stone and save some money in the process.
Due to the snow and Christmas postage it took a while for it to turn up but when I got home from work on Monday it was sitting in the hall waiting for me. All excited I unwrapped it and put it together. It was as new and still in it's box as you can see but when I assembled it I realised that I had two port indicators :( It's not just the colour of the indicator, the plastic is shaped to give the correct angle according to the locking block selected.


Losely fitted together





showing two port indicators



















I did a quick google search and spoke to Hawk, at Hayling Island, who said that the arms are available seperately for just a couple of quid. Fab.. I'm sure that I could make these ones fit but I will pop in next time I am over there and pick one up. That way I'll know where the wind is coming from.. I still have L&R on my shoes :~P
If the old antenna is still useable I shall repair it with some heat shrink and mount it on the push pit rail as a spare incase the mast ever comes down.

Big bruvva

Not much work going on with Jelly Bean this week; I can't be bothered to clear the snow :)
So I've been scouring the internet for the latest Fantasie 19 related items and came across this advert for a Fantasie 6.3metre. http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/view/PAA6001

It's a cracking looking boat with full standing head room for £3,800. Would be nice to see what it looks like inside.

This ones not a Robert Tucker design though, John Bulter is responcible for this one; he also designed the Westerly Cirrus, 28 and Tiger. Judging by his website the new deisgns are stunning.

Builders comments (From boat world guide No2.)

The Fantasie 630 is a modern sailing cruiser which offers the accomodation of a far larger craft, but at a far more reasonable price!

This has not been achieved at the expense of the cockpit which is 6 feet long, self draining and is protected by high coamings. The fore-deck is also large with plenty of room for sail changes, nor has the sailing performance suffered, she is fast, responsive and light on the helm. She points high into the wind and performs equally well in light airs or a stiff blow.

So there we go, a fantasie with full standing head room (If you're 5'10" or shorter), 5 berths and still only a 2'9" draft

I'd have to get the coucil to divert the pavement around my front garden before I could concider having a bigger boat  though  :D

Reefing lines part 1

As I have finally finish both dodgers and the temperature has risen to 5 or 6 degrees, I thought it a good idea to get out and tick another job off my ever growing list.

When I had the new main sail made I asked for slab reefing points to be put on. This they did and for the last three years I have been reefing in a very Heath Robinson stylee; using any bits of rope that I could lay my hands on when needed.

I had bought some of the hardware two years ago but never got around to fitting it. This is what happens when you leave getting the boat ready until February :~)
After reading 'A silhouette called Misty' I thought it about time to get on with it.



I positioned the anchor point and the cheak block opposite each other so that when the clew was pulled against the boom the reefing line would be at about 45 degrees.

Both of these were pop riveted onto the boom while the cam cleat for the control line was held on with countersunk machine screws. The boom was simply drilled and tapped to accept these.

The gear for No2 Reef was position on the opposite side of the boom to balance things out.



Full Sail





First reef





Second reef



The reefs seem quick and easy to put in although this was on my front garden with absosutely no breeze blowing :~) The line in the picture is cheap stretchy line from B&Q that I had in the shed and is only to assess how it works; these will be replaced when I know how much line I will need.

Currently the tack still needs manually hooking onto the reefing horns but I will change this as I want to be able to reef the sail without leaving the safety of the cockpit.

Brrrrrrrr

It's been a long time coming but the snow is finally here.

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.