Friday 10 January 2014

Job #9 - Cockpit drains - prep...

Time at last to get down to Sparrow if only to start preparation for some of the jobs I want to do before launch...

So first job was to identify what size the stopcocks are, and what condition the whole set up is in generally... 

First off, the cockpit drains...

Port side

Starboard
 
Which look good to me...   generally considered to be a good idea to have two jubilee clips but the fitting, and backing plate, looks good/sound...  nothing structural required there.

So on to the stop cocks..

Starboard
 
Through hull fitting looks good, but I'll investigate further to make sure that pad is sound....

Port

 
The starboard side will operate, it opens and closes but is stiff, the port side won't - it's jammed.
 
Side view

I need to research those markings..  I think the P would indicate these are not DZR

The  stop cocks themselves look good - I wonder if the better move might just be to strip and clean the closing mechanism and leave in situ..  time to ask for some advice!

...and size/scale - I'll pass these by my mate to confirm, but they look to be 3/4".


Thinking the best bet would be two new stop cocks (DZR), new hoses, new jubilee's and leave the cockpit drains and skin fittings alone.

Tuesday 7 January 2014

London International Boat Show

....I wonder what relevance the "international" bit has in the name....  other than that it makes it sound better???

So yesterday Jellybean Phil [clicky] and I legged it up to the Excel to have a look round the London Boat Show - my normal stomping ground for such things is the Southampton show, this is the first time I've been to the London Show in years (30+???) and last time it was at Earls Court...

The world’s oldest complete steamship - SS Robin - the last of her type in the world. Built in 1890 at Thames Ironworks shipyard and in continuous service from then until 1974; she’s undergoing final restoration work before opening to the public this year
Now I know the Excel (my other hobby is wargaming and the biggest UK wargame show in the year is the same location) but it's a bit of a pain to get to, and since last year they've bought in flat rate car parking at £15 a throw..  ouch...   a little harsh on top of the £10 to get in....

Once in the display area is huge - at least four of the exhibition areas in one - but the overwhelming effect is space - they've spread out stuff to fill the area and it does show...  there also weren't very many people, I know it was a Monday and all that but even so - there couldn't have been more than what 600 or 700 people in there?

Ben Ainslie's boat from his record breaking Round the Island last year

The sail reminded Phil of the balsa wood planes he used to build all those years ago...

The overall effect was just of brutal efficiency - lots of carbon fibre and nothing frivolous

The show was light on sailing boats - perhaps no more than 20 or so big ones and then the dinghies etc. The motor boats were well represented but we gave up on them when the nice lady told us she wouldn't let us on until we had given our emailid's...  no thanks...

The usual 'ancillary' stands that you see at Southampton also abounded - not such a problem at Southampton as the show is huge, but here they kind of stood out - so wooden furniture, aromatherapy, pictures, massage chairs, jacuzzi's etc. Space fillers basically..

They have a huge amount of water outside (Excel is Dockland so lots of dry dock space) but there were only 4 or 5 boats out there...  couldn't understand it??  Two huge gin palaces, a couple of historic tugs/fire boats, and a London barge (which was lovely)..  but where were the yachts? Ribs? Have a go experiences? I know it's January, but even so?!

I see no yachts....
In terms of boats seen and visited - the vast majority of new boats look the same to me now (it's a bit like modern cars),  so the excitement has waned over the years and I find I go on less and less of them as the years go by - mostly they are white, with varying quantities of chipboard veneer (and the quality of said veneer was poor this year on what are supposed to be display/show boats - scuffed, dinged, scratched we saw it all) - real AWB's in every sense of the word.

One boat that did buck the trend (for me anyway) were the racing versions of the J boats. I particularly liked the J88 interior as it was clean, stripped down, puritan almost - owning Sparrow has given me a liking for being able to see the fixings for the skin fittings, and this featured heavily....  the J88 had a really good idea for storage - full length cockpit bags on each side of the cabin - very clever...  I wouldn't want the boat but there were lots of ideas to go away with...

J88 interior - no lining at all - that's hull you can see around the windows... duff place for radio though - too far from companionway

J88 interior - note storage ...
J88 exterior - nice big cockpit - lots of winches....!
 
Got some good advice from the guy on the West Systems stand on doing the nose repair on Sparrow - I need to construct a dam, or shelf, to support the epoxy I'm building up the area with, and he told me blu tack and plasticine could both be used - or rolled up newspaper pressed into shape and covered with parcel tape....   looking forward to having a go but I need warmer weather first....

Had a Guinness or two and met a "Coral" Paul for a chat and a chin wag.... it may be the Guinness but we may have agreed to do the Round the Island in "Coral" this year! 

Overall??? 6 out of 10, but I'm not going again... much, much (much) prefer Southampton.. I think the Excel Show will die purely because of low footfall...my thanks to Jellybean for the lift, I've just about managed to unclench my hands.....

Thursday 2 January 2014

Some progress......

First off, Happy New Year ...  wishing anybody passing by this little corner of the interweb "fair winds for 2014"
 
When I say "some progress"...   not much.....  

Part of the problem is the weather which is not conducive to say the least - this was yesterday:

Picture courtesy ITV

...that's the Royal Oak at Langstone just round the corner - normally it looks like this - in fact this is pretty much what it looks like from my mooring in the summer:

Picture courtesy http://www.imageinuk.com

....quelle difference and all that....   so weather, then Christmas and New Year got in the way, etcetcetc...

All excuses..  it's time to get on!!

Anyway - stuff is arriving at HQ for the winter refit..
  1.  Pair of bargain fairleads from eBay (job #2), 


  2. From eBay some butyl tape for bedding same (and also other deck fittings)
  3. 12v 2 pin deck connector (part of job #12)
  4. Quick release clips for the battery (when it arrives- also part of job #12)
  5. Bradex Easy Start - for the tool kit!
  6. Couple of stainless steel clasps to secure the locker lids (job #11) - need to find some hinges but I need to have a good look at the lids first...


  7. The boat name is ordered (job #17) - I used Funky Monkey for this, there are others available but this had a website that was easy to use. I've gone with a single name, and separately my club initials, which will all go on the stern - if  I change my mind I can go for another couple for the bows later....


Lastly, something to look forward to - I'm off to the Boat Show on Monday!