First sail, first jobs...

Lunch spot...

With the lock down beginning to ease in the UK, and permission given to go to our boats and socialise with one non-family member providing social distancing is practised, it was more than enough excuse for Rodders and I to take to the water in his boat Ami-Ly on  a warm and sunny bank holiday Monday..  

First sail since last September, 9 months since I handled a boat under sail, it's been a long time but I'm happy to report that I hadn't forgotten... most of it... 

Saturday and Sunday the UK had been locked into a massive low and we were seeing winds of F6 gusting F7 on the Saturday, moderating on Sunday, but by the time we went out on Monday a massive high had displaced it, and the sky was cobalt blue, the sun was out, and the wind was down to a F1 or 2 gusting 3 (very) occasionally...

A very nice and gentle day on the water, all the sails were up, it wasn't quite windy enough most of the time, but when it did blow up, the boat was moving nicely..   spotted Alex Thomson and Hugo Boss coming out of the harbour

After you..  no, I insist, after you...

Stunning looking boat...   stupidly powerful looking, and an appearance that wouldn't be out of place in the SBS..

So a slow pootle over to Seaview, lasso'd one of the mooring buoys in front of the sailing club for lunch (too early for the pick up buoys to have been attached) and a slow lunch with beer, followed by a snooze in the sun, and then a slow perambulation back to home ....  utterly fantastic...

Glorious day..  Solent at it's finest with the sun glinting on the water.. 

Meanwhile - other work has started...  Sparrow's launch date is the 22nd June and I am working towards that with a 75% certainty that it will happen... Why only 75%? Well I'm still not sure whether there will be a second spike/event/recurrence, so I have 3 weeks to decide whether to splash that antifoul on, and will decide then whether to proceed or not...

The companionway way seat has been taken to the boat, and is a success... I may just shift the GPS fitting to the side of the box to make some room as where it is I sometimes kick it if I'm going into the cabin quickly, but otherwise, as a perching point for when I'm motoring or sailing under pilot it is a whole load more comfortable than the upright that was there before!  

New companionway seat - must be about v3 of this cockpit tidy!

The cockpit locker lid port side has had a coat of paint, unfortunately on the starboard side water has managed to get in (b*stard!) on one quarter so the paint/epoxy has lifted..  I've scraped back to sound, and left it to dry out before I decide what to do (either epoxy and paint, or just paint..)... 

The washboards have also had a coat of paint, and I think that this is probably their last year, they'll need replacing over the next winter layup, in fact I may even do it now while it's warm, I'm ashore, and I have access to power...  another coat required...

Lastly, I have disassembled the camcleat block I put together in 2016 for leading the topping lift and main halyard back to the cockpit...  took it home, sanded it down and gave it a coat of preservative before putting it all back together and remounting on the boat...  (Alden you'll be pleased to know the screws now all match... )..  that one's done...

Log:

Distance: 14.37 miles (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction): F1 or 2, occasionally F3; Predominantly SE'ly going South as the sea breeze kicked in..
Sail Plan: Full main and jib
Speed (Max/average in knots): 6 / 2.1

Signs of spring...

...so 6 weeks later and there are signs of movement.... whether it is too early or not is not a subject for discussion here...that's burnt many column inches of posts on various yachting fora...

My fellow yachties span the whole range of human types, from the jaw dropping to the saintly - I will say only that with my views I'm in there, but somewhere near the middle....

So - what news?

Using a sailing analogy (and why not?), my sailing club's committee has had the unenviable task of trying to chart it's way through legislator'y waters that change on an almost daily basis, and with members banging on their door almost within minutes of announcements demanding the right to launch their craft with immediate effect..  I think they've done very well to be honest, I've been a committee member in the past (windsurfing club) and wouldn't do it again..  thankless task, you're always going to be pee'ing in someone's tea...  😁

Either way, under the UK's latest guidelines announced last weekend, and clarified over the next few days, we're now allowed to take unlimited exercise outside, and travel for the purpose, and boats/boating have been confirmed as a form of exercise (but overnight'ing is not allowed). Separately, the harbour authority has confirmed the harbour is open for same. So the club is open again for owners to start work on their boats, and the club is now working on how to keep us safe while we do that.

Sparrow has a speculative launch date of the end of June - more announcements on that will come over the next few days. Before then I need to slap the unguent on the bottom minimum, but some of the other job list items will also be attended to...  given that it's going to be warmer than when I normally do my prep I'm hoping that I may get the opportunity to do some epoxy work.

In rough order then...

1. engine is already serviced (but I want to give it a run in the tank to make sure it's good)
2. antifoul
3. got a stencil to paint the engine leg with the boat name - I need to make it less 'attractive'
4. coat of paint on the lockers/washboards
5. coat of wood protector on anything that needs it
6. going to do a wash down with oxalic acid this year
7. epoxy repair on the nose that has been waiting almost 10 years now

Separately,

• engine cover has come 
• outboard lock (Fulton type) ready
• new windex also arrived (I know, I know....)