Launch day

Got cracking first thing this morning sorting out the battery wiring. Battery 2 wasn't connected to anything which was a bit pointless really!

By the time I started to get twitchy about the general lack of action around the yard, both batteries were correctly wired back to the selector switch and battery 2 is now wired to a 3 gang car socket box for general phone charging, laptop powering etc.

Normally, the battery selector will be in position 1 connecting battery 1 to the charging (engine and mains) and powering the essential equipment of that battery. Switched to 2 and battery 2 gets charged and powers the critical gear. However, non-essential kit is never connected to battery 1.

Having ticked that job off the to do list, I popped round to the marina office to check they hadn't forgotten about outing us back in the water. Not sure they hadn't but anyway all was put in hand to launch at midday.

Sure enough, Paul and Co turned up about half past eleven and by a bit after twelve we were in the water and tied up on the inside of the pontoon. No leaks from the new log impeller housing and everything seemed fine so we headed into South Woodham Ferrers to do a quick shop at Asda.

When we got back Jane set to stowing the shopping whilst I carried on sorting out the boat ready to go sailing. At this point a bit of a problem teared it's head - the depth sounder insisted on reading "Out" even though we were now most definitely in. I unglued the transducer from the hull and fiddled about succeeding in getting an occasional brief reading but not for long.

A phone call ascertained that Seamark Nunn had a replacement transducer in stock so off I went. Two and a half hours later I was back, £26 poorer (plus the diesel and coffee costs) only to find that the problem isn't the transducer, it's the display head. That, of course, is the expensive bit.

Seamark hadn't got one anyway so tomorrow I'll have to see if I can get one elsewhere otherwise out will severely crimp our style for the rest of the week. It's not the end of the world but staying away from the shallow bits is a wee bit limiting around here - it's nearly all shallow bits!

Swallowing our disappointment and annoyance at yet another technical failure, we set to bending on the Genoa. After a bit of faffing around with the furling line to get it furling and unfurling properly, we finally had a yacht with a full suite of sails. With the mainsheet tackle set up we're ready to go sailing!

There being, of course, hardly a breath of bloody wind (typical!) we are in the pub! Tomorrow is another day - need to fuel up the outboard tank and see what can be done about the depth sounder and then hopefully we can get away for a few days sailing.