Ice Cold in Essex - Part Two, Day Four

Today has been all about carpet. Brigantia now has a nice new saloon carpet and the bunk fronts have been re-trimmed to match

Having wrapped up that job (although there might be a bit of trim needed around the cubby holes in the bunk fronts) we tidied up and packed the car ready for a very early departure in the morning

Its Sunday Roast time up the pub now

Ice Cold in Essex - Part Two, Day Three

Its been cold, wet and windy outside all day but we've been tucked up in the warm and dry re-lining GRP moulding that forms the lower half of the heads compartment with oak plank effect vinyl

Jane stripped out the old carpet from the deckhead and cleaned up as best she could whilst I got rid if the horrible old flooring and removed the carpet from the sides.

Then it was cut, fit, glue and trim. All day. With solvent glue in a confined space!

Its been a cramped and awkward job and its left me with a sore back and aching legs but the end result, whilst a bit of a bodge to be honest, looks a lot better than the old ratty vinyl and carpet

Next job is the main cabin carpet. That's one for tomorrow as we dined regally on tinned stew and retired early

Ice Cold in Essex - Part Two, Day Two

Actually, to tell the truth its not THAT cold but its too good a title to waste!

We began this morning by stripping out the old carpet from the cabin sole and the seat fronts with a view to replacing it with some nice plastic wood effect flooring donated by the Bosun.

However, we discovered that there is a step in the floor level and some unevenness elsewhere which would make a rigid floor difficult to fit.

So a quick Google and off we went to the B&A warehouse in Southend in search of a solution. A further hammering of the bank account later and we were the proud owners of a roll of blue carpet, similar to the previous carpet, and a roll of wood effect vinyl.

Back we went to the boat via the Chandlers where we declined the opportunity to spend over a hundred quid on lifting rings for the floor access panels. Enough with the spending already!

Much faffing about and one cock up later and we had a nice new oak effect vinyl floor in the heads. Some further work and one side of the grp moulding over the bunks had a rough fit matching covering.

Leaving the glue to set on that and the trimming up to the morning, we headed to the pub for a bit of grub and a beer. Much to do tomorrow but once we've made the initial cut on the vinyl or carpet we can do the rest in the cockpit where its at least dry even if it isn't warm

Ice Cold in Essex - Part Two

After a fantastic night in Wolverhampton (an oxymoron I know but actually the venue was brilliant and Quo were, well, the real Quo that I grew up listening to), today Jane and I high-tailed it back to Essex via the bosuns to drop him off, home to pick up gear and Felixstowe to pick up the outboard.

That was the best part of what I suspect will be the best day of the week gone by the time we got aboard. Its actually quite a nice day! The sun is out, there's hardly a breath of wind but its still unseasonally chilly.

Its too late in the day to get stuck into anything major so while Jane has a nap I shall amuse myself with some ropework and make up the cruising chute tack line and parrel line.

That should keep me busy until beer-o-clock

Maintenance Week - Report

Well that went well ... I don't think!

What should have been four solid days of major works above and below decks turned into a case of making modest progress against all odds and ended in virtual survival mode

For a change, I decided to travel down early Saturday morning rather than late Friday afternoon. Hopefully, this way, I'd get a decent nights sleep at home to ease the increasingly difficult transition from night shift mode to some semblance of  normality. Mind you, only a vague semblance at that since I was up before dawn, shopping in Tescos by 05:00 and on the road before 06:00!

The weather wasn't looking terribly special but the drive down went well enough. The entrance to the yacht station was a very large and deep pond (it was definitely too grown up to be a puddle) so I backtracked and made my way in to the yard via the pub car park.

Maintenance weekend days 1 & 2

Due to a technical problem (dead phone) there's no photos as yet and I shall have to be brief

Despite the cold and the rain, we have made progress. A new cockpit floorboard has been made, the new jammers, deck organiser, kicking strap and tack downfall all sorted and we've made a start on reinstalling the electronics.

The hull is ready for a rough and ready job of antifouling which is all she's now going to get but our chances of launching on Friday are now slim

The wind is getting up, the temperature is dropping and there's been some light snow this evening. Tomorrow does not look promising

Maintenance Week - Prelude

The car is loaded. The bosun's car is loaded. I'm not loaded (good job too!)

The weather forecast for the next few days is truly horrible. Cold and wet (albeit not so windy thank the Gods) which is likely to put a crimp in our plans to paint the hull. Ho hum

I'm going to set off mega-early and get on the road since I'm up and about anyway. Rik and Glen will arrive later this morning. Then we'll see what we can get done

It's all go this morning!

Sitting here waiting for the sails to arrive so getting on with admin tasks

Finalised and sent off the whopping chandlery orders - try as I might there wasn't a lot of scope for making savings but I decided to postpone a few non-essential purchases and luxuries. Even so, the bill was still about £800.00 or so

Phoned up the nice people at the Crouch Harbour Authority and paid this years dues over the phone (saves putting a cheque in the post). All I have to do now is remember to affix the plaque to the boat (not like last year then!)

Talking of cheques in the post, finally got around to putting a stamp on the envelope and sending off the moorings renewal. The money is not actually due until the end of the month and the cheques are post-dated but the renewal application should have gone off several weeks ago!

And finally, bespoke the office at the marina and arranged to have Brigantia craned back in the water a week on Friday

Oh and yesterday the Bosun and I raided the local B&Q warehouse for some plywood and various paint rollers and such like. I still need a further raid on Wickes before the weekend for sanding supplies etc. (much cheaper as they do bulk trade packs)

Just hope the sunshine sticks around and the weather warms up a bit!