Cockpit locker seats/lids have been a major problem. As I mentioned, I had framed them with some oak I had over, around 18mm marine ply. I now know first hand that 'oak and epoxy do not like each other'.

Also, oak does not take a paint coat very well - so the combination of this is that the joints have sprung - so am going to redo them. This time I am going to make a simple mould for each from mdf, which has a pretty smooth finish, then lay them up with grp, white gel coat etc - introducing timber fillets for hinges and for the slat fixings. The advantage of this is that I can get on with them at home, since getting to the boat is a problem at present.

Hit the boat jumble at Cardiff with a couple of hundred in my pocket - and for a change caught some nice bargains. Bought a 22lb Simpson Lawrence Delta, in excellent order, for 25.00.

46m of 14mm nylon anchorplait for 70.00, which is 1.50 per m.

Set of double blocks, one with camcleat, for a kicking strap - plus various other blocks for 25.00.

Sheet of white treadmaster for 15.00.

This now sorts out my anchor set up. I have 60m of 12mm mulitplait terylene, which I was not too happy with for anchor warp - it looked a little light to me - so will use this to go with the existing anchor, a 15lb genuine cqr with 22m quarter inch chain, as a kedge. Existing anchor rode is 14mm polyprop, 25m - this will suffice for an extra long mooring warp - or handy as a trailing warp.

The new Boom end cap

The 60m 12mm plait will be kept separate from the quarter chain, so can be used with the kedge, or added to the main rode - perhaps double. main rode will have 15m of new 8mm chain. That is about as much as I care to lift without a windlass. 22lb delta + 15m @ about 1.4 kilo per m = approx 45lb - all in all around 67 lb - given a little less for the weight submerged.

Saw some very nice little used manual windlasses - French I think - can't remember the name - about a 100.00 - but both were 10mm gypsies.

Managed to get down last Sunday - lovely day - so took the oportunity to get the auxilary chainplates on the hull at the main shrouds and stemhead. These back up the U-bolt on the toe rail, with rigging screws on the inside of the hull.

See pic above - got the pillar drill rigged up in the greenhouse and finished off drilling a few bits and pieces. This is the finished boom endcap. The cap is now fixed to the boom end with a thru-bolt, backed up with plates rivetted on the outside. The new central pin is now an M8 bolt, rather than a clevis pin - which is fixed with a double nut, the outer pilot drilled with a split pin. The bar picks up the mainsheet at the base, the topping lift at the top.
The cap is removable for access to the boom for the in-boom outhaul - this is basically a cascaded system, partly out, partly in.

Made a decision on the cockpit locker lids - made the first mould up to do them in grp. Used white Melamine, with the corner pieces just quadrants cut from plastic pipe.


The internal corners I just rounded off with caulk - softwood battens will be laid up within the matt for hinge fixings, catches and the oak slats. I'm changing these to a wider gap. These locker lids have been a trial of patience - really should have done this in the first place. One thing I have learned the hard way - 'oak does not like epoxy', - be warned.
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Just after his death - I made him a promise in spirt that I would take the boat down to our favourite beach on the South Coast - Branksome Chine, nr Poole. It is a place deep with memories for all our family.

So now I have a little inner mission to fulfill - it's no mean trip around from Bristol to Poole - the coasts of Devon and Cornwall - but I will do it, when I feel right for it - and he can come along in my thoughts.