Concequently, I have sorted out a great deal internally - I found a got a lot done late evenings, despite it being about 4 below. You don't realise how much ancillary junk you aquire while working on the boat - so now the bulk of it it cleared up I'm finding I have a surprising amount of space.

I settled in the end for the Garmin 152 gps - I was very tempted by a few others - the new Navman b/w plotter is a bargain and an exceptionally clear bright white screen - good data pages as well, but it was just a bit bulky for where I was at set up to mount it.

Fitted up the Nasa dsc vhf - and that reading ok to the gps for the lat long data. Had to fiddle with the menus a little - the Garmin shipped with the Garmin/Garmin data selected - so when I changed it to nmea in/out, it worked ok. Also the Nasa vhf came with the menu set for 'mnea checksum ON' - I turned this to 'off' as well. Afaik this setting is for listening to older versions of current nmea. Anyway - it all worked ok, without much effort.

Vhf seems fine - we get Swansea coastguard every four hours for a weather update. That was good and clear, even with the the ariel temp connected at the coach roof and laid up on the deck. Interestingly - I checked it again later when I had taken the ariel off - so just had the coax running. Absolutely nothing - so I know my ariel is working.

I've now got a mooring on the river Axe, through the boat club - it then becomes my responsibility to lay and maintain it. Given that these mooring as quite complicated - being sinkers fore and aft, with ground lines, then bridles up to the buoys - all arranged to be just the right lengths to cope with the highest springs - I opted for paying our local man who lays them. He had two new ones laid - and the one I chose seemed to be on resonably level mud at low water. So that cost me 320.00 - I had a 30.00 discount as the buoys were 2nd hand !
The nice thing is that it is now mine - for as long as I want it - and only 50.00 a year !!!

Also - as I've said before - the mud here is so soft that deep fin keelers sit quite happily in it. The sinkers are fifty foot apart - so will take a much larger boat.
See here, its sort of top left in this pic of the Axe, just as the river turns around to the left of pic.

Shiny new stove !

I was just about to order one of these Plastimo stoves from Gael Force, when they suddenly had on on the shelf in Bristol, Force 4. I've a feeling they have done a deal with Eno, as this looks very like their unit.
They are a bit of a bargain, in that they come with good gimbles and pan clamps - flame failiure on the burners, all stainless etc. Giving it a good look over - I think it could do with the pan holder rails raised slightly ( fairly easily done by adding a packer under the support posts ) and the upright outer brackets need some lateral support - even if just one side. This again would be easy - just a block to the bulkhead.
They also need a going over with a pad of emery on the pressed edges - there were some lethal wire edges left here and there. I must admit I shall miss my grill - but that said, a grill is probably the most dangerous thing you could have in terms of fire. The main reason for getting rid of the one I have is the flame failiure on the burners, but it also had no gimbling, no pan clamps etc. These by the way are 129.00 inc vat.

Just written a load of stuff and Go Live crashed on me ! - so can't be bothered just now to re-write it all.

Basically, its get the mast up, arrange with the surveyor - then I can get my insurance sorted with Navigators and General - final bits of new rigging, sort out the furling line run and cleating, anti foul, sort out some fenders, ( I won't go on - this list could get too long ! )

Thanks to all who have contacted me - nice to hear from you.

Hopefully this site soon will have a new section on the 'Voyages of Lena', which should be fun - I've a lot to learn out there.

Geoff - Bristol. 25th March 06.