heating, drying, sealing and covering

Visited Phoenix.... and put a secure cover over the hole left in the deck by the mast removal.... the yard had covered it, but i've put a more secure cover on...

Also, while I was there, I took the opportunity to put a frost guard heater and a dehumidifier on... so she should be dry and frost free.

In the meantime, i've also ordered a heavy duty tarpaulin off eBay to cover the cockpit and some of the rails... its a 250gsm, so pretty robust, and with holes every 50cm and reinforced corners for tying it down. Its big at 8m x 10m as I wanted to cover the cockpit properly, as the hatch in the cockpit floor leaks slightly, and I don't want to repair it, as it will be getting taken out when the engine is removed, so seems a bit pointless trying to seal it in the interim.... also, there appears to be a very slight leak through the bolts that secure the genoa track to the capping rails... the nuts are below deck, and a couple on each side are weeping very slightly... so getting a cover over the track will give me time to sort this in the spring, without the water doing any damage in the meantime... they will be 'difficult' to repair, as the bolts are 25cm long, and the nuts are up under the join between the deck and hull, so very hard to get at, and hence hard to knock out... I tried to do one earlier this year, and got nowhere... next step is an impact screwdriver, and if that doesn't work, then i'll just resort to a bead of sealant round the base of the track and over the bolt heads.... I don't want to damage the bolts, as 40 lots of 25cm counter sunk 316 satinless bolts will be expensive... we're probably looking at £10 to £15 each.

NMEA network

I've been designing my NMEA network for the boat...

Its not as esay as you'd think.... there are several principles that are obvious... only one device can be connected to a 'listening' port, but several devices can be connected to a 'talking' port. Each port has a specific speed, usually either 38400bps or 4800bps. Some devices have several ports, some can have different ports configured at different speeds, some can't. Different devices use floating grounds, some use the negative side of the 12V circuit... and the most complex one, there is a long list of NMEA 'instructions' (the messages sent out on an NMEA network), and you need to make sure that the right ones are available to be sent, and can be understood by the receiving device... most devices can understand a subset of the NMEA instruction set.

I have 3 instruments (wind, depth, log/speed), a VHF with AIS built in, a plotter with built in GPS, and an autopilot, all of which need info from one or more of the other devices.

Its a fun exercise, and in my case needs a further devices, an NMEA mux that allows several devices outputs to be combined into one single output... this needs a PC connecting to it to configure the ports.... it also provides, in my case, a USB port, that I can connect to a PC to use as a further navigation option.

I have a background in IT.... god knows how some people cope with it!

The one thing I can almost guarantee... my design won't work first time, and i'll spend a few hours debugging why!!!

Phoenix has arisen.....

...out of the water, and into a cradle ashore.

Mast is down, and the winter tasks begin.

I have to, at some point, start working on the engine... I will take a few of the heavier and more 'sticky outy' bits off, to make the removal easier (and possibly get a few quid for ancilliaries that are OK still)

In the meantime, the polycarbonate for the hatch is now stuck in place and firmly screwed down... just a bit of sealant round the edges, more for neatness than watertightness, and that's ready to go back on.

The job hunt continues.... and once I'm gainfully employed again (for which I am now properly ready - getting bored at home), then I can get on and order the new bits I need to make the next big steps forward, including obviously the engine, but also new headlining, new door handles and catches, new plotter and radar, and heating system (plus possibly a new bow thruster).

Soooooo much still to do, but still hoping that 2015 will see us out of the marina, even if just for a test trip.

sails and boom off

Just a quick update.... progress has slowed on Phoenix while I focus on job hunting, and a bit of household DIY...... in the meantime, sails are off, boom is off.... all waiting for her to be lifted shortly, and the mast dropped, so that I can fit the new masthead bits over the winter and check out/replace any suspect rivets on the mast....

She looks very bare without the sails and boom!

In the meantime, my garage looks rather hectic, with sails draped everywhere drying out properly!

starry starry night

It was a real treat to get back out on the water!

The weekend started with us arriving at Bridgemarsh marina on the Crouch at around 19:00..... and easy journey bar one little mishap.... we went to the wrong marina to start with... but only 4 miles away!

Getting onboard Full Circle, and met up with Lynn again, which was a real treat, as we've not seen her for a very long while... her other half Jim was just jumping on a plane back from Milan, hence the reason why we were tasked with taking her down to the Orwell, a trip of a mere 35nm.

Lynn had put together a fab Spaghetti Bolognaise, so that vanished quicker than you could say 'are we really departing at midnight?"

Unfortunately, the tides hadn't been very friendly, and the ideal departure time was around 01:00... so we'd decided to take a bit of adverse tide, and leave it a bit earlier, just to make slightly less antisocial.

The Met Office forecast on the radio was offering a rather unpleasant 5 to 6.... I had been watching the forecast for a few days, and was rather sceptical about this, particular as the US GFS model was saying something quite different... and my experience in recent imes has been both that the GFS forecast is more accurate, and that the Met Office are extremely pessimistic, and always seem to look for the worst case.

So, it wasn't a surprise to me to see that during the evening, the wind steadily dropped, and as we cast off at midnight, it was virtually dead calm.

And it stayed that way.

So the engine on, and we motored.... we motored all the way to Ipswich.

It sounds like a bit of a let down, but it was more than made up for by the incredibly clear night, and stars to end them all.... for anyone who sails regularly, and loves their night passages, they'll know what I mean... the starry sky is truly spectacular... its a wonderful wonderful sight.

We, more by luck than judgement, arrived at Royal Harwich Yacht Club, just as dawn had properly broken.... and headed for a vacant berth... and I promptly ran aground!.... the end of the marina shallows pretty heavily... and we found the shallowest shallow patch!.. i'm led to understand that they are doi some dredging this winter to resolve the problem.... however, it wasn't an issue... we were at LW, so would have just floated off after a few minutes, but because i'd been going very slowly, we had only realky just touched, and a bit of reverse pulled her off easily. We headed to the other end of the marina, and found plenty of water at this end... and wer soon in a berth.

Next order of the day, a full fried breakfast, and then we all crashed out for 4 hours of much needed sleep.... as we arose, Jim joined us... hoorah, a full complement!

That evening, a decent crowd gathered for the East Coast Forum Laying Down supper (I know that should be Laying Up supper, but we're a rather contrarian lot, and this seemed a better title for the event!)... it was great to see a few old faces, and some new ones... who knew that a group of internet acquantainces could be such great company!

A few drinks, a splendid meal (well down RHYC, it was good grub, and very pleasant surroundings!)

and to bed... in bed by 01:00.... a bit late, given that the unfriendly tides had maintained their grudge, and departure time was 07:00 the next morning... or actually 06:00 to be correct, as overnight, daylight saving ended and the clocks moved from BST to GMT/UTC.

We raised ourselves, a bit weary still after limited sleep two nights in a row, and motored out without incident... there was about 15kts of wind, so a sail look possible... however, it is the curse of a sailor to find that the wind is always dead on the bow, this being no exception, and so we had to motor sail.

As we rounded Walton headland, it had picked up to a lively 20kts, and the new course took the wind from slight off dead ahead, to absolutely dead ahead.. the sail was slatting and banging around, so weeven had to drop that, and yep... we motored all the way back.

Now, it may be fair to challenge me on the trade descriptions act, when I describe the trip as a sail, but I don't car.. it was just good to be back out on the water!

Other than that, it was an uneventful trip, with very little traffic out there on a grey, chilly, windy day in late October.

We were back in Bridgemarsh by 12:30, and away shortly after... a great weekend... thanks Jim for trusting me with your lovely boat, and thanks to all the ECF lot for a weekend filled with laughter.

All that leaves is for me to ressurect an old feature on my blog... the mileage tracker below.. lets hope it has a few more entries before too long!

Miles logged 70nm
Miles this season 70nm
Miles since this blog started 6,021nm

OK..... so its a new engine

The marina have got back to me.... I hadn't taken the rocker cover off.... but they did.... all the springs and valves are rusty... which would imply that the bores and rings will be.... and with a new fuel pump, we're already intp spending several grand to get her rebuilt.

The yard have suggested that they pull the engine out, and take it apart to see what their closer inspection reveals

Its not worth it iin my opinion.... lets cut the losses, and not spend money on it.

So, it'll be a new engine.... ouch.

I just need to decide when we pull the old lump out really.... and that'll be driven by me being back in work.

wet look...

no, its not a trip back to the 80's.... its varnish again!

After 4 coats, the rebuilt hatch frame is starting to get that lovely wet look varnish finish....

I've got the new Polycarbonate sheet to be fitted... maybe just one more coat to get it just right, and then i'll refit the plastic.

I've got to drill the holes yet, which shouldn't be a problem in Polycarbonate, as unlike Acrylic, it doesn't tend to shatter when drilled... I also need to run a sander along the top outer edges to just take the sharp corners of them, but will probably do that when its fitted.

The plan is to use Butyl tape to seal it... partially as its very effective at creating a seal, and partially, because its black and will look neat and tidy, whereas sealant would need a lot of work to spread out evenly and avoid looking like a mess!

Butyl tape arrived in the post this morning... is 50mm wide, so will need some manicuring to fit, but the wider stuff was too wide, so would also have needed triming, and was a LOT more expensive.

getting some sailing in!!!!!

next weekend....

YEHAAAAA!

My good friend Jim has organised an end of season dinner for a group of us at Royal Harwich Yacht Club.... and he was planning on coming by boat.... only work has got in the way for him, and he needs to be in Italy until Saturday morning, and then back again Sunday, and he's asked me to bring his boat down from Burnham to Ipswich, so that his better half, Lynn, can still get some sailing in....

Naturally, I said yes!

Its a really lovely Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 35 lifting keel, that Jim has steadily fettled and improved over the few years since he bought her brand new.

We'll need to get the boat back too.... so logisitics will be a bit of a pain... but i'm sure we'll sort it.

A quick check of the tides (to be verified before you all tell me i'm wrong) suggests that it'll be a 1:00am departure sat am, and a 7:00am return on sunday morning... so not ideal... buts that's a small price to pay.

Only the weather can stop the plan!

Also, need to agree with Debs what her plans are... if I take the car to Burnham, then she's left stranded all day Sunday until I get back to Ipswich, probably around 17:00, or she can (my preferred option) come with us on the boat!... otherwise its a nightmare of trains, which will not be easy, or cheap.

pump identified and other stuff

Finally identified the injector pump model after hours on google.

its a Cav Minimec P5127 /3

Doesn't help me much knowing that.... :)

I've also booked a lift out for Dec 1, and asked them to step the main mast at the same time... I can then use this chance to fit all the masthead stuff... I have a new aerial/windex, the windsender, a new tricolour and a steaming/deck light to install. While i'm at it, I can replace a few rivets that are looking a bit suspect, and give the rigging a darn good inspection.

prv leak stopped and ipads at the chart table

I've had an annoying drip from the pressure relief valve on the hot water cylinder since I installed it.... I was going to replace the valve, but following a suggestion from Findus on the ever brilliant ybw.com forums, I instead checked the pressure on the accumulator tank, and there wasn't any... so stuck 1 bar in there with a footpump i'd taken down to the boat especially, and voila!... the leak has gone!... when you think about it, its quite obvious... as the water warms and expands, without an air pocket in the accumulator to absorb the expansion, there is only one place the water can go... out of the prv... thanks Findus... saved me a few quid!

Next I set about wiring up a cigarette style socket at the chart table. I've bought a couple of those marine style sockets that take a normal connector, but also click and lock ones if wanted.. they also have a decent water resistant cap... wired it up, and I now have a power supply for my iPad at the chart table, all ready for when I install the nice Raymarine wifi enabled system, to act as a secondary plotter and radar display at the chart table... plus every day use for email etc..

Lastly, I did a bit of tidying up of the wiring... a few extra cable ties here and there, just to keep things neat until all the wiring is done, and I can clip it all up properly and permanently.

On the way home, I stopped at Foxes chandlery, and have bought (yet another) tin of matt varnish, so that I can finish the cupboard doors at home, as well as the cable connectors to finish the autopilot, and  a 40amp fuse, as it is currently unfused on the high power side (its operated through a relay, so that the switching circuit at the panel is still low current)... and a bargain power connector for the shore power, one of the nice ones with a flap that will be unobtrusive and allow me to make another hole in the cockpit watertight, rather than taped over with gaffer tape!... it was £14 which is very cheap... nice one Foxes!... I needed to do this soon, so that I can finish off the cockpit hlass work before painting.

A few days at home now, back to job hunting, and then perhaps another stint onboard in a few days.

update - stupid gene identified...

One last check on the autopilot, after a break and a bite to eat....

For some reason the previous owner - probably back more than one - had connected the heavy wires that i've reused the different way round for +ve and -ve for the last step to the computer.... everywhere throughout the entire system its blue for live and brown for return.... bar the last step!!!!!.... swap them round, check the fuse again, and bingo... everything sprang into life... yes, we have autopilot control!

I just need to remake two connections tomorrow, where i've had to use a connector that is too light, as I had run out of the heavier ones... will nip and get some tomorrow morning... and all should be fine... yes... that's lifted my spirits!

its going to be one of those days...

With nothing doing on the engine front, I have set too with reinstalling the autopilot...

a lot of wiring later, I switched it on.... nada, nowt.

So, I have spent much of the afternoon troubleshooting my wiring, and checking for continuity... connecting power directly to the head unit resulted in it powering up nicely, so I suspect the course computer has expired.... as I haven't yet been able to get the instrument head powered up from the computer, I can't actually test the drive itself.

So, that's another thing to add to the list of expensive things to be sorted.... sigh.

pump appears to be seized solid

Despite my efforts, the pump seems to be, in a technical term, knackered.

The rack won't move more than a 1/16"

I pulled the drain plug and a very dieselly mix came out... felt like a light oil, rather then the engine oil that is supposed to be in there.

I have put new oil in, liberally soaked the internals in releasing oil, yet nothing.

I did plan on pulling the top of each of the cylinders. There is a knurled nut that can be undone beneath each fuel union... but they are too tight to undo in situ. Its a shame, as I might then have been able to remove the check valves and tap each cylinder to free it up.

Here's the offending article

You can see the knurled nuts quite clearly in this picture. I may have another go at them in an hour when the penetrating oil has done its work a bit more.

leaves and hair

I headed down to the boat, all set to get on with the engine.... as I stepped onto the boat, It was surprised to seeu that there was 2" of water in the cockpit!

The water was just lapping up to the sills of the doors into the boat... gulp.

It quickly became obvious that the drains had blocked with a combination of early autumn leaves, and other detritus... quite a lot of hair!

I unblocked them, and the water was gone in less than a minute.

However, the engine room was a different matter... a quick inspection showed that the water sitting in the cockpit had also found its way past the steering pedestal, and the engine was pretty wet... nothing that will do any harm, but enough that the plan to pull the injector pump apart was a non starter... I therefore had a quick change of plan...

The cockpit tent was put up sharpish as it was still raining... or put up as much as I can... the sides still need pop studs fitting to the boat... they are onboard... I can't find them!... and yes, I did check in the place that the GPS appeared from!

Nevertheless, it was enough for me to get the cockpit dry, and I detached the steering cables, and undid the bolts holding the pedestal in place. Resealing the pedestal has been on my list for a long while... It had just zoomed to the top of the list!

Removing the pedestal was easy, and I set to reinstall it with a good dose of sealant. The previous owner for some reason, had ignored the nice set of new aluminium bolts when reinstalling the pedetal when we bought her... so I decided to use them... a good call, as the old ones were a poor quality metal, possibly just plated, and were corroding pretty badly... one had lost half its diameter in the 3 years it had been in place.

A few minutes later, I discovered why the bolts had remained in their wrapper. They were 12mm diameter shafts, and the removed ones were 9mm... not an issue for the wood plinth upon which the pedestal sat, or the deck that the bolts carried on through... 2 minutes with a drill had that dealt with.... however, the 4mm thick stainless steel backing plates were a bit tougher... I ended up spending 3 hours with a round file adding the extra 3mm of diameter such that the bolts would go through... but it was eventually done... lots and lots of sealant, and the pedestal was remounted.

I set about reconnecting the steering cable... and  I grabbed it, it was very very hot!.... crikey... it had rested in the positive terminal of the battery when I had disconnected it... and had been merrily conducting away for the last few hours!!!!!.... fortunately, no harm done... it is a heavy wire, and had just got hot, rather than causing any serious damage... a lesson though... I need terminal covers on the batteries untik such time as I mount them properky, probably in a box with a vented lid.

So now, the engine room is water tight again... the heater is in there drying everything out, and I should be OK to get on with the engine tomorrow.

new hatch top

I've been and placed a special order for the new plastic for the hatch top.

The old one, upon measuring was 12mm thick, and with advice from the provider, I have replaced it with 12mm Polycarbonate, which will be bullet proof.

I could have gone for Acrylic, but the advice was that it would flex too much and not be safe when jumped upon. I suspect this was a little overplayed, but the hatch is horizontal, and on the foredeck, and could therefore face several tons of water being dumped upon it, so it can't be too strong!

I haven't also been able to source smoked Polycarbonate in that thickness, so it mean that the new material is clear.. I ummed and arred about this for a while, concerned about temperatures down below, but decided that i'd rather have thick and strong, than thin and smoked.

I can always put the cover over it if it starts to get too hot in the interior.

So, the flip side of the wood part of the hatch has now had its first coat... onwards and upwards!

"ew... its smells of varnish"

I have fallen into writing posts in a style that Barbara Hart described as "short and descriptive".

I quite like that, as its pretty much the way I see it too... although its not intentional. Its probably a result of too many years in IT, a good chunk of my lifetime banging out dozens of emails a day, and most of all, the fact that no matter how hard I try, beautiful writing just doesn't come naturally to me.

I am however, going to break the habit of a (nearing) 10 year old blog, and write a bit about a less directly boaty subject, and more about its impact.

I look around my house, and the entire place is covered in partially completed boat bits, from doors to trim, all varnished, or partially varnished, a brass bell, a brass oil lamp, a Hydrovane self steering system in bits, a pile of headlining panels, a dozen crates of boat bits waiting patiently since they were disembarked from our previous boat, Morgana, much more besides and through to my personal favourite, a pile of unloved and uncorrected charts.

They, on a daily basis, remind me of the fact that I am not currently sailing, and encourage me to keep going. The charts in particular tease me with glimpses of places we know and love.

Their time will come.

But the real evidence of a boats existence is created by the cat.

She has a favourite arm on the sofa upon which she spends her habitual 23 1/2 hrs of the day, and this evening Debs noted that she is starting to mark it, so a blanket was needed. I placed a towel on there as a temporary fix.

"Ew.... it smells of varnish"

Yes, my life is out of date charts, and a faint odour of wood finish. What more could you want?

no news is good news

...or maybe no activity!

I've not heard anything from the yard yet on them taking a look at Phoenix's engine.

I've in the meantime, done plenty of Googling on fuel injector pumps, and am now a little more confident in taking a better look at it.

In other news, i've got the first coat of varnish on one side of the reassembled hatch, and that is looking good.

I've not been too concerned with the finish here, as this bit will be under butyl tape.

I can't go too much further with it until I get the new bit of Polycarbonate, as I don't want to find that the joint have moved slightly once snugged down onto the new plastic and hence my varnish being spoilt.

I've also finished the forepeak door, which will now have to wait to be fitted until I can buy the new door handles... I won't be doing that until gainfully employed again, as its hard to justify spending that much money on them while not working.

I can't finish the sliding doors, as I have run out of matt varnish, and need a trip to the chandlery to buy some more.

One other thing... the pressure relief valve on the calirifier has been dripping very slightly when the water is hot.... i'd assumed a dodgy valve, but someone who knows about these things has suggested that I check the precharge in the accumulator. The accumulator is basically a small tank that is half air one side of a membrane, and the rest water... as the pump runs, it puts the water under pressure by compressing the air... if there isn't enough air in there, then the water pressure forces the prv to leak.. its worth a check. The air can be replaced by use of a bicycle pump via  schraeder valve on top of the accumulator.... will report back!

trim done

bar the book racks which I will fit much later due to needing to do the headlining first, i've finished all the internal trim varnishing (that's accepting the aft cabin not started at all)... and the first side of the last door, and the last sliding cupboard doors... so winning.. and pleased with the results.

Debs will be pleased to get her table back!

and in other news...

final gloss coat on the forepeak door, and the last 4 sliding cupboard doors... just the final matt coat to go.

there's nothing quite as nice as a freshly varnished piece of good quality wood!

And the glued hatch is still drying... one joint dry enough to sand back... looks OK

ignore the 'less than perfect' finish of the wood... that bit will be buried under butyl tape to keep the hatch watertight... the otherside, which will be on show is sanded much more aggressively back to fresh wood, and will look lively under several coats of gloss varnish.

Continued contemplation

When I removed one of the injectors, it had a greyish deposit on it... a bit wet... I am now wondering if its was emulsified oil, and a further combination of problems is that the raw water pump leak is worse than I thought, and water is getting into the sump... I need to check the dipstick pronto!

It would also mean ring failure as well.... but could also be me worrying about nothing. The air filter foam did fail completely (at present i've removed the filters entirely), so it could be just diesel saturated powdered foam... and frankly, the injectors were just a little soiled, not dripping!

I did notice that the fresh water system needed filling a fair bit, so the other disaster scenario going through my head is a cracked block.... it could be paranoia, or perhaps a little less cataclysmic, and just a failed head gasket.

I have also spent a couple of hours watching Youtube clips and googling, and its apparent that the pump isn't working as expected. There is plenty of Youtube material of injection pumps, showing a good squirt of fuel from each port on top as the engine turns over, and that's not happening... so its still either airlocked, the fuel pump has failed, or the injector pump is siezed... i do however, now know how to have a go at freeing the rack in the pump if necessary. I'm slowly working through the problems.

Plan of action now.... after the yard have taken a peek, oil check, a good inspection on the fresh water side, and then I will deal with the raw water pump as a matter of priority, before spending loads on injector pumps etc.

I have that dillema that faces a lot of boaters over when to stop spending money on the engine. If the core is sound, then a new set of ancilliaries is no bad thing, but I do need to get to the bottom of the problem quickly, as if it needs a complete rebuild, new rings, bearings etc, then I have to take  good look at the cost.... and if the block is scrap, then is good night and good bye to the Lehman!

Sticking with positive thoughts, if I do get past these hurdles and still end up with the Lehman, then i'll know the engine a lot better than before!

Finally, my friend Nev has offered his help, which I may well take him up on, particularly as if I end up removing the injector pump, setting the timing is new territory for me, and some experience would help a lot... thanks Nev!

some more thoughts, and one other thing

The other thing first... the raw water pump was also dripping pretty badly, so that'll be another job as well... a bit of googling suggests that it might be serviceable my your truly... and if not, then a replacement is £200... another thing to think about... how much exactly should I spend on this engine, before i'd be better putting it towards a new one!?

Also... the one thing I didn't do was check the oil in the injector pump... might help?

sometimes, you need a little help

...and thus it appears is now the case with the engine.

The lift pump pulled fuel through the primary filter, and a little assistance with a funnel into the bleed screw hole saw the filter properly full. 

The lift pump then appeared to fill the secondary filters, with a clean flow of fuel from the bleed screws.... ditto the fuel injection pump, but nothing, nada, nowt upon hitting the starter button.

I have tried pulling injectors to get fuel through to the cylinders, undoing the unions on the top on the fuel injection pump, and everything else between... 

I was getting to the point of worrying that i'd burn out the starter motor if i'd gone on any longer, and so have resorted to the only option remaining... asking for help

The guys in the yard will take a look this week, and see if they can get her started.

Their opinion is that it will probably be either the injector pump or the injectors themselves.

Its annoying, as they are both reasonably expensive to address, but beggars can't be choosers.... and I have reached the limit of my knowledge.

The yard will first make a diagnosis, and then we'll chat about the next steps. I may have a go at servicing the pump myself if that is the identifed problem, as service kits are relatively cheap, certainy, in a totally different ball park to having a pro rebuild the pump.. but will have to resort to my helping friend, Google, first to see if I think I can take that task on with any degree of confidence!

A rather frustrating day overall.

cranking

The new starter is fitted... and the engine cranks over!

It still doesn't start yet though...

I have tried a simple bleed of the fuel system, but got nowhere so far... after cracking open the unions that are on the solid pipes from the top of the injector pump to the injectors, it is apparent that no fuel is making its way through, so now I have to work my way back through the fuel system bit by bit to see where the problem is... it could be a leak, it could be a failed component.

I'm hoping that the injector pump is OK, as that would be the one expensive bit to replace... things like the fuel pump are just a few quid, so OK, but a new injector pump is £400. You can get service kits, so its possible it could be a lot less than that though.

I had to stop the bleeding process last night, as I ran out of light.... onwards today!

Liebster Award

Well thank you Barbara Hart for my Liebster nomination!

Barbara is living the dream, and set off from Maine for  life aboard. Barbara writes with a witty, easily read style that will have you laughing our loud!.. and has a book, Harts at sea, that I highly recommend. Her descriptions of the obviously, ever so patient, EW are entertainment in their own right!

http://hartsatsea.typepad.com/hartsatsea/

The award is all about discovering new blogs, and as such, you are asked to answer 11 questions set by the nominator, link to 5 new blogs that you enjoy, and ask 11 questions of them!

So, firstly, my 11 questions set by Barbara

1. Do you have a favorite word? (Mine is “plethora”. I try to use it once a month in the blog and love the way it rolls off my tongue.) What’s your favorite word and why?

I quite like the word 'complete'. Read the blog, and all will be understood

2. Dogs or Cats?

Both. I have had dogs much of my life, but now find myself encumbered with 2 cats instead, courtesy of my daughter who, after adoption of the felines, cleared off to University!

Cats sit more comfortably with me, as they are more independent, and don't make life complicated when we want to go sailing

3.  What new fix-it skills have you learned since you started boating, RV’ing, preserving?

There can only be one answer. The art of varnishing. I have varnished more in the last 3 years, than my previous 44 put together.

4. Real books or ebooks?

I do like the feel of a real book, but boats and books are uncomfortable bedfellows. The space is an issue, and any dampness causes havoc. I therefore am a reluctant Kindle user.

5. All of you lead (or have led) somewhat unconventional lives, on a boat, in an RV,  in Portland cobbling a living together out of a love of food – does your family support those choices?  Do they “get it”?

Oh yes!

I have lost count of the number of times people have said that they envy us 'having a plan'. As my eldest cousin, Gemma (who is young enough to be just starting her family - and therfore is of the Internet generation) puts it - YOLO - You Only Live Once.

6. Describe one of the best moments you had while doing what you love.

Way back in 2007, we organised a family oriented get together at Stone Point (see question below), which can only be easily reached by boat, for about a dozen boats, with only two rules... come dressed as a pirate, and bring firewood. As part if it, Debs and I spent a fair amount of time drawing treasure maps, printing them on A4, staining them with tea to make them look aged, and singeing the edges... we then rolled them up and tied then with little ribbons... the kids took these, and while the parents sat on the beach in the beautiful warm summers evening and sampled various libations, the kids, dressed fantastically well as pirates, charged around the island with spades, and returned with a chest of treasure... or sweets/candy as we mostly know them!... the fire was lit as the sun went down over the  boats at anchor, we assembled an impromptu band of guitars and various other instruments and sang our way into the small hours... magical.

7. What’s your favorite place – around the corner or around the world, what place always makes you smile when you think of it?

No competition. Stone Point. We have so many happy memories of visits as our kids grew up. Stone point is in the BackWaters, just off the Harwich harbour estuary, and is classic UK east coast... flat landscape, big skies, and birds by their millions. Its a rare sand beach in an area famed for its mud, and a wondefully sheltered anchorage.

8. Most memorable meal? (It doesn’t have to be good to be memorable.)

After a particularly wet crossing of the North sea to Oostende in Belgium, we discovered that we had arrived first of the 5 or so boats we were travelling in company with. While we waited for them, we put together a huge pan of Chilli con Carne. As boats arrived, we dragged them over, and after several hours, we had 20 people onboard. It was a completely unplanned evening, and still talked about with fondness.

9. How many languages do you speak? What are they? What language would you like to learn?

Sadly only English. It is the curse of the English to not be great linguists. I have tried, but languages don't come naturally to me. If I could wave a wand and be bilingual, it would be Spanish. Its a language that seems to exude passion.

10.  I know it’s all fun, but when  you aren’t  writing, working on the boat or RV, driving, sailing, or cooking – what do you do for fun?

When i'm not working on the boat????... I don't ever seem to have time for anything else!.... seriously, I do enjoy running and cycling... and have on occasions, been a bit obsessive about them!.. earlier this year, I completed an Ironman triathlon... a real bucket list activity, but very distracting from boat prep!

11.  What country or state would you most like to visit and why?

I have in my photo file, a picture that I came across several years ago, of an atol in the Pacific called Suvarov. Its a volcanic crater rim, that has been over millenia, breached by the sea, and now forms a perfect horseshoe anchorage. It is a LONG way from anywhere and too small for an airstrip, so its only visitors are 40 or 50 yachts a year.... the resident population can be counted on just a few hands, and have a tradition of adopting visitors for their stay in return for a few essential that are hard to come by. It is, certainly in my mind, the stereotypical example of a Pacific paradise, and I love the fact that it still looks like real adventuring. One day I will visit Suvarov.

So I nominate the following blogs:

Erbas - http://sverbas.blogspot.co.uk

Nick Ward - http://wardwideweb.blogspot.co.uk

Demonboy - http://followtheboat.com/refit/

Phanakapan - http://www.sailblogs.com/member/wanderings/

The Blind Sailor - http://www.theblindsailor.co.uk

And IF YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT THE NOMINATION, here are my 11 questions:

1] Why do you own a boat?

2] Sail alone, or with a crew?... how about in company with other boats?

3] Anchor, mooring, or marina?

4] When have you most loved sailing?

5] What got you into sailing to start with?

6] Do you have a guilty pleasure onboard?

7] What nautical terminology do you use unnecessarily?

8] What is your perfect boat?

9] Where do you dream of sailing to?

10] What is wierdest thing you've seen kept on a boat?

11] What is your favourite childhood memory?

Have fun!

more gluing

now added a couple of clamps... and another layer of glue... its started to fill the gaps now, and maybe one more layer of glue on a couple of joints should do it.

Once I can remove the tape, then there will be a couple of bits to fill as I can orientate the frame to stop the glue running out.

paint and sandpaper

I've spent the day fitting another light, this time the one in the 'coffin' berth in the passageway to the aft cabin... this one will be useful, as it can be a bit dark down there, and given that there is limited headroom, its previously been the cause of a few bumped heads!

I've alsoput the final white coat of paint on under the forepeak and coffin cushions... so that's all the white finished now until I start on the aft cabin.

I then came home, partially to be available to sign for the new starter motor, and partially to get on with a few jobs at home. I have sanded the hatch back to bare wood, and am now using the old bit of perspex as a jig to glue it all back together... the glue is having to not only hold it solid, but also will need to gap fill slightly, so it'll be a job in a few stages, otherwise the glue will run everywhere... which I've tried to stop in the short term with strategically placed bits of masking tape - that will probably need sanding off).. it does dry clear, and i'll then sand it all back to a neat finish before starting the varnish... the glue is pretty tough stuff, so once its properly dry, I can safely remove the old perspex

(excuse the rather naff old curtain that I use as a dust sheet!)

starter still doesn't fit

so, despite my best efforts, the starter ain't going to fit.

So, i've bitten the bullet, and ordered the correct one this time, with the correct nose cone casting. I'll probably either put the old one on ebay, or more likely, remove the nose cone from the knackered starter, and from the two build one good one as a spare.

what a pain.

I did however, spend a pleasant afternoon taking the old one apart to see what chance I had of getting it going. I knew I was in trouble upon cracking it open and getting a decent sized pile of rust fall out!

Despite this, I managed to get the bendix freed up, and put it all back together, but nada... It had just passed its sell by date... shame, as it was obviously due to its dunking, as the brushes etc were all in quite good condition.

So, I now await the new one.

In the meantime, i'll get a few other jobs done... i'm not short of them!!!

Starter differences

Here are pics of the two starters, showing the difference.

I held a straight edge (junior hacksaw blade) across the two facings and the shaft. The slightly lower faces of the old starter can be seen as the edge touches the (now proud) shaft.

Basically I need to lower the sides by about 1.5mm each side. With inspection, you can see the marks on the new starter  where the excess part has fouled the flywheel on trying to fit it.

Further investigation reveals that all starters with nose cone casting number 54257610 have a slightly different casting, and fortunately that is the only difference.

Hatch rebuild

The hatch is dismantled.

The Perspex is, as previously mentioned, a rather unusual purple colour

although the colour doesn't show that well in the picture. What does show better is the crack... I have pretty much decided to replace the Perspex.

The frame onto which the Perspex mounts is also dismantled, and is now in four parts ready for cleaning and reassembly

Each part has a layer of rubberised sealant on it, which is 'challenging' to remove!

And one of the parts split slightly, and needs a little repair... Here are pics as being glued back up

And after a bit of a clean up

Next will be the varnish removal and reassembly before varnishing and refitting the Perspex... Pics to come

(Better on the picture front Myron?)

Starter update

I've found one very small difference between the new and old starters... The casting is about 1mm longer on the new one in one spot... Looking at the old one, it may well have been ground back... I'll deal to the seller tomorrow, but suspect it's my installation, not the starter... In which case, I reckon 2 mins with a grinder should fix it... At least cast alloy is easy to grind!

Also, forgot to mention earlier that I also brought home the forward hatch. I had fabricated a wooden panel as a temporary replacement to make it secure and weatherproof... The hatch is now in pieces, and will be cleaned , repaired and put back together. It was leaking a little bit... Nothing much, but enough to be annoying... I do need to decide whether to replace the Perspex or use the original bit... Which is both slightly cracked, and an interesting purple colour!

Hmmh

Well, I've been to the boat... and can't get the bloody starter to fit.

So I come home thinking I've ordered the wrong one, and on comparing with the old one, it's identical... I mean completely identical....

The starter was locating, but was about 10deg out... Which the bendix would normally deal with... But not sure what was causing the problem... It's like the casting was fouling internally... But it's identical to the one that came out!!!

Will return and try again... This time with the old one to hand as well

The big question

As those who know me will be well aware, I have for the last 18mths answered the question over when we will be ready to launch with the answer, "she'll be ready when she's ready", and have steadfastly refused to put a date down.

It's time to address that.

My plan is to be ready to take her out of the marina next season, hopefully at the start around May.. I've a few jobs to do that are still on the 'essential' list, some of which require cash that I am reluctant to spend while still job hunting, but subject to that coming together, I reckon it's feasible.

There. I feel better for that!

Clean starting

Spot which is the new one!

Spec for future reference, and any other. 80hp Lehman owners:

New Diesel Starter, Ford Lehman, (Right-handed Rotation), 12v (Volt).
Lucas Style Starter - DE Hsng Opens to the Left
Rplc Type M50 & M127 
12V, C.W. Rotation (Right-handed Rotation)
10-Tooth Gear 
Rplc Ford Lehman # 1513727, Lucas #'s 26211, 26277, 26338, 26379, 26395, 27500, 27528, 27569.

Replaces Ford No.s C6NF-11000-A, C7NN-11000-A, C7NN-11000-B, D0NN-11000-A, D0NN-11000-B, D4NN-11000-B.

I've also finished sanding the LAST of the trim (other than the aft cabin which is yet to be started at all), and got the first coat of heavily thinned varnish on... Another milestone!

There was one bit that I broke on removal... I've used wood glue to put it back together before sanding and varnishing.. It's worked well

(Lots more pics as promised)

May head to the boat tomorrow to try the starter out

starting and stopping

Starting - the new starter is on its way to me... i'm hoping that the engine will start with this, and the now unblocked air filters. If not, then I will suspect the fuel injector pump next, which is a bigger job to so, as we then get into setting up the timing if its removed.

Stopping - the sole boards (floor for landlubbers) getting messy.... i've continued to investigate the options for finishing it off... I was going to varnish it, and then put a final coat of Ronseal diamond matt floor varnish on to finish it... but have read mixed reports, from 'superb' to 'rubbish'... so a little less confident now.... instead, I may go for a wax oil, such as Liberon hard wax oil... easier to apply, and probably easier to remove if it goes wrong!

Jim also pointed out, quite correctly, that it would be sensible to finish sanding the sole before putting the headlining in... so that's another task to push up the list.

a little cleaner

No, i'm not talking about having help scrubbing from Warwick Davis, but actually, a couple of other sucesses that I forgot to mention earlier....

The sail covers were starting to get a bit green, and Jim had the brilliant idea of sticking them in the washing machines in the laundrette at the marina.... and wow!... they look nearly new!

Doug then rocked up with a 5ltr tub of patio magic... I sprayed the one bit of the deck that was starting to go green again, and the furled genoa which had a little green appearing, and just 3 hours later they both looked great again... very impressive stuff!

Thanks guys... a brilliant weekend! 

change of heart, and high level failure!

Lets deal with the high level failure first... I hoisted Jim up the mast, complete with a small chandleries worth of bits to fit.... He reached the masthead, and within very short time, declared that this wasn't going to work.

I've banged the drum enough about the heavy construction of Phoenix, and today it didn't help... there was no way that Jim was going to be able to drill the neccessary holes in the plate at the masthead, while hanging in a bosuns chair... just too heavy a plate for that to ever be practical.

He also noted on the way up and down that several of the rivets holding the various mast fixtures on are starting to corrode, so it'll be a mast down job over the winter, to do the work at a more sensible altitude, and while its down, re-rivet everything for peace of mind.

We didn't waste the time that this had now freed up.

A good bit of further tidying up (mainly of the cupboard in the engine room) resulted in another substantial pile of rubbish making its way into the marina skip... for some reason we found 6 radiator caps on board amongst other things!.... and at least a dozen half used bottles of oil and ATF.

We then removed a few more bits and pieces, such as the old charger and the old Cetrek compass.. including one particularly amusing moment, when I reached into the locker to find out how the charger was attached, and lifted it out... it wasn't, and never had been fixed down.... you had to be there!

So, lets move onto the 'change of heart' bit....

We had Doug and Abi onboard on saturday night, wher we consumed a take away curry... and they both, with Jim in full support, harangued me over when Phoenix will be ready to leave the marina... my standard list of the work still to be done, was rolled out, including the large task of replacing the engine.... Jim and Doug were both rather dismissive of this idea, and pushed that we should keep the existing  engine, especially as it had run so well on the 22hr delivery trip, and was of a make and model famed for running for ever.

I explained how much of a ball of rust it was, and that it had gone from not starting to not even turning over.

Jim, then made a strong case for me talking bollocks!

So, I agreed to take a look at the engine again.... the next day, we pulled the starter motor off... it came off surprisingly easily. The engine wasn't anwhere near as rusty as I thought... it was, in fact, rather minor rusting. I reckon a couple of hours with a wire brush and a pot of engine paint will have her looking great again.... The starter however, was toast. In fairness, the guy who got her running again after her involuntary dunking in 2011 had said at the time that the starter and alternator would need replacing.

Here's the awkward access to the starter motor (after removal of the beast)

and here's the state of the thing upon removal

So, my argument became a fiscal one again.... why spend loads of money on spares for what will still be an old engine. Only Jim found a place that services tractors selling the starter for just over a hundred quid!

The engine is a Ford Lehman 80hp, which is based on the old Ford Dorset engine, which was used extensively in agricultural equipment, and various Ford vans over the years... everything you would need to support the engine is readily available, right the way down to new crankshafts!

I need to do some more research, but I think the engine model is a 2712e... its hard to be certain, as its normally shown on a plate on top of the rocker cover, but there isn't a plate on there.

So, I will try and keep the engine.... a new starter, and then get her running.... and see if the alternator is cooked. If it is, then a replacement will not be expensive at all. I was still unsure about why she wouldn't start even when the starter was spinning, until we pulled the filters off... they had completely fallen apart internally, and so must have been severely restricting air flow to the engine.

I will take the time to clean her up too... the only decision is whether to still lift the engine and clean up properly below here, repaint etc, or to leave that for a later date... the money saved however on the engine will pay for replacement sails and the bowthruster.

Just for completeness, I finished up by putting the final coat of varnish on the hatch interiors... I am now ready to put the headlining in... only one job to be done first, which is to resand the sole boards... a messy, dusty job, best done before shiny new headlining is in place!

I've found it.... i've found it!

Turned the boat inside out in the hunt for the GPS... its clearly not onboard. 

So, tidied up a bit... put the old draining board away, and bugger me, underneath it was the GPS!!!!

I was delighted... little things...

I have also fitted a flourescent light in the galley...

Rest of the afternoon spent cleaning further... it helps to work in a tidy environment!

...and as I write, Jim is on his way to help with the masthead stuff... steady progress still

update

I have taken the hatch struts out, and of the six, three already have thumb screws in them... they are OK, so i'll probably stick with them. I was about to size the thumb screw threads to track down three extras on the web, and just as a fleeting whim, I tried them in the empty ones... good job I did, as they are different sizes!!!

I then spent a hour hunting around the garage trying any old bolts I could find in the struts to get a size, when just out of chance I threaded it onto the bolt on a bicycle wheel.... bingo!... its an M10.

I suspect that at some point they have been tapped out, and either the thumb screws have been lost, or more likely a bolt has been used as a temporary fitting in the past. Regardless, finding M10 thumbscrews was easy... and they've been ordered in nice 316 stainless steel.

Second thing.... I have decided to refit the old GPS that was on Phoenix... it works, and will be useful as an emergency backup. Only I can't find it. I am pretty sure its onboard, but a bit of a hunt revealed nothing, so I hoped it had been brought home, although I didn't think it had.... and its not here... so it must be onboard somewhere. That's the problem with moving stuff around and constantly moving it again in order to continue the refit... stuff gets lost in the process... The search was how I found the step that I mentioned fitting in my earlier blog!

and a bit more

Late last night, after the previous blog entry, I decided to paint the saloon seat wood... and expected it to dry by this morning. It was, however, perhaps a bit cold last night, and the paint was still tacky this morning, so I had yo work around that space.

Instead, I put a second, unthinned coat of varnish on the hatch interiors, and then got on with the gas work.

I'd been wanting to move the nozzle that connects to the flexible hose to the oven for some time, as it was a bit high and inconveniently placed, and along the way, it was the perfect opportunity to fit a gas tap in the galley too, so that it could be isolated without having to go and turn off at the bottle.

I'd ordered the bits some weeks back, and so had the  ready to fit... it was a bit of a stretch to reach into the areas that I wanted to use, but doable... the biggest challenge was fitting the bulkhead nozzle... when they made it, they didn't figure on the robust construction of Phoenix, and a 1" thick locker panel was too much!...so I had to not only drill the hole for the nozzle, but also cut out a large area with a hole saw down to about 1cm thick... slow and awkward upside down headfirst into a locker, but with patience, done.

Final tasks of the day... fit the step that eases access into the forepeak berths.. and remove the final hatch struts for cleaning, and to source new thumb screws... suspect tge thread is imperial, so that'll be fun!

Anyway... list is down to 180, and in the last few days, nothing new thought of and added!

Jim is onboard this weekend for the mast head work.... can't wait... haven't seen him for  beer in far far too long.

Gerry has come to play

The most exciting thing today has been a proper installation of the stereo... and now I sit here writing this listening to a Gerry Rafferty album... superb!

Along the way I have managed to do a few other things as well.... for starters I have finished cleaning up the starboard seat... sanded as well, and ready for paint or teak.

While I had the sander out, I sanded the various bits of exterior varnish that were showing a little of the ravages of British weather.... it turned out to be quite a lot of bits.

I then put on a coat of thinned varnish, around the capping rail, the dog house, and the trim at the top of the coachroof, as well as the hatch interiors.

All in all, another good day.

monsters under the bed

The monsters aren't under the bed if you don't look. At least that's what we convinced ourselves as very young children. I'd realised that I was taking the same strategy to what was underneath the teak in the cockpit. If I didn't look, then it wouldn't be bad news.

Today, I bit the bullet, and upon arriving on Phoenix, set to in removing it. It was truthfully, starting to come apart itself, with the caulking having failed in a few places, and several planks starting to stick up, hence the concerns over what was lurking underneath.

The hope was to get it off in one piece, and then reassemble at home, and refit neatly... that soon proved futile. The remaining stuck pieces were stuck. No, I mean they were STUCK.

Eventually, a claw hammer saw the wood off. Mainly in pieces.

I was rather relieved to see that there was not in fact a monster under the bed, and just a lot of messy gunk.

This is what greeted me upon removing the teak

This left the next challenge... removing the horrible brown sikaflex.

Now, anyone who has spent any amount of time around boats will know that Sikaflex is a superb substance that will render any moveable object firmly immovable.

Only upon removal time does it become apparent that it is in fact the work of Satan.

Its too firm to peel off and too soft to sand off. It can only be removed in tiny quantities at a time with a sharp scraping device. Nothing dissolves it. Pure evil.

At the time of writing, I am only half way down the starboard side. I haven't yet removed any teak on the port side, as it looks in a lot better condition, and therefore it depends if I replace the starboard side  or not.

One of the options is to just paint the seats and not put new teak back in. The new teak WILL be expensive... so its a serious option to not have any. Only, the teak does look great, and also, just painted surfaces can be a bit slippy. A decision to be made.

In the meantime, this evening, I have started wiring up the stereo at last... the new speakers arrived this week, and i've worked out where they are going... speaker cable to go in tomorrow. Jim... we'll have tunes!

Motivation

Its been a while since I restated our goal of travelling the world by boat. In the last few weeks, two things have come together to remind me of this ambition.

The first is most substantial by some way... that is I have been made redundant. While we won't starve for some time, it does remind me of the plan to go sailing. If it had been a few years later, we would have been waving goodbye by now! As it is, I need to work for some time yet.

The second was much more simple... i read a blog.

Over the last few years I have followed many blogs for liveaboards as they have made their way around the world, or in most cases, a little less ambitiously. Some have been dull, like this blog, but on occasions, i've stumbled across real gems. One of these was found following the download of a book from Amazon called Harts at Sea... written by Barbara Hart.

Barbara has a delightful writing style, which suggests a down to earth attitude, seems to reflect a real world view of sailing, and is very entertaining. Most recently the Harts have been in the Azores, and their tales reminded me of the passion that I have had for a world cruise... it just sounded.. well.. fun!

Enjoy the blog... its worth while reading.

So... thank you Barbara and EW...  for your efforts, I have a new determination to get Phoenix completed.

to-do list

managed to work out how to add a tab to the top of the blog with the to-do list in it, as a permanent record of the progress (or lack of) that I am making!

Also, a page about Phoenix... I hope there will be some additional photos of her under sail before too long.... but i've been saying that for two years or so now!

tank you and goodnight

The tank gauges are in and working!

It does demonstrate adequately the size of the fuel tank though.... its registering half way into the red, and that's after I put 100ltrs of fuel in!

The rest of my time has been spent tidying up.... a good clean, a lot of bits of junk disposed of, kilos of dust and old varnish shavings removed, and she looks a lot better for it!

I also took a chisel to the wooden plugs covering the screws in the mirror and lopped off the proud parts... was easy, and looks great.

Home now.... with the door to the forepeak in the car... that's two doors to finish now... better order the door handles before too long.

nothing like a bit of momentum!

The inside of the hatches had yet to be stripped and sanded, and that needed doing as they meet the trim pieces, so would be hard to sand later without damaging the new varnish... so that was the first task of the day... the forward harch and the main hatch into the saloon both done.

I then set about the job i'd been looking forward to... putting in the new switch panel.... first it needed to be completed, and it took a good 3 hours to finish the wiring at the back of it... and then the task of pulling the old panel out, and putting in the new one, with as little disconnected time for the fridge as possible... all done.

I took the opportunity to rearrange the wiring within the switch cabinet, and also to label all the wires entering from around the boat... it took a good while, but there will undoubtedly be a time when I thank the fact it has been done... every wire was labelled with a handwritten lable under clear heatshrink, and then re-terminated.

It looks pretty darn good even if I do say so myself!

and please excuse the, yet to be sanded and varnished, step and panel surround!

Not content with this, I set about wiring in the galley light... in fact, I have wired in two... one above the freezer, conveniently close to the cooker to help make life easier, and one above the gap between the galley and the saloon table, where I will fit a 12v flourescent for powerful lighting when needed. I don't have the flourescent yet, so bares wires i'm afraid!

Next on my list was to wire in a light in the forepeak... duly done... required some triming of the head lining wood in order to give the wires a clear transit, and then the cable clipping up neatly in one place.. again, took an age to do tidily.

Finally, and definitely not least, I started clipping up the wires in the very front of the forepeak, which had been temporarily held in place with stick on patches and cable ties... using the small p clips again... they've worked brilliantly. However the best bit of this task, was that the cables were for two things... the internal light forward, and the nav lights on the bow.... and with some final connections..... ping, on came the port and starboard lights on the bow.... we have nav lights again folks! (at least some of them anyway!)

Another day of great progress... the list is a 191... feels like i'm winning,