Yes, I have been getting down to it. Even Christobel has asked if we have enough antifouling paint … indeed, we have (or she has) and discussion has taken place for berth cushion washing and the inside of boat cleaning session…
So, during the mixed weather that March threw at us in my little corner of England, a good start was made on various varnish repairs.
It has been the beadings around cabin sides to deck and hatch top edges that have suffered from damp the most. Odd areas of rubbing band too.
A deck edge was touched up with epoxy too and a couple of fastening heads dealt with plus a couple bronze screws added…
Sanding bag, varnish and white spirit seemed to live in this corner for a while!
Whimbrel had more jaunts out during the month but a wish to sail on the last day ( today) of the month was scuppered by a gentle precipitation falling as I got ready to leave home. It did clear away later whilst remaining very overcast – which to be fair the forecast had warned about. Bah!!
A few things have appeared in the Marine Industry News posts over the last few weeks and I saved some posted articles.
The America’s Cup continues to cause ‘wonderment’ in the way of the world: British Industrialist, Jim Ratcliff owner of the Ineos Group is suing the new British America’s Cup team over ownership of the last boat in the previous partnership. Jim Ratcliff is saying it belongs to him…
After splitting from Ratcliff, Ainslie formed a new challenge team based on the boat built for he last challenge – Brittania, now called GB1.
See details about new group – Athena Racing: GB1 America’s Cup team confirms Dylan Fletcher as helm
Shame there couldn’t be more cooperation: whatever one feels about the type of craft used, the team did better than any British challenge for a jolly long time.
In the press too – largely reported on Facebook – there are a growing number of river authorities and harbour areas where something positive is being done about the hundreds of abandoned craft littering our shores.
Now, I don’t often blow my own trumpet, but I investigated this problem with various east coast and broads authorities some years ago, the results were interesting.
Ditch-crawler looks again at ‘dead ships’… – Nick Ardley
A decade and a half ago my article about the growing problem as I saw it and the numbers of abandoned boats seen was published in an east coast yotty mag, Since then it has become mainstream…
Another item that caught my eye was ‘the industries’ perceived failure to interact with customers and potential customers. An Austrian company has carried out a study (for all of us and the Brands) about ‘audience interaction compared to other luxury brands…’
See: Boating social media engagement lags other luxury sectors
I read it through and I though, either I am out of date or this is stuff that should comfortably float over my head!
The luxury for me and I suggest most boaters is the joy of purely being out on the water…
The last item kind of caught my breath for it is something we all need to think about.
Pollution and the control of is much in vogue, and should quite rightly be so, but do you spare a thought for the boat cleaning products that are available to the boating market? In the maritime world of big ships, MARPOL (Marpol is the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) controls a lot of how ships are operated and is an organisation I’ve familiar with all my marine engineering life. MARPOL’s reach is now all encompassing.
Did you know you can be held personally responsible for polluting a marina for instance just by merely scrubbing down the decks with some product spotted in the chandlery?
Read on: Marpol and leisure boats: Compliance gaps & insurance impact
See what I am saying!
Hey ho! So, back to Whimbrel. Last autumn I fitted a new 20w solar panel. It is a fixed unit – story was told at time. The unit however has suffered a ‘delamination’ the cause of which is unknown.
A tough glue was provided with the fitting kit, but with the gentle camber of the cabin top, I felt that some other form of assistance was needed. The original sales ‘speel’ for the unit said the panels are pre-drilled for securing if required. In an email, it was thought by a technical department contacted by my seller, that my drilling has been the cause – I challenged this for delamination took place down the panel’s edges!
Any way, I have been sent a replacement…
Not being able to go boating today I put into action my plan for securing new panel.
I am making up two ‘L’ shaped pieces of timber to use as end clamps… Two sections of wood were cut from a bit of gash teak and bonded together. Currently the assembled wood clamps are hanging in my workshop after a second coat of epoxy. I’m essentially ready to remove the faulty unit and fit new.
How much positivity about the problem being solved. Hmmmmm, I shall report down the line.
On a positive note, after doing some recoating of varnish repairs, I did get out for a pleasant sail on April Fools Day!