The last time Whimbrel came out of the water we suffered from exceedingly bad treatment from a large minority of Island Yacht Club members and we ended up leaving our club of forty years…

There was a little more to it than that: it rekindled the rancour following a complaint we’d made about a ‘RIB Bombing’ by an Island YC RIB, out of spite, following which the club and a protagonist – the RIB driver – were issued with Port of London Authority written warnings.

See: https://nickardley.com/island-yacht-club-forty-years-a-member-forced-out-ditch-crawler-reflects/

Last Tuesday, I went for a sail on my own. We’d both been out on the previous Saturday when I thought we’d hit something with the prop leaving the berth. All seemed well: we’d sailed away.

So, as the tide made, I began edging astern. The boat didn’t move! I went ahead. All well… I tried astern again, nothing. I then lifted the cockpit floor boards – the shaft was turning both ways normally…

I went astern again, nothing. Tried again, I was away… However, I wasn’t entirely happy.

Clear of moorings and sailing, although engaged, the prop shaft was spinning. I felt over the stern with the boat hook.

A ‘Clatter, clatter, clatter’ was heard and felt. Key, I thought…

The wind was in a good direction to sail back into the mooring under headsail, so thinking, ‘sooner than later’ dropped the main and scuttled back in, berthing nicely. I was pleased I’d sailed in on a number of occasions already!

The following day eschewing a walk, we both went over to the boat while the tide was out. I went overboard on a walking plank and discovered it was as thought. Clearly the key had failed!

A conversation with the yard’s manager, Beccs Polden, and it was quickly arranged for Whimbrel to be lifted the next day – I had two weeks…

The prop was soon off, then the yard pressure washed the boat’s bottom, which comes with a lift. As a mooring holder, yard time out of season is not invoiced, which is nice.

Remains of the key was soon removed from propeller and shaft. Fortunately I had a piece of bronze, long ago picked up in the gravel of a boatyard down on the Swale. Beccs gave me a telephone number for a local engineering firm (Millers and turners) – chap said come along…

Arriving at the works just a couple of miles away on the edge of Latchingdon, the owner/manager set to and milled up my chunk of bronze (reckoned to be phosphor bronze) and within less than an hour I had a new key that fitted snuggly into propeller keyway.

Joe Owen Machinists – 01621 740308

I was very grateful and had a long natter next day when taking in my payment… Chap had some interesting tales to tell of east coast traipsing.

Final word to me: ‘Keep sailing as long as you can…’

After refitting the propeller, I left it twenty-four hours and again hardened up the nut before re-drilling the safety split pin hole.

So, the ‘panic’ job was done within thirty-six hours!

The yard manager had dangled the prospect of time to do antifouling in front of us and after putting the question to my good mate, we’d decided to get the bottom antifouled while out rather than in just two months time on the slipway.

The weather being reasonably conducive, just, allowed for a coat of varnish round the transom, rudder and shearstrakes, these were sanded and given two coats.

All the usual out of water checks were made too: two lower pintle strap fastenings withdrawn and inspected, hull fittings for ‘brightness’ – that is looking for dezincification, centre plate pivot bolt renewal (very low wastage) and checking of lifting wire riveted pin condition.

While I was carrying out the checks and redrilling of the shaft, Christobel hit the antifouling…

The hull topsides were checked over and a few odd paint repairs were completed too.

Although the bulk of the bottom paint application is carried out by my good mate, she leaves the cutting in to me!

So, within a week of being lifted out, Whimbrel was ready for the water.

It was interesting sitting between the yard’s tide flood gates and the painted yellow hatched foot path guide lines: a fair number of people stopped to admire and comment or ask questions. Christobel said I should have put up the ‘Finesse class board’ I’d made and used at events…

What was pleasing was that no one asked if she was a Dauntless!
Several knew Whimbrel’s pedigree, and one person knew of me … ‘nothing bad he said…’

Another chap, a boat builder/repairer who works on projects in the yard said that Whimbrel was the finest Finesse he had looked over…

Flattery!

Arriving at the yard at 0825 yesterday morning, Thursday 7th, Whimbrel was already hoisted from her chocks. That last inspection of the lifting pin done, a touch of antifouling on chock patches and we were back in the water and on our mooring by 0905…

It was a little misty with a keen easterly, so we chose not to go off for a short sail, so after checking the bilges – no ingress – we cleared away homewards for a pleasant late morning walk in the sunshine around our local woods…

All there is left to say is thank you to the kindness and attention of the yard’s staff.

The other over riding joy was the fact that not a single vehicle ‘burnt past at speed’ showering the boat and us in dust and debris: that sort of behaviour is not tolerated.

P.S. Christobel took great delight in deleting ‘Antifoul weekend’ in our diary for May!