Last year we’d decided that it was time to strip off all the boat’s varnished surfaces to bare wood and start again.
The last time she’d been ‘naked’ in these areas was prior to her first coats in the autumn of 1983!
Whimbrel’s varnished areas include the rudder, transom, sheer strakes and entire cabin sides.
During last autumn a ‘spanner’ was thrown into the plans. I was booked into a hospital for a new right knee – I went in a week early on our 45th wedding anniversary on 27th March!
After my knee operation, I worked hard at the physio exercises and was walking up to a 1km at the end of first week.
Whimbrel’s lift was duly booked for Saturday 20th May.
Before lift out I was able to enjoy two sessions sailing with The Boy and the Mate aboard, which was a great tonic.
It wasn’t long before the first fresh coats were being applied, starting with the transom and then the rudder.
I had chosen to use Le Tonkinois No.1 which is a semi man made concoction which I had winessed on several craft.
The rudder also was given nine coats!
A glitch occurred during the second week- my GP had decided I needed an additional blood pressure control tablet. They made me exceedingly sick. I lost appetite for any food, was nauseas and had blinding head aches, finally I couldn’t eat at all!
I took myself off and got an appointment. A sensible clinical pharmacist agreed. I was retching by then and had lost over a stone in two weeks…
I saw the chap after a week and he confirmed that I did not need the new tablets – it took that time for near normality to return!
Note rudder refitted. I got a fellow club member to make up two new fitted pintles which has taken out ‘rudder knock’…
As areas were stripped and sanded, varnish coating began. Pencil tick list to eight for each!
In between times, the hull was prepared. An all over sand, repairs as required going through the use of primer, undercoats and stripe coating with top coat. Leaving the final coat for when ready.
Having completed stripping for England and sanding for the World the mate morphed into Bilge Babe…
During the whole time ashore we had to cope with a generally easterly wind pattern and with the very dry conditions the club’s yard was a veritable dust bowl.
The majority of drivers passing us acknowledged this and passed by slowly, however, a significant minority gaily traversed the yard at a speed well above the posted 5 mph. I had to remonstrate with some.
After a ‘bad day’ we got hold of a collection of cones to screen the boat and made up a big sign saying ‘Slow’…
The cones and signs had no effect on many of the minority! One driver actually sped up followed by a white van. I shouted in frustration as I slammed brush down to fetch white spirit and cloths… a lady came back and apologised…
Several times lengths of varnish had to be wiped and redone – when going sheer strakes mainly. It was frustrating and annoying.
While away sailing for a week after the boat was launched and upon reflection, because we have never had a comfortable time with the club’s hierarchy, I made a formal complaint. It took several emails to get an acknowledgement … typically showing the club’s institutional attitude.
Another ‘bug-bear’ was the arrival of an email from my publisher with the final corrected book draft.
The next stage is a QA check and conversion to print files, when I will see the whole book together with covers…
Tired as I was, the job had to be done. I was still sick too, but checking against corrections had been the easiest of this publisher’s processes… Hey Ho!
My birthday – 68th – came round and because we could not be away sailing aboard Whimbrel, Christobel had organised a wonderful day aboard the spritsail barge Hydrogen, following the Blackwater & Smack matches.
It was a wonderfully relaxing day.
The ‘holiday’ over, it was back to work. Even on my actual birthday day, we went down early to re-coat all areas needing them!
The rest of the day was then ours to enjoy together…
With time moving on, I judged we would be ready for a launching this coming weekend and duly booked with the head of our club’s compound and moorings team.
All varnishing having been completed, the side and poop decks were prepared, meanwhile Christobel had graduated to supreme chief cleaner, working her way through the boat…
Today, we jointly finished our respective tasks!
The inside has had various areas of varnish redone. The loo compartment had been completed the week before my knee op … and Christobel’s home-sewn curtains are a treat, matching the berth and cushion colour beautifully!
So, on Saturday 17th June, just four calendar weeks after lift out, Whimbrel looked as good as the day she left Alan & Shirley Platt’s yard in the Daws Heath woodland paradise that surrounds our home on the northern edge of Hadleigh.
I am sure they and the family would be proud.
Forty years on from ordering Whimbrel, we are exceptionally happy…
Thank you, Alan & Shirley…