Hi everyone
Please forgive me for not keeping up the blog , though I do have an excuse, and that is I have been really busy also I have had very little to report.
However we are now well on our way to being ready for the off. I had a little trouble last week with the rudder, I needed to change the rudder bearing, which in itself is not a difficult job, unless whilst trying to remove the bearing you pull the rudder arm out of the skeg, as I did. Luckily I had the forethought to put a rope on the rudder tied to a stern post so that I didn’t loose the lot to Davy Jones’s locker. Now if this ever happens to you before you start shelling out having the boat put into dry dock to re-engage the rudder in the skeg, do as I did, screw back in the swan arm retaining screw, put wire around the screw making a loop enough to pass a rope through then tie a rope onto the rudder, by lifting the centre post and manoeuvring the rudder it is possible to drop the rudder post back into the skeg single handed though its a killer on the back. Also unless you are a very competent engineer with a full workshop buy the housing with the bearing ready fitted to buy just the bearing albeit a nylon bush with a centre o ring they are impossible to fit back into the original housing.
I have fitted new buttons to the pointed bit and re vitalised the buttons to the blunt bit I have given the hull a blacking to the waterline ( I am doing the rest when it is in dry dock in May.
The engine has had a complete service. My son Matthew has made me a new long top box for plank, fenders and such like, so now everything is ship shape and ready for the off
We are now sorting out the last few dinner parties for friends we won’t see for the next six months and getting everything like dental checks, heart checks, bulking up on the tablets and all the domestic and personal stuff sorted.
The weather has been very kind to us allowing all the work to be done its been great not to have to worry about the rain though I think we will suffer in the summer for this lack of rain I can see us being short of water again?
All our families are fine no problems there . Fantastic news from the Antipode’s I am a great uncle again my nephew and niece in Australia have had a baby girl Scarlet who by looking at her picture will be braking a lot of young men’s hearts
Fishing has been quite good Our Keith came last week for a couple of days he managed a nice Perch which was deserving of a photo, the week before we had Bethany, Rachel and Elliot they where fishing when I hooked into a large Pike about three foot long and despite all our efforts we could not land it, it was on long enough for everyone to have a look at it but when it came to getting it out, it took one look at the net, shook its head and said good by.
The picture below is of my new friend I miss Herby the Heron unfortunately he has not been seen for some time though Phil the Pheasant is a good substitute but a lot noisier, at least with Phil if I get fed up of him he will make a lovely Pie\????
Keep smiling summer is not too far away now I will give you a report when we are on the move.
Big Al
Buggerlugs

Please forgive me for not keeping up the blog , though I do have an excuse, and that is I have been really busy also I have had very little to report.
However we are now well on our way to being ready for the off. I had a little trouble last week with the rudder, I needed to change the rudder bearing, which in itself is not a difficult job, unless whilst trying to remove the bearing you pull the rudder arm out of the skeg, as I did. Luckily I had the forethought to put a rope on the rudder tied to a stern post so that I didn’t loose the lot to Davy Jones’s locker. Now if this ever happens to you before you start shelling out having the boat put into dry dock to re-engage the rudder in the skeg, do as I did, screw back in the swan arm retaining screw, put wire around the screw making a loop enough to pass a rope through then tie a rope onto the rudder, by lifting the centre post and manoeuvring the rudder it is possible to drop the rudder post back into the skeg single handed though its a killer on the back. Also unless you are a very competent engineer with a full workshop buy the housing with the bearing ready fitted to buy just the bearing albeit a nylon bush with a centre o ring they are impossible to fit back into the original housing.
I have fitted new buttons to the pointed bit and re vitalised the buttons to the blunt bit I have given the hull a blacking to the waterline ( I am doing the rest when it is in dry dock in May.
The engine has had a complete service. My son Matthew has made me a new long top box for plank, fenders and such like, so now everything is ship shape and ready for the off
We are now sorting out the last few dinner parties for friends we won’t see for the next six months and getting everything like dental checks, heart checks, bulking up on the tablets and all the domestic and personal stuff sorted.
The weather has been very kind to us allowing all the work to be done its been great not to have to worry about the rain though I think we will suffer in the summer for this lack of rain I can see us being short of water again?
All our families are fine no problems there . Fantastic news from the Antipode’s I am a great uncle again my nephew and niece in Australia have had a baby girl Scarlet who by looking at her picture will be braking a lot of young men’s hearts
Fishing has been quite good Our Keith came last week for a couple of days he managed a nice Perch which was deserving of a photo, the week before we had Bethany, Rachel and Elliot they where fishing when I hooked into a large Pike about three foot long and despite all our efforts we could not land it, it was on long enough for everyone to have a look at it but when it came to getting it out, it took one look at the net, shook its head and said good by.
The picture below is of my new friend I miss Herby the Heron unfortunately he has not been seen for some time though Phil the Pheasant is a good substitute but a lot noisier, at least with Phil if I get fed up of him he will make a lovely Pie\????
Keep smiling summer is not too far away now I will give you a report when we are on the move.
Big Al
Buggerlugs
1 comment:
I am so glad to read this new post, I was beginning to wonder that ANOTHER of my favourite bloggers was going back to dry land, so me pleased.
where are you headed? All packed? Looking forward to fun packed postings!!
Lisa
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