Better times....

 After the disastrous start to the season and my new sailing area it was a relief to have Daislebee safe on the mooring 

It was only then that I realised just how useful the Ashlett pontoon was. I quickly ended up in a routine that had me putting all keys and phones etc into a rucksack so they wouldn't be left on board. It isn't a long motor with the outboard back to the slip, but once you've pulled the dinghy up , taken the engine off, flushed it out and put it back in the engine store, it is more than mildly annoying to realise you have left the car keys on the boat.......

The plus side of the new mooring is that fact that day trips are perfectly tenable. The Ashlett tidal range meant you had three or four hours sailing or had to stay out for the whole tide to ebb and flood before you could reach the slip way. Now I can get to and from the boat a couple of hours either side of low water springs. On neaps she almost stay afloat.

With this advantage I took to sailing the coast to Teignmouth, which, although challenging as you face the inevitable ebb, can be done on calmer days, especially with knowledge gained as a youngster sailing in and out with my grandfather many years ago.

2023 season start ...just about

 It seems, in common with many clubs, organisations and organised activities we are still suffering from post pandemic malaise. That and the very variable weather we are getting.

My first season at Starcross had its moments. Daislebee was all prepared for the season and I took her down to Exmouth to launch on the beach at low tide, wait for the water and then motor up to my new mooring at Starcross YC.

I drove her onto the beach and rigged her. All good so far......

Then came the realization that I shouldn't have used the break back function of the trailer. I couldn't winch the boat back off the trailer as the keel was in the sand, and the trailer wouldn't come forward as the rear roller and spine were also in the sand, even with a 4 x4 I was ploughing Exmouth beach.....

Then the electric winch, which has a massive pull on it sheered one of the fixings holding the winch post onto the trailer..so I couldn't even recover the boat onto the trailer and start again....

So  I retreated to the car park, blew up the dinghy and went back to the boat to wait the tide to float me off.

I buoyed the trailer so no one would run over it and as it disappeared beneath the waves I set off for my mooring . not a great start.

New beginnings

 Looking back at the blog it has been very much neglected since the canoe project and alot has changed since then.

The canoe was successfully launched at the Ashlett Regatta in 2021 but never having been a canoist I'm afraid it wasn't for me. It was an old style design and great for moving fast through the water. Turning round, getting, in, getting out - not for me - like balancing on a razor blade.

So the canoe was quickly donated to Hannah Harwood who is a trained kayaker.

Moving on I have moved house, to Devon and Daislebee will be coming with me from her current home at Ashlett to a new mooring on the Exe estuary at Star Cross Yacht Club - perhap I should re name the blog ?

I am planning on re doing the copper coat antifoul next week so should have some picture of that project and then it is home to the new house for a winter of maintenace so I am ready for the new season.

I don't know about you but this year has been spent in catch up for all those things, holidays, theater trips, concerts etc tat were delayed over the past 2 years - together with moving house, it left little time for sailing - in fact my worst season by far - 5 days afloat - shocking.

Still that will be put right next year with new places to visit and explore so til then - -----

Day Seven - end of project

First job of the day was to epoxy the entire hull. This I did using a spreader and smoothing off with a foam brush - it seemed to work quite well and I made some drip barriers with masking tape to stop runs down the sides.

In hindsight I'd have been a bit braver with the amount of epoxy - it was ok but I could have flooded the surface more - I was conscious of the amount of resin I had remaining so was possible over cautious.

I used the remaining epoxy on the decks and as this was the last bit made sure I used it all up which gave a better finish - but there was still the varnish to come.

With the current pandemic I was unable to get traditional varnish at the moment so I used a water based outdoor varnish to give a protective coat to the epoxied hull.

It is very thin ans whilst it probably does the job I will be over coating the hull with some 'proper' varnish as soon as I can get some.

But seat fitted - footrest in place - job done - waiting on some fittings for attaching the painter but ready for her sea trails as soon as lock down permits.

Day Six

Started by sanding the whole hull ready for taping the joints.

I then covered all the joints with glass fibre tape and epoxy.

This involved nearly 25 metres of tape...just putting my back into shape with a cold beer.

Tomorrow - sand the hull to smooth out and epoxy runs and take the edge off the tape and then an overall epoxy coat. - and leave to dry