Those covering boards……

Finally finished, why does it take so long?

Maybe because the stanchions all have to be repaired as well and the planks below usually have to have some work done. Then there is the showers stopping work and everything having to be covered etc….

Anyway have finished starboard aft repairs and had a go at a bad patch near the bow.

John got fed up of me pussy footing around and attacked deck with a big chisel.

That’s a piece of new oak epoxied on to end of a covering board.

Worst bit had been repaired with expanding foam!

Was all very fiddly, but deck leaks stopped in the area.

Also worth noting, apart the from the first frost is all the spars have been sanded and treated by Tash, Pete and Jes.

The last act of the year has meant a much clearer starboard deck. Notice what’s gone?

That’s right, no main mast. It had been sitting on deck since October ’18 when it was taken down due to rot at the top and the state of the top mast.

We spent a few days jacking it up with a small bottle Jack and dragging it forward with a car winch attached to mooring bollard and hoisting with pulleys attached to mizzen. First onto the stanchion rail, then onto harbour wall and then finally into the water. Tim then towed it across the harbour to the Underfall yard. All very exciting. They have dragged it out into their workshop and it is now drying out on trestles. So at some point they are going to scarf a new top section. The top five foot was pretty bad but the repair will involve chamfering down another ten foot or so. I decided it was just too critical for me to fix it fit for sailing

Thar she blows! That’s 40 foot of mast enroute to shipwrights.

Happy New Year to everyone and special thanks to everyone who helped out, donated or encouraged the project.