Journal Entries

June 2008

2 June - I know I write this every month, but "Geez, time is flying!". Another month has whizzed by.

Cutty and I were watching a horror movie on DVD last night... It was so scary and at one point just when the psycho axe murderer snuck up we both got a big fright. Cutty especially...

Ok, I caught her yawning. Just thought it was a funny photo.

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June 5 - I was supposed to get away sailing for 6 days this week as it was the long weekend and I'd scheduled an extra few days either side off work. The vintage regatta at the QCYC was also this weekend which I look forward to each year. However...Thursday I had a couple of matters with work to finalise and also had to get my bobstay sorted out before I went anywhere. Then Friday the work issues still weren't resolved but I'd arranged for my bobstay to get sorted and now Saturday was forecast for rain. Everything seemed to be against me. I really needed to replace my bobstay as a matter of urgency which as a matter of curiosity is 221cm long and since I didn't have time with the strains of work I thought I'd just pay a professional rigger to make it up for me (did I mention that it was 221cm long) and then I'd fit it (that's 221cm). Well... I gave the professional rigger the measurements "221cms" emailed them to him specifying 221cms "eye to eye", spoke to him on the phone mentioning that it had to be 221cms "eye to eye". A courier was arranged and the lovely looking bobstay was delivered to my work on Friday afternoon.

Below is a picture of the bobstay which needs replacing

So I get home after work and get to removing the old 221cm bobstay.

This is why it had to be replaced. After having the boomkin stay break in January I wasn't risking the bobstay. The first sign of corrosion means internally it's probably much worse and any movement inside the swage fitting is not a good thing.

So I'm fumbling around in a rocking dinghy and it's now dark. I've successfully removed the old bobstay (which was 221cm) and then put the new one into place. For some reason its seems to be much longer than the old one. Anyway I continue on and it's flapping around, I try to put the retaining pin in at the water line but there's so much play in the new bobstay that it flaps around and knocks the pin out of my hand and into the water. Damn! Lost the pin. I'm looking at this bobstay and thinking, its seems a lot longer than the old one. Why is there so much slack?

So I measure it. 224cm!!!! What the ....! How did the rigger get it wrong. I told him on the phone, I wrote it in an email. I should have just done it myself and saved myself the $250!.

Fortunately I had just enough room left on the turnbuckle to tighten it, but there is no room left as it's at full tension. I have to call the rigger next week to find out what the hell went wrong and whether there is likely to be any stretch. If there is I need to get him to do it again. Maybe I should have paid him $150 since numbers aren't that important to him.

So here's a photo of the long bolt which is temporarily holding the new bobstay at the waterline.

and next day... in the daylight, the new 224cm / $250 bobstay which is held in place by a long bolt. Did I mention the bobstay was meant to be 221cm?

At least it is a nice piece of stainless 1 x 19 cable. It's apparently a much higher quality (an extra $50.00) for the high grade cable with an extra 3 tonne breaking capacity.

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June 7 - I finally got my new Fleming windvane fitted. I had to get some adjustments made to the mounting bracket but it's on now and I was hoping to give it a run this weekend. It's a pretty neat package compared to some of the huge older style vanes. This is the latest, 4th generation Global Equipe model by Fleming Marine.

People have been stopping by to take a look at it. A few have thought that it was only part of the vane since it's so compact. Everything about the vane is beautiful and high quality and the gears are velvet smooth.

Below is the connection point where the water vane folds up for when it's not in use. The unit is supplied with a bolt and nylex nut but I decided to put a removable pin there instead to make it more convenient to lift up and down. I figure it will also open up if the vane hits something rather than snapping it off.

and a close up of the mounting bracket. Another great feature about the vane is that it can be removed by simply undoing 2 bolts. This allows for easy storage when not in use.

and a shot of the vane in the water.

Here is the vane with the rudder folded up and in the stowed position.

I have to get a few other modifications to the mounting bracket done to provide a bit more clearance and to change the angle but other than that it is a really straight forward process to fit and much better looking than the old oil rig that was hanging off the back previously.

So far the Fleming Global Equipe wind vane has Cutty's stamp of approval. We are looking forward to giving it a test out on the water.

after fitting the vane I had worked up an appetite and also needed to get a pin for the bobstay waterline fitting. So I packed my backpack and got Cutty ready for a walk out to the chandlery. I also planned to get some breakfast along the way.

There is a fantastic little cafe over at Wooloongabba just near the chandlery called The Brown Dog Cafe. I've been there a few times and the food and coffee is superb and very well priced. They welcome Cutty and other dogs and I ordered (No I"m not joking) the "dogs breakfast". This isn't actually a dog's breakfast in appearance or purpose (although Cutty would get some) but it's a huge serving of eggs, ham, roma tomatoes, avocado, baby spinach and haloumi grilled cheese on bread of your choice, turkish, white, corn....etc..

Yes we are very impressed with my dog's breakfast and might make it a regular Saturday event. I don't eat meat (other than fish) so the ham was going to Cutty and by the look on her face she knew it. She got some haloumi cheese as well. That's an awesome breakfast for Ten Bucks.

Lucky I had such a good breakfast because after all that, I got back to the boat only to find I bought the wrong size pin. Grrrr. The positive side of it is that I'll have to go back out to the chandlery next weekend to get the right size and of course that is the perfect excuse for another Dogs Breakfast at the Brown Dog Cafe.

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9 June - The weather has been pretty miserable over the past few days. Constant drizzle and rain and a little bit cold (although Brisbane winters are never really cold). I gave Cutty a bath this morning and since it was wet and miserable outside I thought I'd take the opportunity to give the Dickinson heater a run. It's a great little unit and once you get the hang of starting it up and tuning the burn rate it just runs in the background without problem. The good thing about a diesel heater is that it generates a dry heat which helps eliminate mould which can be a problem onboard some boats.

Below is a photo of the Dickinson diesel heater burning away. I love the little window, especially at night when it's just like having a fireplace onboard. Perfect for those romantic evenings Cutty and I can spend on anchor. I have a leak where the flu enters the cabin top. I'll get onto that in the coming weeks.

and here is Cutty drying off onboard by the fireplace.

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13 June - It's very rare to get heavy fog in Brisbane, however this morning I awoke to thick fog blanketing the city. Visibility was only about 100 metres and beyond the fog in the photo I can normally see all the city buildings which are only about 200 metres away. It's easy to imagine how collisions can occur in places which get fog regularly.

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14 June - It's the weekend and I'm determined to do something for myself as a break from work. Last week a boat came onto the market which I saw about a year ago on the internet. It is a Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter to the exact design of the Pardey's. These are such pretty boats and this one in particular was built traditionally in Huon Pine and unlike the Pardey's it's gaff rigged. Pretty much my dream boat since I've been fantasizing about a timber, gaff rigged yacht for a long time.

So this morning I had mission to get out to see the boat and find satisfy my curiosity whether I would move on from my old Westsail.

First stop however was to get to the Brown Dog Cafe again for the dog's breakfast. I know, I know another photo of the breakfast and I know you are saying, "what's wrong with this guy" but I love this breakfast and it's the best bargain meal I have all week. Cutty gets the ham and cheese and I get the rest.

So after breakfast it was in the car for the drive to Newport where the boat was. As I was driving I noticed a an off the leash dog park and thought I should let Cutty play with some other dogs. She instantly made friends and the little white dog (his name is boofa) became Cutty's new best friend.

for a little dog, Boofa has a big dog attitude.

Cutty is really good with small dogs and Boofa loved Cutty.

Ok, Ok, enough of the cutesy dog stuff. Back to sailing boats...

Below is the Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter. What an amazing little boat. Hand crafted from Huon Pine, beach decks and lots of bronze. hmmm, it was love at first sight.

I spent about an hour looking over the yacht and recalling how the Pardey's have sailed an identical yacht around the world living onboard. I was surprised how small it was inside, although it is only 29ft. Everything about the boat was just incredible, but after returning to my Westsail I couldn't believe the difference in space. My Westsail is a palace inside and only a few feet longer. Although I could live onboard the Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter, I don't think I could do what I'm doing now, that is working a 9-5 office job. If I was just cruising and only needed a couple of changes of clothes I could live with the smaller space, lack of storage and no separate contained bathroom.

If only a yacht like Atkin's Vixen would come onto the market built to the same standard as the pilot cutter in huon. I think that would be the ideal boat for me. There is something special about a traditional, timber boat, but after coming back to my Westsail I'm reassured that I have a fantastic boat, in fact I am looking around thinking how incredible this Westsail is. They have to be one of the most undervalued and under rated yachts on the market. Those stories of being slow have very little basis. These Westsails have the internal space of a 40ft yacht, are rock solid, seaworthy and are simply beautiful boats. The more yachts I see the more I get to appreciate what fantastic yachts the Westsails are.

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15 June - Having been re-inspired by the pilot cutter yesterday I wanted to sort some of the things out on my Westail. I started to do a bit of a clean out and did a few small maintenance jobs. First though I took Cutty for a run in the park.

She loves to play hide & seek and when I say to her "go hide" she runs into the long grass. Somewhere in the photo below, Cutty is hiding. You can just see the top of her head.

"Here I am!!!!"

Then it was time for some obedience training. Sit, Stay.... Stay....Stay...she is such a good dog.

back to boat stuff.

Below is Lanolin grease. The greasy stuff from sheep's wool. I use the grease and also lanolin spray onboard everywhere I can and it stops corrosion in its tracks.

I went around and greased all the shackle pins today so that when I want to undo them they will not be rusted and ceased. I simply just undo them, put some grease on the thread and anywhere it makes contact metal to metal.

this is the shackle to the spare anchor rope. There is 150 metres of 18mm nylon rope which I hope I never need to use. But if I do, I will want to undo that shackle in a hurry and don't want it rusted. So after greasing I put it back into the locker.

For easy retrieval I tied a string around the shackle pin and lowered into the deck pipe.

then when I need it, I just have to take the cap off and pull the string.

It was now about lunch time and I did some grocery shopping. While I was there I picked up some marinara seafood mix and green prawns for Cutty. I'm trying to maintain her taste for seafood since I hope to feed her a diet largely of fish (which is what the Portuguese Water Dogs traditionally eat). She loves seafood and especially chewing the prawns, heads and all. Must be a water dog thing.