What did you do to your sailing boat today ?

Nice pic. Lucky you.

Spot on job keen.

For drilling stainless use a lubricant like Inox or Lanox, never let the drill run too fast and get overheated. It will blunten and soften the drill and harden the stainless.

Get a few of the double ended drills as used for riveting but get the ones with the gold coloured coating. I think it is a cadmium coating. Use these to drill a pilot hole for larger sized holes.

Another handy tool is a step drill for use on thinner material up to about 2 or 3 mm.

Took the boat out to one of the islands, anchored and gave the hull a bit of a clean up. 10 months after the antifoul and all the weedy bits came off at the brush of a sponge, the trip home was a bit quicker!

I replaced my boats safety lines from plastic covered to non covered a couple of months ago. The only annoying thing is that it now catches and plucks the hairs off my head.

finally installed the new loo !
must be time to go sailing !

My wife made a new set of curtains to replace the original gold velvet ones

Excellant Keen Sailor... my idea worked a charm!!!

Here is a before and after




When i bought the new head (the old one had a broken lid and a seized leaking pump) i checked that the mounting footprint was the same and i assumed that the base would be also but it was a bit longer

I considered repositioning it off centre but there was not enough bum clearance or lifting it to clear the chamfer but in the end i decided to take to the liner with a die grinder to make it fit

I am going to seal around the hole but any water that goes down there runs into the bilge so it is probably not critical

I also didn't loop the waste pipe (to try to make it clear easier) but we make sure that the sea cocks are always closed unless we are using it

Regards Don

Installed two new portlights. Six to go.

If you're looking for motivation to change out your old, crazed windows, check this...

I'm going with the Dow and VBH tape screwless install as per www.thecoastalpassage.com/windows.html

It's tricky getting the right amount of goop in there; enough to fill the space but not too much that it runs over the tape. Tape is 12 mm. I made the overlap 28mm because I was going to do a goop-tape-goop seal, but it raises extra problems having goop on the inside seal so with the second window I put tape on inside edge next to aperture and (tried to) fill the next 14mm with goop. Close up you can see (I didn't paint the back of the acrylic black or anything) the white of the deck between lines of goop - not a great look, and perhaps not as secure. If I did it again I think I'd make the overlap about 20-22mm or double the tape as he did although the tape is more expensive.

Morning Bird is on the hard for the shaft/stern tube repair. Went up to her to remove an engine mount to free up the lower adjusting nut. One of the nuts wouldn't undo, just spun. BUGGER, it is on a bolt that goes into the bell housing.
The mount will have to stay in place and the recalcitrant nut on the mount freed up some other way.
Otherwise, the end of the stern tube has been cut off and the damage to the bulkhead is very minor. She will be water tight with the new stern tube and glass repair.
The shaft supported by two bearings will solve my previous shaft vibrations.
She will be back in the water in January and ready for my retirement summer.

I assume you will need a hand to drink them. I will be in the area sometime in January to offer my assitance.

I LET HER DOWN!!!...my lovely boat of eight years and countless miles and I let her down again, A trend that is happening to often. I had to turn around at the heads of port stephens today, my plan was to make Sydney for the fourth time and watch the fireworks. A good forecast and lockers full of food and wine, the boat was ready but I was not! MS has been dogging me for awhile and I just couldn't face a long sail.
Weak muscles, fatigue and other stuff was doing its best to take away the joy of sailing.
What did I do to my boat today?
I've poured my heart and soul into this mistress that's no equal to any other, these vessels are alive no doubt. I talk to her unashamely for we have traveled and explored the coast of this great island Australia. Found and pushed our way into every creek or river thats offered enough water to float in. Sheltered behind many a coral island or just a speck of rock nowhere on our adventure together.
Iv sailed through the night under a pale moon light, seen whales in my wake leap for joy at a moment of being alive out there, free.
I cast my eye over the sweet curve of the sails, checked the trim a million times. And yes Engine I love you too, even though we were parted for awhile once! A chance to test my sailing skills as I made my way along the coast without another means of drive.
Please old girl forgive me, iv given my best and now its time to sell! Oh what a dirty word that is 'SELL' my partner,friend and lover of the sea.
What did I do to my boat today?

By the way, I hurt myself and was out of the silly physical activity I do on the side. Limped around tired and messed up for a year. Changed my life . I got a glimpse of how sad things could get for people who might be battling something a bit more serious. It's very tough. Mentally challenging to the max.