Arwen's meanderings

Hi everyone and welcome to my dinghy cruising blog about my John Welsford designed 'navigator' named Arwen. Built over three years, Arwen was launched in August 2007. She is a standing lug yawl 14' 6" in length. This blog records our dinghy cruising voyages together around the coastal waters of SW England.
Arwen has an associated YouTube channel so visit www.YouTube.com/c/plymouthwelshboy to find our most recent cruises and click subscribe.
On this blog you will find posts about dinghy cruising locations, accounts of our voyages, maintenance tips and 'How to's' ranging from rigging standing lug sails and building galley boxes to using 'anchor buddies' and creating 'pilotage notes'. I hope you find something that inspires you to get out on the water in your boat. Drop us a comment and happy sailing.
Steve and Arwen

Tuesday 25 January 2011

That list of winter jobs refitting Arwen is beginning to grow. It would be nice to get some weather that allows me to work outside and not freeze to death, get soaking wet or die of hypothermia in sight of the front door...................


In no particular priority order (except rust and rot items) .........

1. Pump up tyres
2. Simplify big hatch on front bulkhead

3. Make hypothermia kit

o Candle


o Kindling


o Cotton wool in Vaseline balls


o Windproof matches


4. Sort Yellow emergency expedition bag kit


o Hypothermia kit


o Spare emergency Food


o Barley sugars and biscuits


o Space blankets


o CD reflector


o Glow sticks


o Spare water


o First aid kit


o Flares and industrial gloves


o Spare torch and batteries


o Spare knife

5. Grease wheel bearings (again – did it in September)

6. WD40 and Grease rollers on trailer (did it in September 2010 – need doing again)

7. Refit tiller extension

8. Fit flat ply floors for’ard section – still thinking about that one

9. Sort out starboard hatch – warped – so get and fit new one

10. Cut ply patches – various sizes for emergency ‘holed’ kit

11. Re-paint all scratches and dings – again!

12. Sand mast and deks oljie – repair scratches;

13. Alter tiller control system so it can be lashed easily amidships

14. Redo safety harness – 6 or 7m;

webbing harness fits under PFD; the line comes out about lower chest height.


• Add two special safety line hooks on it one at the end and the other at about 2m from the end so can move about the boat and re-secure it without having to be disconnected


• Put in big bolted pad eyes in four places on the boat, one secured at the after end of the centre-case, more or less at the middle of the boat.

15. Sand all booms and gaffs; repair dings

16. Attach spare tyre to trailer so it can be securely carried and secured with padlock

17. Strip down all gunwales and strip out surface rot

18. Dry out gunwales

19. Coat with wood sealer of some form

20. Strip off paint off inner wheel rims; clean off rust and treat; re-paint

21. Sort out cover for Arwen so that dampness doesn’t remain and she’s well ventilated



The list of things I think I need to get (some essential; some luxuries) is growing. The budget will hardly stretch to any of this so it will need to be prioritised rapidly!!
• Mounted compass on top of centre-case

• Candle, Kindling, Cotton wool balls and Windproof matches for hypothermia kit

• Spare pintle and gudgeon set

• Tough charts Plymouth to Falmouth area

• Spare quick setting epoxy kit and various screw sizes for ply patches

• Custom made boat cover

• Small handheld anemometer

• Camping Gaz grill plate for meals on board Arwen

• Spinnaker repair tape and Duct tape – new roll

• New can WD40

• New tarpaulin to make boom tent


And when I do eventually get out on the water – no sailing around the sound - some very deep, meaningful practice on these things................using the Cattedown buoys which will be unoccupied before people get their boats back in the water at Easter time!

• MOB drills

• Picking up moorings

• Leaving moorings

• Coming alongside

• Sailing off anchor

• Sailing to drop anchor

• Slab reefing

• Coming onto shore

• Anchoring stern and bow at shore

• Sailing without rudder – adjusting only sheets

................especially if I want to sail to Fowey or go to the Semaine Du Golfe in June! It’s time to stop fairying around and up my skill set rapidly!

It’s a good job I don’t mind the maintenance jobs – its part of the charm of owning a wooden boat..........and it gets me out of DIY with the Missus!

Steve

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