Making progress

The sun came out just as I left

I spent part of last weekend on the boat and was delighted to see that the boom, sails, halyards and sheets are all now rigged and both beam windows of the cockpit tent are now clean and new (thank you OneSails). The headlining has been replaced by the SYH yard. I devoted the drizzly Sunday to fixing the toilet, and having checked all the pipes and consulted with my sons I felt it was worth installing a new Henderson MkV pump, and also worth driving to Fox's where it was £25 cheaper than the SYH chandlery. Fitting it was really not too bad, but once attached, still nothing was happening. Then I finally remembered the rarely-used valve which allows us to pump out the holding tank. I hadn't touched it, but perhaps the yard had? I turned it, and behold! the loo is functional. Also it's now very clean.

I have borrowed most of the paper charts I need from a CA member. He didn't have the South Coast but fortunately I bought those from a different CA member in 2021. A trifle out of date perhaps but the Garmin chart is updated and so will Navionics be on my phone and iPad as soon as I have renewed my subscription (for some unknown reason you can't renew until it expires). In addition I have Antares charts and all the supporting gubbins on my laptop and iPad, and a subscription to Explore with Imray for the pilot books I don't have.  Plus the Cruising Almanac, CAptain's Mate and anything else I can dig up.

The liferaft and EPIRB are ready to collect from Suffolk Marine Safety, but that may have to wait for a few days as they only open on weekdays. The engine is serviced and fully checked over and is reported to be running well. Somewhere in the house or on the boat are the deck safety lines, but I may be ok without those for the first voyage this year.

I have contacted some Clyde marinas to ask about a berth and have three offers so far. Rhu or Clyde (Ardrossan) marinas would be around £850 for five weeks. Largs would be over £1000 even with a CA discount. Anyway it's good to have options.

On Saturday I'm embarking on a lengthy solo voyage to the Royal Harwich for the CA East Coast Rally. (It's around three miles upriver – I'm easing myself in gently). Then the following week a longer solo trip to Tide Mill Marina in Woodbridge, where Guy works, for 10 days or so, and then sometime around the 20th a trip to Lowestoft where I will meet my crew on the 24th. After that the next practicable stop is an anchorage at Spurn Head, and then Whitby, so the shakedown is quite important.

New pump

Secret diverter valve