Fraught Day

[ash]

I wanted to take advantage of having the mast down to fit a new VHF antenna and cable, just as a preventative measure, so bought the necessary from Salty John.

The existing cable had an annoying habit of banging about inside the mast with a strong wind from ahead, so I wanted to try to quieten things by fitting foam insulation around the cable.

I found an online supplier of refrigeration equipment who did 6mm bore by 9mm wall, so I placed my £8 order but it never came - despite my emails.

I gave up on them and bought 15mm bore by 13mm wall pipe insulation from B&Q.

Down at the boat today and spent ages fitting it to the new cable, extra wedges of foam and cable ties to make it grip the cable. Connected the new cable to the old with thin nylon string and rolling hitches plus PVC tape. Started to pull it in from the bottom of the mast and only managed 1M before it stuck. Much peering into the mast, and head scratching before I realised that it was jamming on the shaft of the 'around the boom reefing' - bu55er!

I managed to get a couple of 300mm slivers of foam taped around the cable on the top 6M of cable pulled past the shaft. A thin nylon string was tensioned down the inside of the mast, following the same route as the VHF cable - a spare mouse line? - I untied it from the bottom and extended it so that it wouldn't impede the new cable.

I actually had the new cable out of the top of the mast, but the 'mouse' line was wrapped round it and twisting it. I fiddled about - walking back and forth from end to end - tugging gently at cable and mouse. I disconnected the old cable which I had been using as a pull through, and untied the top of the mouse line so that I could attempt to unravel it - forgot to tie down the end of the new cable - tugged the mouse from the bottom - and lost the lot into the mast - bu55er!

I considered buying 10M of copper gas pipe, but it would have cost me £40 so went to chat up MRS instead. The first attempt with a 4mm shroud was 2M short, but another search of the workshop produced a 6mm shroud which slid along the inside of the horizontal mast a treat.

The new cable and a new mouse line are now installed, but I'm not finished yet - I couldn't get enough heat out of the gas solder bolt to work on the PL-259 plug.

Ash

[Silkie]

Too late now I know but didn't you like the cable tie solution? It works well on Silkie.

[Old_Glow_In_The_Deep]

Hi Ash,

Are you on target will any and all jobs, and when is the launch date?

OG.

[ash]

Hi Ash,

Are you on target will any and all jobs, and when is the launch date?

OG.

I'm getting there. I don't have much paid work on at the moment, which helps, but the weather hasn't been very kind.

Most of the work on the mast is done - new forestay, genoa roller furling built up, lazy jack blocks fitted, steaming/deck light replaced, VHF antennae and cable replaced, windex replaced. Still need to have rivet nut fitted for mast gate. Still need to fit new reefing system to boom.

Hopefully the new sails are being sewn as we speak!

I’ve renewed all the pipe work to the cooker. I bought a new regulator which meets all the current regs, but it’s much bigger and won’t fit in the gas locker!

New mains battery charger fitted after lying under the bed for over a year, which is a bit perverse as we no longer have a permanent mains supply on the berth. Nasa BM1 compact battery monitor fitted. Small split charging unit from Maplin fitted to provide charging to the spare battery in the aft locker (used to drive TP) and to ensure a charge connection the start battery even if I switch the O/1/B/2 switch to OFF by mistake!

I’ve fitted a skin fitting for a small electric bilge pump, but have just found that I can’t get the pump/sensor switch combo past the shaft and down into the keel so I’ll need to rethink that one.

Topsides have been polished.

Joan spent yesterday looking like a Smurf as she went over the antifouling with the wet and dry. Still need to anti foul before launch.

My insurance company want a survey, so I’ve still to organise that.

I’m working in London for 7 or 8 days which include the first weekend of April, so I hope to launch during the second half of the week after that. It means that we only have one weekend for a shakedown before the S/Butt weekend so it’s a bit tight.

Ash