Winter work starting a bit early in September.

9th - 10th September

This was mainly a run to collect gear from the last cruise but I did a small amount of work and bought home a few items, mainly the tops of the the sink unit and storage bin, to varnish, plus most of the running rigging, dodgers, etc. for washing and over winter storage.

Bringing parts home for varnishing results in a better finish, is
usually a lot easier and may save a lot of masking up to protect
 the surrounding or both if the rest is to be painted. It also
saves days on the boat, much of which would be unproductive
waiting for it to dry. Only a small batch to start due to lack of
time and space in the car.

17th - 21st September

A lot of work done over 4 very full days, plus a 9 hour round trip, with a very full car on the way back with most of the remaining items to be stored at home including the headsails and all cordage.

Work done:

• Additional fuses added to the electrical panel to replace in-line fuses behind the panel for easy replacement or isolation.
• Added another fuse block behind the panel for navigation lights - previously protection was by 20 Amp CB's integrated with the switching but 20 amps was very marginal for the wiring, now 2 amp each which is plenty for the LED bulbs. 
  
  

  

  The panel now with easily accessible fuses for the low power
  switched and low power non switched bus bars and the Gas alarm,
  that previously relied on the low power bus fuse, now it can easily
  be isolated if it goes off and I am sure it is a false alarm, such as
  when using aerosols below deck. One is spare - I have not yet
  decided which other in line fuse to replace. Switches on the three
  panels each have an integral 15A circuit breaker. Shown with
  blanking piece to the left removed.
  
  

  

  Click image to view. The 200 amp fuse is to support staring
  from the domestic batteries, the starter motor takes over 100A.
  Diagram from my boats documentation.

  
  

  

  The back of the panel, not as tidy as I would like but it has been
  reorganised several times when upgrading and there is not much
  space. The new fuse block for the Nav lights mounted on the
  acrylic shield over the solar power blocking diodes (pic is missing
  the fuse block covers and before the default fuses were replaced).

  
  
• Removed redundant cables ex the electric toilet pump, tidied up and better secured cables in the hanging locker.
• Locker behind the cooker partially disassembled, the loose base secured, varnished components taken home for re-varnishing, inside painted with Damboline.
• Varnished sections of floor: 
• All eased for better fit,
• Forward sections taken home for re-varnishing. 
• Aft section: redundant water pipe removed from under, hull under painted with Damboline; the section will be taken home for re-varnishing when the boat is ashore.
• Facias under bunks removed & taken home for re-varnishing, probably for the first time in 48 years, and to make repainting the inside of the hull between there and the carpeted floor easier - a bigger job than anticipated at almost 3 hours grovelling in the small spaces each side of the table, I spent a lot of time in awkward places over these days.
• Damaged section of headlining aft of the fore hatch replace with timber - easier than trying to match headlining and it is neater and gives a tiny bit more headroom, being painted with the heads and hanging locker.
• Water system flushed, cleaned and sterilised.
• Damaged water filter replaced and relocated so it hopefully does not get damaged again.
• Lots of varnished components removed and taken home to be re-varnished and to facilitate painting.
• Chart table removed for the base to be repainting at home and a wobbly corner to be re-fixed.

Varnished: Navigation area, starboard side of main cabin including bulkheads, 1st coat on port side. 

Batch 2 of vanishing at home, the hanging locker door
elsewhere. Lots more to do!

Batch 3

 Batch 4a, ex the chart table base also newly painted.

Batch 4b.

Batch 5

Batch 6 - Bunk facias, 1st coat.

Batch 6 - Heads door, 1st coat.

Painted in white: 

• Hanging locker ex floor; that is a glass moulding and will be Ivory to match other mouldings I will be doing and the floor to which it leads.
• Heads: bulkheads and deck head.

The next visit will be on or about October 1st before the boat gets lifted out on the 4th and I can start on the antifoul and topside.