Winter work - January through March

20 & 21st January

With poor forecasts through until early February, a storm due this weekend and the desiccant moisture traps likely needing recharging I took the opportunity of a brief improvement in the weather for a trip to the boat taking more freshly cleaned and dried gear with me.

The desiccant had run out and the boat was rather damp but running the diesel warm air heater all afternoon dried things out nicely.

I spent half a day on odd jobs, none of which are of any great interest and on the second day redid a small but important bit of non-slip paintwork. I also tracked down a source of Camping Gas, the marina no longer stocks it and a couple of other places had none in stock but a very helpful lady at the Cross Ways Service Station pointed me too a coal merchant in Milford, just a few minutes from the marina who also does gas. They had none, they sell little in winter, but was quite happy to get some in for me and hold it for a month or two until my next visit.

A good bit of news is that, as far as I can see, there is no growth on the hull at all, it has only been a month but in that time on the Hamble even with fresh anti foul it would be green.

I don’t think there will be an excuse to go again until early March when the desiccant will probably need replenishing and I could start the big exterior clean down, and there is nothing left to do at home except to varnish the tiller which is coming home with me.

Here was an oddity found when checking that Seapro was still
working properly with AIS (I had forgotten to take the security
dongle when I was on the boat last time). Milford Haven VTS
(Vessel Traffic Service a sort of ATC for ships) were operating a
"Class A" AIS station as if it was a vessel, no idea why and nor
does someone who works there.

23 January.

The tiller has not been varnished for a couple of years and it had degraded significantly in the last frew months so it would be more than a quick couple of coats, first the hardware came off. I have never had the tiller out of the tiller head and it was about time I did to check that the condition of the timber, being covered up could mean lots of rot. I was a bit apprehensive as damaging the tiller would be bad, damaging the head a major and expensive issue, I have a spare but it is on the emergency till where it should stay. 

I need not have worried, once decades of varnish over the join had been removed it came off relatively easy with no damage and the timber is in excellent condition.

The head looks rather sad and will need a lot of work, it looks as if someone took a hammer or winch handle to the back top.

What appears to be a crack in the middle left of the height
adjustment screw is a surface mark that does not penetrate.
Interestingly the holes for the bolts are bushed with metal and
the hinge bolt with some type of plastic, and the bolts are
UNC, almost Whitworth but not quite.

Fittings from right to left: Attachment point for the tiller extension,
attachment point for the wind vane steering chain, pin for the
autopilot ram, the metal running from there is to protect the
tiller when the wind vane chain is not connected, e.g. when tacking. 

Looking somewhat better. I continue to be impressed with the
International "Schooner" varnish, a traditional Tung oil based
varnish with UV filters etc. added, easy to apply and a very
good finish.

27th January - A surprise replacement.

I nice surprise (I hope) this morning, I sent the autopilot ram to Raymarine for repair and service over the Christmas break paying an inspection fee, last week they came back:

CUSTOMER REPORTED FAULT:

Excessive play in ram, sideways (and end float?) new sleave bearings needed?

TECHNICIAN OBSERVATIONS:

Confirmed excessive play in drive assembly. Annulus snapped and planet gears missing.

And with an offer to repair it under their fixed price scheme with a years warranty, I was a little reluctant as that would be a fair proportion of what appears to be an overpriced new one (a replacement ram is more than half the price of the complete set up with colour display / head unit, 9 axis sensor, computer, cables etc.). But I gave the go ahead commenting that it had done pretty well with c 15K NM under it's belt but expressing surprise that the planet gears were missing as the unit had never been opened [I would have expected at least the remains to be there and it was working]. 

This morning a new unit arrived unannounced and with no invoice - I imagine that will follow! Unfortunately without the 2" extension but those are readily available.

Update: the invoice arrived and charged me for the inspection that I paid for up front, I won't be paying that, it they want me too they can sent the old one back as a spare as I would have been as well off buying a new one!

£700 worth of tiler drive ram.