Cruises of 2022 - and maybe time to move on!

My first trip to sea this season had been intended to be a cruise of three weeks beginning 6^th May. I had planned to launch at Arisaig Marine before sailing out to Loch Scavaig on the south coast of Skye, to meet up with a group of friends for a few days rock climbing in the remote and magnificent Cuillin. Unfortunately this initial part of the plan had to be aborted because of an appalling weather forecast, gale force winds and heavy sea’s swept over the region forcing all medium to smaller sized vessels to seek shelter. After the storms had abated a full week later, I trailered Bunty B the long drive north to the West coast of Scotland. The next two weeks also proved to be very unsettled which seriously curtailed my cruising ambitions, although I did manage a couple of solo passages which, included a sleepless overnight anchorage in Loch Moidart, due to the boat swinging around violently in strong winds and tide. The following day also proved to be a rough ride back to my rented mooring at Arisaig Marine in Loch nan Ceall. My time most days was confined to the boat due to the poor weather and, on one particular stormy evening I was unable to paddle ashore in the dinghy because of the high winds and rough water conditions. My second and final week faired a little better, being able to enjoy a couple of fine day sails with a friend who had travelled up to Arisaig for the week.

Launching at the Arisaig Marine slipway into
Loch nan Ceall (on a good day!)

 

Perfect conditions for lunch at anchor behind Eilean nan Gobhar (Goat Island)
at the entrance to Loch Ailort.

Later in the year 25^th August, I was back at Arisaig with two friends for a circumnavigation of the Small Isles. On this occasion we were very lucky and enjoyed ten days of superb weather. We went ashore to explore the islands of Rum, Canna and Eigg, circumnavigating the group in an anticlockwise direction, the lads were camping whilst I slept on board. I used the drying out legs for the first time on both Rum and Eigg, allowing Bunty B to dry out on the sand, a wonderfully liberating experience.

By the old jetty on the beach of Loch Scresort, Rum. I placed a stern anchor

 and two lines aft to prevent her swinging into the wall.

Dried out on the beautiful beach opposite the Yacht Wall at Galmisdale, Eigg. 
My friends camped on the grass right next to the beach.

Canna Harbour - Bunty B is the smallest yacht to the right of the bay.

Bunty B is a small but beautiful sailing boat that turns heads wherever she goes. I have fulfilled a lifetime’s ambition to build my own boat and since having done so she has carried me safely over 1000 miles, however my horizons are widening considerably to an extent that is above and beyond what my small boat is capable of. I have therefore decided to search for a larger vessel, perhaps a Contessa 32, Nicholson 31 or similar, that I can restore/improve and fit out to make ocean passages. To enable me to fulfil these ambitions I will reluctantly have to sell Bunty B. It’s going to be a wrench and break my heart but, it’s something that will be necessary to continue on my journey of discovery. I have already been in conversation with a broker who has agreed to market her and will likely be taking that route in the New Year. 

I will keep you posted.

Round up of the sailing year 2021

 

Previously I had stated that I would not add future regular posts to my blog due in part to the perceived lack of interest in continuing with the voyages of Bunty B, however I have received some encouragement to do so and therefore provide this update to some of the most notable improvements that I have carried out during the past year including a brief summary of some of the voyages that I have undertaken.

Despite the restrictions imposed on our movements throughout the year to stem the spread of the Corona Virus, I have managed to log 666 nautical miles. The resultant experience has proved invaluable and provided me with the insight and knowledge to make some important alterations and improvements. 

Apart from the initial launch on Lake Windermere and another overnight excursion a few months later, all of the voyages aboard Bunty B have been at sea which, at times were in challenging conditions and mostly undertaken single handed. This has exposed some shortcomings which needed addressing. 

Improvements

Tiller Pilot: The single most important installation. 

The Jib is easy to control single handed because of the Wykeham-Martin furling system, operated by the furling line taken back to the cockpit and cleated off on the coaming, however the Main sail proved to be a bit of a handful whilst both hoisting and reefing. With a blow and a bit of a sea running it was impossible to hold the bows into wind, the combined forces of wind and waves just pushed the bows over to face the oncoming elements broadside, on more than one occasion I was caught out with the main sail partially hoisted with the alarming result of almost being blown flat. There was also the problem of continuously having a hand on the tiller which, on a long passage became really tiring. Something clearly had to be done. 

I had wrongly assumed that I would simply be able to install perhaps a Raymarine tiller pilot with an integral fluxgate compass, unfortunately further investigations revealed that the close proximity of the magnetic field surrounding the outboard motor which is further amplified by the installed alternator, would interfere with a device of this type. I proved the theory by passing my handheld navigation compass close to the motor which revealed an immediate sharp deviation. The only option available was to install a remote electronic compass well forward in the boat away from all possible interference from magnetic fields. I purchased and installed a Raymarine Evolution tiller pilot system which includes an EV-1 Sensor Core (electronic compass), ACU100 Actuator Control Unit, Autopilot Control Head and a Tiller Drive. This is an expensive system and installation took around a week which required the design and manufacture of some custom made components and further alterations, however the installation has been a complete game changer and proved to be a valuable and indispensable addition which, has completely revolutionised the handling of the boat. 

During August I sailed single handed across the Irish Sea from Whitehaven, England, to Douglas on the Isle of Man, the tiller pilot proved its self beyond measure for the ten and a half hour passage out and nine hours back. The following short video clearly shows the equipment in action.

 

Mainsail: From the very first time that I hoisted the mainsail, there was a crease/ruck right across the sail from the Throat to the Clew. The only way to eliminate this was to considerably slacken the Clew outhaul, unsurprisingly this allowed the boom to drop way too far below the Foot. Over the following months I spent some considerable time pondering the cause of this crease/ruck. I removed the sail and laid it out flat on the floor, it was then that I noticed that the Head of the sail was not straight, from around mid-way along its length, the Head of the sail curved down towards the throat, when the sail was laced to the Gaff which is designed with a slight curvature, the two opposing convex shapes distorted sail. To test my theory I progressively slackened the lacing towards the Throat which allowed the sail to hang approximately 60 mm below the Gaff at the point of the Throat attachment, unfortunately this also pulled the Luff away from the mast, however this did remove the offending crease/ruck across the sail. I concluded that the head of the sail needed to be straight, I therefore contacted the sailmaker who agreed to make the necessary alterations free of charge. When the sail was re-fitted and hoisted it set correctly. 

Whilst sailing solo the mainsail handling proved to be problematic. I have already mentioned in my previous post ‘Voyages and Further Improvements’ 7th October 2020, that I designed a simple topping lift/lazy jack system to solve the problem of the boom dropping when the sail was lowered with the unfortunate result of the sail enveloping the cockpit, this simple but effective solution has proven itself however, further improvements were required to assist with mainsail handling. 

To avoid the amount of time spent forwards at the mast, I have lead the Throat and Peak halyards through a system of blocks and bullseye fair leads back to the cockpit. I can now hoist and lower the main sail from the cockpit, maintain the tension by a cam cleat dedicated to each halyard before making fast on traditional horned cleats bolted to the coach roof. Over a period of time hauling on the halyards the paint began to wear away on the aft edge of the roof so I fitted a stainless steel rubbing strip as protection. 

Going forwards to the mast to carry out reefing is unavoidable, however I have made some improvements here too. During the latter part of the season whilst moored at Ardfern Marina on the West Coast of Scotland, I met Stuart MacDonald who has written two books, ‘The Long Way Home’ the story of his single handed circumnavigation of the globe and ‘Sail This Way’ an excellent book of straightforward advice giving an insight in how he sails his boat. His suggested tips on reefing inspired me to look again at how I was securing the sails reefing cringles to the hooks on the boom gooseneck. My version of his recommendations was to pass a short piece of line through each eye with a stainless steel ring tied to each end, this retains the assembly on the sail and makes reefing easy by simply passing the rings over each hook either side. I also numbered each cringle from 1 to 3 and as Stuart does drew a smiley face at no 3, a small but reassuring psychological pat on the back to confirm that things are not too bad despite the need to put in a third reef!  To accurately lower the sail and to enable the reefing cringles to line up with the hooks, at each reef where the throat halyard lies by the securing cleat, I have marked it with indelible ink one, two and three markers respectively. 

At the Clew of the mainsail I have devised improvements for control of the outhaul. I experienced difficulties with the reefing comb which forms part of the architect’s design of the boom, there is quite a bit of friction generated where the line passes through the comb and this made it difficult to apply adjustment and sufficient tension. 

I have solved the outhaul problem by rendering the aft pair of holes redundant, instead I fixed a pad eye to the top of the boom just aft of the mainsail Clew, the sail is then attached to this with a long shackle. The outhaul control line is anchored near the end of the boom then passed around a small swivel block attached by a shackle to the Clew, it then leads aft to a single upright block mounted at the very end of the boom, passes down through a hole drilled through the boom, then around another upright block fixed to the underside then forward through a bullseye fairlead before terminating at a cam cleat fitted with a wire fairlead. Control of the outhaul is now quick and easy whilst seated in the cockpit. The photograph better illustrates how I have configured this arrangement.

The Clew Outhaul arrangement.

The reefing lines also suffered from poor handling due to the friction from the reefing comb. I have solved this by inserting three small single through blocks allowing the lines to run freely without friction.

Since this photograph was taken I have installed Cam Cleats with Fairleads dedicated to each halyard, just forward of the horned cleats

Stove: Whilst this is not a new installation or addition, to date I have omitted to mention this essential item of equipment. Since the initial launch, Bunty B has been fitted with this gimballed Jet Boil, it’s an absolute godsend producing boiled water for hot drinks in any conditions. I also carry another disposable gas canister stove and use both for cooking meals. 

The stainless steel plate fitted behind the stove is to prevent damage to the surface of the bulkhead when the stove swings aft.

A brief look at some of the voyages.

Erraid: Each year a group of us undertake a rock climbing expedition, this is usually in Scotland although not exclusively, in more recent years we have travelled to the Hebrides off the West Coast. This year’s extravaganza began at the beginning of June and our mission was climbing the pink granite cliffs surrounding the bay of Traigh Ghael on the island of Erraid, just off the far South Western tip of the Isle of Mull. I sailed out solo from Dunstaffnage Bay just North of Oban and four of the lads launched their kayaks from the beach at Fidden before paddling their kayaks the few miles to the bay. The lads camped amongst the sand dunes at the back of the bay and I dropped the hook and slept aboard in the famous anchorage of Tinkers Hole. My voyage out there can only be described as challenging, with a fair sea running I saw not another vessel until just of the anchorage and they were both yachts of 40ft plus. Bunty B is tiny wee boat to be negotiating the uninterrupted North Atlantic Ocean Swell. I was out for over a week but it was a fantastic and challenging trip.

At anchor in Tinkers Hole.

The lads coming ashore at Traigh Gheal.

Traigh Gheal.

Climbing on the rough pink granite surrounding the bay.

Loch Spelve.

The Firth of Clyde: My wife joined me for our ten days of pleasant cruising exploring the Islands and bays of the Firth of Clyde. No dramas on this trip, just a very enjoyable holiday which included walking trips ashore.

On a swinging mooring in Lochranza Isle of Arran.

A pontoon berth in Rothesay inner harbour Isle of Bute.

Sailing by HMS Tenacious anchored off the Isle of Bute.

Anchored off Brodick Castle Isle of Arran.

The Distillery cruise: On 8^th September I set sail from Ardfern on the West coast of Scotland Bound for the Isle of Jura, I have called this the distillery cruise due to the fact that the islands I planned to visit were the homes of various distilleries. In addition to Jura I visited Islay, Gigha and the west coast of Kintyre.

A swinging mooring in Ardminish Bay Gigha

Ardminish Bay at sunset.

Arisaig and the Small Isles: This was the last trip of the year and in mid-October quite late in the season. I hired a swinging mooring at Arisaig for a week but experienced less than Ideal weather, nevertheless I went out to sea every day except one when a storm blew through. Most days were rough and wet with the exception of the final day of the trip which was calm and beautiful.

Bunty B Moored alongside the yacht wall of the pier at Galmisdale Point Isle of Eigg.

The View from the yacht wall. In the centre of the photograph is An Sgurr, a distinctive gigantic block of volcanic rock visible for miles off, when you spot An Sgurr you know you’re heading for Eigg. During June of 2018 we climbed two routes on the steep South Face, here illuminated by the sun. Real adventure climbing. 

Hopefully this gives a brief overview of the voyages of Bunty B during 2021, although there were other trips and the sun doesn’t always shine, I only use my camera when conditions are good, I experienced a good proportion of inclement weather and rough seas and in such conditions I do not take photographs, because my hands are already rather full. 

And so to 2022. There are already several trips entered into my diary and it’s very likely that I will be undertaking quite a few more, watch this space.

 

 

Future Posts

On the completion of the build I did state that I planned to continue the blog following the sailing adventures of Bunty B, however there has been only minimal interest in this continuation so I have to decided not to provide regular updates.

As many people suffered around the world the pandemic seriously curtailed my extensive plans for cruising off the West Coast of Scotland, despite this over the past twelve months I have still managed many weeks at sea and the joy of sailing Bunty B has grown exponentially. I have continued to make many alterations and improvements to improve her safety and performance and will endeavour to continue to do so.

I have not ruled out any future posts but will only do so if I consider it worthy and perhaps of interest. I will close at this point by posting a few photographs taken over the past twelve months, unfortunately I do not have a close up shot of her in full sail, as you will understand I have to rely on someone else to take that shot and pass it on to me. When I receive a good one I'll post it.

The History relating to elements of the Teak Decking of Bunty B

 The background to my requirements: Reference my blog 20^th May 2019

 Since the start of the build, I have visualised how I wanted the deck to look and invested some time in marking out the layout in chalk, this allowed me to make adjustments in the design by simply rubbing off any offending lines to alter the set out. I felt it absolutely essential that the teak strips be swept to follow the lines of the boat with the exception of the deck forward of the cabin which, I laid parallel to the sides of the anchor compartment cover.

 The amidships area around the cabin required the teak strips (45mm x 6mm) to be bent to a fairly tight radius. At first I tried to achieve this by cold bending, but found that the radius was beyond the limit from which they were prepared to bend. Following further research I discovered that there were conflicting views as to whether teak could be steam bent, especially given that the strips required edge bending in the horizontal plane with the 45mm face uppermost. I decided to build a steam box and a jig constructed to the appropriate radius. Despite multiple attempts by varying the time the material spent in the steam box, I could not achieve the required radius without the material buckling, even by using a system of multiple clamps to hold the strips flat to the jig base. I concluded that the only option was to purchase some additional wide boards and cut each individual deck strip to the required radius; this proved to be time consuming and produced a high percentage of waste material, however I achieved the results I aspired to. The teak strips were glued down with epoxy as I had done previously with the cockpit sole. The 5mm wide joints were then primed with Sika Flex 290 DC primer before filling with Sikflex 290 DC Pro in black. I allowed about three weeks for the product to fully cure before sanding the surface off flush.

The Solution  

Sourcing wide quarter sawn boards of Teak is no easy task notwithstanding the fact that Burmese Teak is no longer available other than as a re-claimed material. Following a conversation with a friend in the local pub, he advised me to try Feuillus Fencing Ltd, a small family run business based in Essex. I must confess that I was very sceptical that a fencing firm would be able to supply me with high quality teak, particularly of the dimensions that I required to produce the decking strips. But try I did and, to my amazement found that they had purchased a consignment of reclaimed material. They held in stock a good selection of sizes of which I conducted an online sort through before placing an order to fulfil my requirements. In the few days prior to the delivery I must confess to feeling a little nervous, still not fully able to comprehend that a fencing company could possibly supply such a rare species of timber. On its arrival I couldn’t believe how good it was, the quality appeared superb. My initial observations were further borne out when I began to run the boards through the saw in preparation for planning.

The supplier claimed that the Burmese teak had been salvaged in 2011 from a World War One wreck the SS Pegu.I found this intriguing which prompted me to research this further to find out just what had happened. An internet search revealed that the Pegu was a steam powered cargo ship owned by the Henderson Shipping Company. She was torpedoed by a German U-boat (U57) under the command of Carl-Siegfried Ritter von Georg on 8th July 1917. Unfortunately the sinking of the ship caused the loss of one life, 22 year old 4th engineer, Robert Maxwell. The ship had been carrying general cargo which included a large supply of Burmese Teak, from Rangoon to Liverpool. Apparently this timber was destined to be used for the fortification of heavy gun emplacements in France and Belgium. The Teak had lay on the sea bed for over 90 years before being salvaged. Apparently the salvaged timber had in part been a source of material for repairs to the Cutty Sark project following a serious fire that nearly destroyed the renovation.

Ref used: https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?71187

I believe that such fine rare timber should command one's respect in both its handling and use, further amplified by the fact that a young man had lost his life delivering it to these shores. I considered that using this fine wood for cladding the deck of Bunty B was both entirely appropriate and a privilege, 4th engineer Robert Maxwell and the SS Pegu cross my mind every time I walk over those boards.

More Improvements During Winter Lay Up

 In my previous post I stated my forlorn hope that there may still be a chance of a few days sailing on Lake Windermere before the onset of winter! Sadly the weather continued to deteriorate throughout the autumn thwarting the possibility of another launch. During this laid up period, I have taken the opportunity of continuing to address the logged list of observations and problems that require attention. 

Whilst cruising the West Coast of Scotland, I noticed that when the boat rolled in a swell, the centre plate could be heard knocking against the sides of the centre board case which, also proved to be particularly annoying when moored. I was a little surprised and concerned that this was occurring and came to the conclusion that this may be an anomaly to the intended design characteristics.  I mulled over the problem for a considerable amount of time until I finally arrived at what I thought may be a potential conclusion. 

The 25 mm thick stainless steel centre plate has an anchor/pivot hole bored to provide a reasonable amount of clearance for the 20 mm diameter pin which, is housed in fibre epoxy bearings set in the sides of the upper part of the centre board case. The designed width of the case is determined by laminating two sheets of 15 mm plywood which form an integral part of the boat’s backbone. This thickness of plywood was not available in the UK, I therefore had to use18 mm the nearest thickness available, its use effectively increased the internal width of the case by 6 mm. It was my suspicion that therein lay the problem. 

My solution was to cut two pieces of 3 mm thick fibre reinforced sheet rubber to the exact profile of the upper part of the centre plate, these would then sit either side of the plate acting like two large spacer washers. Fitting proved to be a relatively straight forward job. Firstly in its horizontal position, I located the plate’s centre of gravity, I then provided in situ support with a jack before stabilising its position within the confines of the case with wooden wedges. During the build I had the foresight to fit stainless steel screw bungs either side of the pivot bearings to enable removal and maintenance. Following the pivot pin removal it was a straight forward manoeuvre of feeding in the rubber sheets from below, re insertion of the pin held the rubber spacers in position. 

Since the boat has now had its first season of use, carrying out this operation also provided me with the valuable opportunity of inspecting both the pin and the epoxy bearings, all were found to be in excellent condition showing no apparent signs of wear to any of the surfaces. Since the purchase of the plans I had always considered this area to be a potentially weak point in what overall is a great design, I had therefore made it my priority to undertake this inspection. The results have reassured my confidence in both the design and its construction. I was particularly pleased that the epoxy bearings showed no signs of stress or wear, I undertook their design and construction following consultation with Francois, primarily because I expressed my concern that the pin bearing surfaces being only in plywood might wear more rapidly, possibly allowing the ingress of water into the structure.

The sheet rubber spacers have been cut so as not to project

 below the level of the keel/centre board case.

During my voyages off the Scottish coast, I moored Bunty B at several marinas and as you might expect the pontoon heights varied considerably. On occasion I encountered the problem of having the all-important mid-ships fender tie in point, insufficient in height to allow the fender to protect the rubbing strip, on one occasion I even resorted to tying off a fender through the centre of the shroud turnbuckle which proved to be less than ideal, particularly due to the restricted amount of room in which to thread the line and tie a hitch. I pondered over this problem for some time, trying to source a method of fixing some sort of clamp to the wire shrouds, all it seemed to no avail, until eventually I solved the problem with a simple solution. I purchased two 8 mm bow shackles and ground out the inner clearance to enable them to pass over the turnbuckle jaws, I then simply discarded the clevis pins attaching the shrouds to the turnbuckles and attached the bow shackles passing the pin through the whole assembly.

The adapted bow shackles provide fixing for the shrouds
and a useful fender attachment point.

The cabin shelves above the quarter berths are well designed and indispensable, their usefulness knows no bounds, attracting a multitude of essential’s from smaller items through to books and binoculars, the downside is at times you can’t find the smaller items buried beneath the larger! Furthermore a rough passage distributes the overflowing contents across the cabin floor, more storage space is of the essence. 

Whilst sat in the boat contemplating this conundrum, I noticed that there’s a free void within the cabin where your head very rarely ventures, up under the coach roof aft against the companionway bulkhead. I therefore designed and constructed two small lockers, port and starboard, closed off with drop down doors. This proved to be a tricky little project owing to the geometry of the space. The finished result is both aesthetically appealing and provides a small but additional storage space which is nonetheless at a premium on such a small boat.

Voyages And Further Improvements

We had intended that 2020 would in part be spent exploring the sea's and the Hebridean Islands off the West coast of Scotland, but of course no one could have foreseen the circumstances in which we now find ourselves, this dreadful Covid-19 virus has robbed us all of our hopes and plans for the foreseeable future. It was with great disappointment that after all the hours of work spent building the boat over the past few years plus the growing expectations of enjoying the fruits of my labour, I was unable to fulfil those aspirations. However, as the year has progress and following the gradual easing of the restrictions, we have managed to achieve some time and enjoyment sailing the boat as and when the opportunities presented themselves.

The Lake District

During the latter part of July we spent a few days on Lake Windermere. Despite the inclement weather we did manage to sail the boat in a variety of conditions, this coupled with sleeping on board at various anchorages, gave me a valuable insight into how she might eventually handle, but also coincidentally created a list of items that would require attention or adjustment. Most notably, a bow fender as protection against the anchor chain chaffing the hull, a line to hold the tiller fast whilst moored, a shackle to shorten the anchor chain, a steel plate to reinforce the motor clamp point (cracking noticed) plus many more other minor items that will improve our experience whilst on board.

After tacking south for several miles, a dead run back up the lake gave me the opportunity of trying out the new Jib Pole that I had recently manufactured.

I have reinforced the motor clamping point with 5 mm thick marine grade 

stainless steel plate, bolted through the previously beefed up detail of the 

motor well. The pad locks attach a steel wire motor security lanyard.

North West Scotland

An opportunity for a single handed voyage presented itself during August, my wife and sister in-law booked a remote cottage in North West Scotland by the shores of Loch Teacuise. I decided to pay them a visit by sea, moor the boat in the Loch then spend a night or two on shore before sailing back. 

So on the 29th August I  launched Bunty B at Dunstaffnage Marina just a few miles north of Oban, and spent the night on board in a pontoon berth. Understandably I felt quite nervous at the prospect of a single handed voyage at sea at such an early stage in the use of the boat, but my determination that this would be a test of both myself and the vessel, would prove to be very valuable. The following day I had to resort to motoring the 26 nautical miles North West up the Sound of Mull, the wind was right on the nose and I needed to be in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull before the tide turned against me. The next day the wind was on my beam so I was able to sail across the Sound and up into Loch's Sunart and Teacuis. The entrances into both the outer and inner Loch Teacuis is narrow and tricky, littered with rocks, reef's, shallows and strong tidal streams. The local gamekeeper of the Rahoy Estate had kindly furnished me with navigational advice on how to safely negotiate these hazards, this along with my own passage planning using paper charts and the electronic chart plotter, meant that I safely entered the inner Loch within my planned time slot but in a strong headwind which, against the tide produced a choppy ride through the final narrows. 

For the remainder of the week the weather turned against me with winds of up to 40 knots which, basically pinned me down. The can do anything friendly gamekeeper Bill, offered to recover Bunty B from the Loch using the estate tractor to pull her up the stony beach, an offer which I gladly accepted, however I first had to travel back to Dunstaffnage Marina to recover the trailer, a journey that took most of the day including two crossings of the Corran Ferry. It proved to be a difficult manoeuvre getting the boat to line up with the trailer in the high winds, but after several attempts all ended well.

Moored at Tobermory Isle of Mull

Entering outer Loch Teacuis under motor to maintain steerage 

whilst navigating the hazards and strong tidal streams

Sailing on Loch Sunart

Inner Loch Teacuis with Bunty B moored in the left of the photograph

The single handed voyage provide me with many insights into the possibilities of making improvements. The two most notable improvements I have carried out as a result are:

When reefing the mainsail the boom drops down and sits on the transom, this I found really problematical with the sail filling the boat and spilling everywhere when trying to tie in the reef. I have therefore devised and constructed a system of lazy jacks suspended from a harness slung from the upper mast hound, this also serves as a topping lift. Two lines passing over two Tufnol cheek blocks mounted either side of the boom just forward of the reefing comb, provide adjustable support, when the boom is at an acceptable level you can simply secure the lines on the boom cleats.

The direction of pull from the jib furler proved to be unacceptable, slicing across the top of the coach roof when pulled. To solve this problem I have fitted a 16 mm Harken Anti Capsize block to the toe rail at a strategic position to provide a more directional pull. I have also replaced the furling line with 5 mm Marlow Excel Pro, I found that the smaller diameter rope was cutting into my hand when furling the sail and that this new line is much kinder on the hands. 

I also had issues with the position of the furling line cleat mounted on the starboard side  coaming. It's a stretch for me to keeping one hand on the tiller whilst cleating the line or  reversing the process, I have therefore resolved to fit an additional cleat at a more convenient location at some point in the future.

The 16mm Harken Anti Capsize Block provides an excellent 

solution to improve the directional pull to the jib furler.

A Return to Scotland 

Following a last minute decision due in part to a reasonable weather forecast, Monday 21st September dawned with us again undertaking the six hour drive back north to Scotlands West Coast's Dunstaffnage Marina, we had a potential nine days at our disposal for yet another voyage. Following the launch we berthed for the night at the pontoon. The forecast the following day was poor with continuous heavy rain, nonetheless we decided on a local day visit destination and ventured out for about two or three miles before turning back, we were soaked by the incessant rain and seas breaking over the bows. Thereafter the weather radically improved and we experienced glorious weather for several days, we cruised south down the Argyll coast calling in at Craobh Haven Marina (twice) and at Ardfern Yacht Centre. I had planned our passage to take us through Cuan sound which proved to be an exciting ride, we were accelerated by up to 10 knots by the tide racing through the narrow passage between the islands of Seil and Luing. Bound for Ardfern we also passed through Dorus Mor, another notable strong tidal stream, where once again we were accelerated through the eddies and whirl pools by the racing tide. 

We experienced an amazing cruise visiting friends, restaurants and pubs along the way, in spite of all the Covid-19 restrictions we still had a great time. We cruised a total of 75+ nautical miles, a mixture of sailing and motoring through beautiful scenery further enhanced by the interesting wild life, pods of porpoise jumping, rolling and playing were a common site,  and all manner of sea birds diving for fish, on our port bow an otter popped his head out above the water as we left Craobh, checking us out before diving back beneath the surface, I even managed to catch some mackerel on my fishing rod. 

So this has been a very brief season as the days grow shorter and the autumn weather begins to bite, and is more than likely our last trip to sea this year, although at least we did manage to get out and get something done. Is it too much to hope that there may still even be a chance of a few days on Lake Windermere before the onset of winter!

Bunty B moored at Craobh Haven Marina

A friend took this long shot as we sailed south past their house

Moored in Ardfern Yacht Centre

Ardfern and beyond to the south

Pre-season Additions

Following the test launch on Lake Windermere 2nd November 2019, a number of issues were logged, most of which were minor, however there were two observations that I considered required more immediate attention.

Whilst towing the boat there is a fair amount of bounce generated by the trailer which was particularly noticeable on the poorly maintained roads around the area in which I live. The mast is secured in a horizontal position on a forward cradle bolted to the tabernacle, this performed admirably whilst the aft end was supported by a crutch which vibrated out of position and worked itself loose requiring attention on several occasions during transit. I have overcome this problem by designing and constructing a solid cradle that sits on the cockpit seats, this in turn is held down fast by two turns of rope around the mast lashed down to deck eyes fitted to the Jib Sheet Cleat Blocks either side of the Coaming's. The mast is held securely into place by a cam strap passed through holes drilled either side of the cradle below the centre line of the mast to produce downward force when the strap is pulled tight.

Heavy leaden skies and rain dominated launch day which proved to be unpleasant but inadvertently useful. I noticed how slippery the painted cockpit seats were, I considered this to be a potential hazard for an inadvertent slip either into the boat or over the side! Following extensive research of the various possibilities for solving this problem, I decided on a custom built solution by creating four teak seat panels. I began by making two templates (reversible for opposite side), which gave a good visual indication of how they would look aesthetically, plus they gave me the opportunity of setting out the planking and making adjustments to the layout before committing to the cutting of any timber. I cut and laid up the teak on the templates before gluing with epoxy to the plywood seats and locker lids. Prior to gluing I had to remove the various layers of paint from the plywood to the exact profile of each panel to ensure a good bond. The result is very pleasing and provides an attractive non slip surface to both sit and stand on.

I have added two additional items of safety equipment, a Horseshoe Lifebuoy and a Safety Throw Line. Because of space constraints, I decided to mount both of these items on the top of the sliding hatch, this provides quick easy access and does not restrict movement around the boat or interfere with any other equipment or fittings. 

Also in the interests of safety and for the convenience of communications, I have enrolled myself onto a RYA / MCA Marine VHF Radio Short Range Certificate course with the exam scheduled for 29th March 2020. When I have completed the course and passed the exam I will apply for a ships radio license and a Maritime Mobile Service Identity number.

The Cockpit showing the four panels of teak planking to provide a comfortable non

 slip solution to the painted seats - the new re-designed aft mast support cradle.

An additional important note: In my post 11th November 2019, I alluded to the fact that I was unable to obtain insurance without a full out of water survey and valuation carried out by a suitably qualified marine surveyor. This has now been undertaken and I have a fully comprehensive report confirming the quality of the build and its seaworthiness.