Winter projects 2015/16: rigging, gaff and blocks

On April 9, 2016 - Engine, hull & laying the deck 2011 - 2015

12 October, 2015 finds us back in Derbyshire and a sense of being ‘in limbo’ sets in after so long away. What are we going to do? There’s little interest in the house in Matlock Bath, and as we scour for sale listings in Suffolk and Derbyshire, we realise there probably isn’t a better place to live, after all. Following a ski trip to Val Thorens in late January, the decision is made . . . pay off the Estate Agent, take the house off the market and plan some serious ‘home improvements’!

The workshop at the top of the garden becomes a hive of activity again over the winter months, with the smell of tallow, varnish and leather, often brought back into the kitchen when it becomes too cold or damp outside. Steve turns his mind to the standing rigging . . . shrouds, backstays, forestays and new dead-eyes are all complete, re-served and ready for the launch day.

We take a short break for a trip to Holland at the end of February 2016, meeting up with the Dutch OGA for a weekend of baking bread and learning to splice ropes. Inspired by both bread-making and ropework, it’s back to Derbyshire. After seizing in the new thimbles the blocks, made nearly ten years ago when the project didn't seem to be quite so big, are ready for use. Steve experiments with the lathe for a new set of parrel beads. Made from some ash felled in our own garden, he’s really pleased with his example of ‘tree to sea’, as they fit neatly onto the gaff.

Next it’s the gaff spar. The jaws are completely shattered, so new ones are carefully crafted from oak during a sunny spell in mid-March. It then turns too cold and wet to varnish outside, so, leathered and gaff is fixed to the spar, it’s brought in through the sitting room window and just fits the length of the room for several coats of varnish. Taken outside again, it's awaiting transport back down to Suffolk along with another of the ‘bits and pieces’, the refurbished cover for the rudder stock, gleaming with new varnish and polish.

Derbyshire, mast & spars, rigging

‘Your boat has sunk!’

On February 28, 2007 - The start 2005-2010

Late at night on 15 December, 2006, there was a phonecall from Mark at the Tidemill Yacht Harbour, "Steve, your boat has sunk!"

'Cachalot' was hauled out of her berth in the marina, and put in a cradle ashore, following a call from a passer-by to the Tidemill staff that she seemed to be ‘lying a bit low’ alongside the pontoon. Why had she taken on so much water so suddenly?

Was she telling us something? She’d been booked to be lifted out for work on the counter and seams just two weeks later, on 10 January 2007!

Having brought a lot of the smaller ‘bits and pieces’ home to Derbyshire, Steve took great satisfaction in doing a few ‘small’ woodworking jobs well-suited to the kitchen table! The blocks are made from pieces of ash, sourced locally . . . the seizing awaits completion, it's not really a priority now, as things are turning out! Whatever else we were going to do, the mast certainly needed attention and was duly lifted by Richard and Mark at the Tidemill on a beautiful, crisp February morning. At least the weather was on our side, although chilly, the stove in the boat kept us cosy and warm and it didn't rain. Steve rubbed the mast down to reveal just one small area of rot at deck level, which could be easily repaired by scarfing. Another positive outcome!

After inspection of the soggy mess, in a dismal January visit, we removed all warps, cushions, rigging and halyards, mainsail, foresails, spars, anchors, chain and lead in preparation for a careful assessment of what to do about the hull. The whole experience was quite dispiriting, but there was some good news! Although the batteries were a write-off, water didn’t get into the engine, so at least that is probably going to be OK. Following long discussions back in Derbyshire throughout January, we eventually started to make some decisions. How much work should we do? Should we take off all the paint? Who should do the work and, perhaps most perplexing of all, what had caused her to sink? We tested various options for paint removal and did some research on caulking.