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22 November 2024. I woke to a cold that gripped everything. Frost on the sprayhood, thin ice on the lockers, breath like a dragon’s. Hot tea and chemical warmers, then off to the marina. The harbourmaster told me I was fourth to lift. Time to prepare mentally.
Back aboard, I prepared long bow and stern lines to control rotation during lifting. Closed the seacocks to prevent water entering through the sink. Marked sling positions: one between the last window and bow, clear of the keel; the other between the sheet winches and first window, protecting the propeller.
When my turn came, the staff passed the slings beneath the hull and lifted. I’d expected anything, but the bottom was almost clean: only a little orange film. Last year, she’d been so fouled that she barely made two knots, while I spent a month trying to repair the engine. Over winter, I’d thoroughly renewed the antifouling. The result speaks for itself.
The propeller disappointed me. The coating of Silic One had come off one blade. Where it remained, no growth at all. The intake grille was protected too, though barnacles grew between its bars.
The new electromagnetic log had stopped reading speed two months after launch. Barnacles completely covered the sensor, turning it into a hedgehog on its way to becoming a coral reef. Perhaps I’ll need to remove it every time I leave the boat.
The marina staff scraped off the remaining barnacles and pressure-washed the growth away. Mesmerising, pure pleasure for a perfectionist. Note to self: yacht-washing videos could go on TikTok. Then the harbourmaster towed her to winter storage with the tractor.
Sailing season over. Repair season only just beginning.
#maintenance
Back aboard, I prepared long bow and stern lines to control rotation during lifting. Closed the seacocks to prevent water entering through the sink. Marked sling positions: one between the last window and bow, clear of the keel; the other between the sheet winches and first window, protecting the propeller.
When my turn came, the staff passed the slings beneath the hull and lifted. I’d expected anything, but the bottom was almost clean: only a little orange film. Last year, she’d been so fouled that she barely made two knots, while I spent a month trying to repair the engine. Over winter, I’d thoroughly renewed the antifouling. The result speaks for itself.
The propeller disappointed me. The coating of Silic One had come off one blade. Where it remained, no growth at all. The intake grille was protected too, though barnacles grew between its bars.
The new electromagnetic log had stopped reading speed two months after launch. Barnacles completely covered the sensor, turning it into a hedgehog on its way to becoming a coral reef. Perhaps I’ll need to remove it every time I leave the boat.
The marina staff scraped off the remaining barnacles and pressure-washed the growth away. Mesmerising, pure pleasure for a perfectionist. Note to self: yacht-washing videos could go on TikTok. Then the harbourmaster towed her to winter storage with the tractor.
Sailing season over. Repair season only just beginning.
#maintenance
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