Winter 2013 - 2014

 The proposal is to sail Spring Breeze around the UK in 2014, anti-clockwise from Cowes, up to and through the Caledonian Canal down the west coast and back to Cowes.

There are various essential jobs to do over the winter which I hope we can achieve before our planned departure at the beginning of May 2014.

Firstly I have installed a holding tank (necessary to transit the Caledonian Canal).  Hopefully this will work OK but difficult to confirm until the boat goes back into the water.  Now contemplating fitting a wood burning stove!  

So have now decided not to fit a wood burning stove!  I have a local guy helping me sand and paint the inside and have an engineer fitting electronics and installing the auto pilot.  I feel like a 'Super Yacht' owner!  I have sold my Aries wind driven self steering gear as it will be more practical to run under electronic auto pilot for just Alice and me as the sailing will be basically day trips.  Just need to get another battery to power the beast bringing my battery count up to 7 !

Have now found some rot in the transom and some in the main companion way so a bit of a setback but hopefully I can get Patrick, my boatbuilder to get that sorted.

So at least this will give me a chance of gluing a veneer to the transom and varnishing it.

Working through the rest of the boat, cleaning and painting so she is looking a lot fresher.

Now we have a new veneer of teak on the transom and now waiting for some scaffolding and good weather and then I can get on with the topside painting & varnishing.

At last all finished and ready to launch on Monday 16th June. The topsides have been painted, the transom varnished. Painted all through the cabins and carpets down!

Launched at last after a long winter of refurbishment - and now to go sailing!