Re-launch

E6013 arrived at her summer home and was met with a good F5. Not exactly what was wanted for initial test sail but hey - it had to be done. She was rigged with a deep reefed cruising main and extremely experienced fellow Calshot SC member Paul volunteered to helm for the occasion.

And very exiting it was too - screaming reaches and big hikes out back upwind. Nothing broke and a few minor tweaks were required.

Was it worth it? Just over a year of evenings and weekends (not every weekend but at least half a day and an average 1 hour a night during the week), more money than expected and missing out on some other family stuff. Oh yes. Wouldn't do it quite the same next time but well worth the effort and anyway, she deserved it.

Big thanks to John and Anne for lots of help with the woodwork and varnish donation, H for the patience and understanding, Izzy for being Izzy and P&J for taking on the crewing duties.

Shiny or what!

Here is E6013 how she should be. The decks got 6 coats before I got impatient and put the last on too soon and b******d the lot. It had to all be sanded back again with 180 grit and the sequence restarted. Others may have been able to live with the crinkle finish - especially as the sailing season was in full swing- but I couldn't. I hope you think it was worth it.

Woodwork

I finally sorted out some pictures of the restoration. They were taken on a mobile - but you get the idea. She has a new bow and side bouyancy tanks - all with 2 hatches for lots of off-water ventilation - and new transom. Not shown in these pictures are the new ply pieces scarfed in to all 4 of the hull skin panels around the transom. After fileting and glass and exopy taping all the seams, the insides got 6 coats of Goldspar (with lots and lots of sanding before and in-between coats. After that she was turned over and work began on the outside.

The port self bailer was replaced along with the slot gasket (sail-cloth) and a new aluminium keel band. Another weekend just sanding before new white undercoat and two coats of Clipper White Teflon gloss - lovely.