Over the winter we’ve managed a bit of painting and varnishing on the few fine days. Also the details of the electrical system have been completed by Captain Roy Purvis, electrical engineer, with a schematic wiring diagram that connects the ship’s system with the engine.
(Roy sailed with me on the Fri Peace Odyssey in 1974, as radio operator.)
Replacement Tender for the Kate:
The original dinghy, a 3.2m traditional style ‘Okura gig’, was a beautifully matching boat in many ways, but it was too long and heavy to be carried on deck, so it had to be towed. This slowed us down and proved to be a problem in a following sea, when it surfed on the waves and slewed off course, to be jerked back in line so hard that it broke the eyebolt on the stem to which the painter was fastened.
The present dinghy, which I restored from a derelict, is a bit small, but stows easily on the cabin top. A length of 3 m would be ideal to fit nicely over the skylight…
This led to dinghy number 3, custom designed to fit on the cabin top, yet big enough to take the whole crew, with plenty of built-in buoyancy so it could serve as a lifeboat.
It’s presently being built in my workshop, a winter project with 2 boys helping from time to time. Designed to row well and tow well, it also has a notch in the stern for sculling, a nearly-lost art I want to pass on to the young ones.
For longer cruises it will also take the electric outboard.
Roll on summer!
Bernard