An update on what we have been up to.....
andromeda of plymouth
Susan and Andrew Wilson
Wed 4 Mar 2009 17:13
forward and we expect to complete by the end of March. We have changed
plans and are buying a small flat in Reading - this is now moving forward.
The intention here is to provide a place for Jenny to live now that she
has found a job she loves and does not intend to accompany us, at least
initially.
We have completed the RYA Sea Survival course which was great fun, very
enlightening and well worth taking - stay with the boat and stay dry!!!
Getting into a liferaft with your oillies on and boots filled with water
is not easy. Righting an upturned liferaft is also quite something. All in
all well worth the time. The LRC certificate also arrived which is great.
We are having a holding tank fitted at present which should be completed
in the next week or so - thanks Peter. In addition, in pretty horrible
conditions, we had Andromeda lifted and she is now on the hard waiting for
the anit-fouling and a million and one other jobs to be completed over the
next 6 weeks or so. The rigging is being checked over and we know that the
masts need some alignment - thanks to Alan. In addition two of the skin
fittings will need to be replaced as they are weeping. We also need to
trace a couple of mysterious leaks - something of a challenge methinks. We
have been given some great advice over the last few weeks including what
we need to do to get the decks looking great.
When we were removing the sails the spinaker halyard got lose and the
wrong end is now at the top of the mast - we wanted to get to the top of
the masts so now we have an incentive once she is back in the water. Lots
of other jobs and expense is on the horizon so the bank balance will be
shrinking alarmingly - hold the nerve, it will be worth it. Among those
costly items include the liferaft servicing, a new tender (the old rib has
given up the ghost), a kedge anchor, replacing the onboard PC, and
correcting the rigging - there will be loads of other expense but for now
we'll ignore those - ho hum.
So the next few weeks will be taken up with the wonderful task of
anti-fouling, deck scrubbing, through hull replacements and leak detection
- oh to be back on the water..........
We have now been confirmed for the Biscay section of the Biscay triangle
and have a berth confirmed in Lagos over winter. The farewell (we are just
coming to make sure you are in fact leaving) party is scheduled for the
4th of July - not much time and the clock is ticking.
Thats it for now - more in due course with some photo's soon.......
Andromeda