Lena Invader 22 |
|||||
March 06 Update | home | allsorts | *** | *** | |
I am gradually making some progress - despite the freezing weather. I've been staying down on the boat for a few days at a time - this was my ploy to fight the cold. I figured if I was already there, come yet another day of biting Easterly winds, I'd just get on with what I could.
Concequently, I have sorted out a great deal internally - I found a got a lot done late evenings, despite it being about 4 below. You don't realise how much ancillary junk you aquire while working on the boat - so now the bulk of it it cleared up I'm finding I have a surprising amount of space. I settled in the end for the Garmin 152 gps - I was very tempted by a few others - the new Navman b/w plotter is a bargain and an exceptionally clear bright white screen - good data pages as well, but it was just a bit bulky for where I was at set up to mount it. Fitted up the Nasa dsc vhf - and that reading ok to the gps for the lat long data. Had to fiddle with the menus a little - the Garmin shipped with the Garmin/Garmin data selected - so when I changed it to nmea in/out, it worked ok. Also the Nasa vhf came with the menu set for 'mnea checksum ON' - I turned this to 'off' as well. Afaik this setting is for listening to older versions of current nmea. Anyway - it all worked ok, without much effort. Vhf seems fine - we get Swansea coastguard every four hours for a weather update. That was good and clear, even with the the ariel temp connected at the coach roof and laid up on the deck. Interestingly - I checked it again later when I had taken the ariel off - so just had the coax running. Absolutely nothing - so I know my ariel is working. I've now got a mooring on the river Axe, through the boat club - it then becomes my responsibility to lay and maintain it. Given that these mooring as quite complicated - being sinkers fore and aft, with ground lines, then bridles up to the buoys - all arranged to be just the right lengths to cope with the highest springs - I opted for paying our local man who lays them. He had two new ones laid - and the one I chose seemed to be on resonably level mud at low water. So that cost me 320.00 - I had a 30.00 discount as the buoys were 2nd hand ! Also - as I've said before - the mud here is so soft that deep fin keelers sit quite happily in it. The sinkers are fifty foot apart - so will take a much larger boat. |
Shiny new stove ! I was just about to order one of these Plastimo stoves from Gael Force, when they suddenly had on on the shelf in Bristol, Force 4. I've a feeling they have done a deal with Eno, as this looks very like their unit. Just written a load of stuff and Go Live crashed on me ! - so can't be bothered just now to re-write it all. Basically, its get the mast up, arrange with the surveyor - then I can get my insurance sorted with Navigators and General - final bits of new rigging, sort out the furling line run and cleating, anti foul, sort out some fenders, ( I won't go on - this list could get too long ! ) Thanks to all who have contacted me - nice to hear from you. Hopefully this site soon will have a new section on the 'Voyages of Lena', which should be fun - I've a lot to learn out there. Geoff - Bristol. 25th March 06. |