Onboard computer

We have been building an onboard computer system. The Linux boot works fine, but Windows 7 keeps crashing. Also the case is getting warm. Getting warm in the middle of winter is worrying... how hot will it get in summer? So I have mounted an external SATA and power connector on the case and now mounted the solid state hard disk outside the main case, which will allow me to cut a hole in the top of the case to allow better circulation from the CPU fan. Tim's IT guy suggested that the problem with it crashing was due to the display adaptor device driver - so I found the Intel CD and installed new drivers. Let's see if its more stable now.

Sanding toe rail

Tim took a day off and together we went down to king Malu with the intention of finishing sanding the toe rail - which we did! We also changed the anode on the propeller shaft and gave the anchor an extra coat of Hammerite.

Sanding toe rail

Well... the suposed beautiful varnished teak toe rail wasn't... beautiful that is. I had taken a break between coats 2 and 3 of the varnish (of 5) and during that time the hot Mediterranean sun had bubbled the varnish and it wouldn't take.

So... one of the teaks is to sand off the varnish and oil the wood. The plan had been for Tim to use the bigger sander to take off the majority and my to use a new triangular one for the detail. But after 2 minutes the head fell of the big one. Both the thread on the head and on the motor had torn and it could not be used. So we decided to epoxy the head to the motor and work out a long term fixing later.

We carried on with the smaller triangular sander. 2 hours work (we planned on only 2 hours per day) and about 25% of the toe rail is finished. So the job looks manageable.

Tim also put a second coat of Hammerite on the anchor. This is a silver colour: The first was dull green, so we should know when the top coat wears away from the change in colour.

No more work for a couple of days... it is Christmas after all!

Antifouling

The first job is a quick sand over the whole hull to allow the new antifouling to adhere to the old. We had been told the paint partly chemically bonds and partly physically bonds to the old and so cutting in slightly helps.

We had put on two coats of antifouling last year so I am slightly surprised that it had gone all the way through to the epoxy skin coat in places. I wasn't too pleased about that. It means antifouling will be a significant annual cost.

We had a little of the black left over so I rollered that over the places where it had gone through. This means that we should have three coats of antifouling on the hull now, and because the new is blue not black we should be able to see when it goes through.

 We had bought 'moon suits' this year as the antifouling is pretty wicked stuff and we think its prudent to be as careful as we can. Last year I got some on my skin and used thinners to remove it, only to find the thinners stung like crazy... hmmm.... not a good idea, moon suits are better!

Jacob (now 11) is wearing an adult suit, with masking tape at suitable places to hold it in check.

Having Jacob and me together works well: He does the lower reaches and I do the higher reaches.

This year it was even better we also had Tim about, cleaning the propellor and running around getting paint and a hundred other things to keep us going (like coffee).

The blue looks significantly better than the black. Tim and I are really pleased with the result.

By 14:30 we have finished. King Malu looks amazing again. On the other hand... I don't! 

I can hardly recognise myself in the photo. Showing the photo to family afterwards they reckon I look Egyptian. I don't really know why.

Even wearing a 'moon suit' googles and a face mask this is not a clean job! But... we did it in a day.  So that was very encouraging. It means we can do an antifouling over a weekend liftout next year if we want.

We still have a number of messy outside jobs to do. We want to sand down the toe rail. The varnishing of it didn't work and we want to remove the varnish and use oil instead.

10 days till she goes back in the water... must remember we have to do antifouling under the bracing points...

Lift out

Plan is to arrive at the marina at 13:00, have sandwiches onboard and then lift out at 14:00... tight because I have an airport run at 15:30 and another at 16:15. And... of course... everything is running late!

So, we talk to Nickos and he hopes to lift before the end of the day. If all goes to plan, maybe 15:00 to 15:30. So we go to the club for a beer and then round to King Malu.

When we see Nickos lift the boat ahead of us we let go the lines and motor round to the wet dock to be next in line.

It's around 15:15 that Nickos is ready to start lifting us. The flights from the UK are running late so I do have a few minutes and Tim and Jacob will stay with the boat.

The for'ard mooring lines have to be let go and the straps walked underneath the boat ready for lifting. Since the wind is from the east, the tendency is for King Malu to drift over to the port side.

I just about see her starting to be lifted before I have to leave and go pick up relatives at the airport.

I never get to see the barnacles growing on the hull except on the photographs Tim took.

The was a line of barnacles along the water line. That is something we can keep under control.

The anode is pretty encrusted too... no surprises there, as is the propellor. We'll have to try getting some anti-fouling for the propellor to keep it cleaner next year.

But the strange bit is the the growth under the stern above the propellor. We have no idea why the growth was there.

Nickos power washed it down and that took off almost all of the growth and slime and then Tim and Jacob cleaned where the straps had been removed the slightly firmer encrustations.

We were the last boat out before the Christmas break and we will be the first boat in after the break. So Nickos put us opposite the workshop and left the crane just a few metres back (to give us clearance around the boat).

Antifouling

Big storm last night. Winds reached 49 knots... that's beaufort 10! King Malu looks fine... so today we went down to Ocean Marine at Limassol to get some more Awlgrip antifouling to put on the hull when we lift her out. We got deep blue this time so when we put it over the black we will have an indicator of when it has rubbed away.

Then in the afternoon we made a couple of rings (looking just like hoopla rings) to go behind the speakers for the cockpit.

Gentle day sail

4 nautical miles

4 hour sail, in very light winds. 

We went first to the mooring spot north of the harbour for a coffee, then out for a very gentle sail. 

I tried out the autopilot tacking today - always better to try things in very light winds before you urgently need to do the process. So I hit the buttons and let the autopilot tack us and I managed the sheets. Meant that one of us can tack the boat alone.

Oh and I got a new phone too... having drowned two phones I decided to get a waterproof and shockproof one with some money I had been given for my birthday. One the right is a photo of the chart plotter giving a more accurate track of where we went (the Spot Locator points are only every 30 mins or so... and only when we remember to press the button).

What I got was a Samsung B2100 from Amazon.co.uk. The reason for that is that it is waterproof to 1 metre and shockproof... a real hardy phone.

I'm pleased with it in all respects except for one... it's a pain to sync with my computer!