Odd Times II

Tag: maintainance

  • Tiller

    Tiller

    During our week off, we both noticed that if single-handed, we could do with a longer Tiller to steer and get forward – a trip to the chandler with the idea of picking up a cheap extension was quickly dissolved by the lack of style and high costs. So we made one.

    Purchased a Holt Allen standard tiller joint and a 48mm Ash pole. The streamer is a Karcher unit for cleaning floors and kitchens, and the box is a length of drainpipe originally used for team-building games with wood bungs at each end.

    I should have soaked the wood overnight; it had an hour of steaming – enough to start to soften the drainpipe, but it bent ok in the jig, but not as much as I hoped.

    A huge knot at the apex made it a challenge to bend further. It also straightened a lot once it was released the next day. Some practice is still required, but it was ok as a tester to see if the principle works.

  • Winter Work

    Winter Work

    Winter this year saw the boat home and back under it big green tent – working off a lovely block floor rather than slabs and wet earth this year.

    The mast suffered some damage this year. Some self-inflicted with the peak halyard shackle the wrong way round, which, during a deep reef, rubbed hard against the mast, and the shroud band started to slip down the mast, indicating there was some issue either with the fixing or perhaps rot underneath.

    It was dropped off with https://www.drascombe.uk/, who looked after it, stripped it clean, and refurbished it. Seems it was just a weedy snapped screw and no manky wood!

    https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1F2aneRgJo

    https://www.facebook.com/share/r/18S3Zvde9w

    The bowsprit was stripped along with the gunwales and inner combing of all varnish, and Deks D1 was applied instead. Nancy valiantly battled the leaky lockers under the seats with new sealant, sealing strips and padding foam. The lockers are recessed and flat, so any standing water seeps in.

    The spars were stripped, varnished, the wood floor oiled, and the covers reproofed. The trailer was cleaned and wheels painted, and the antifouling reapplied.

    Some items that are now firmly boat fixtures, like the paddles, emergency box and a boat hook, are finding forever homes with straps to hold them in place. The new item for this year is a sapele crutch for the boom to enable the mid boom lazy jacks to be swept back and a tarp cast over the full boom.

  • Cowes for lunch and let slip the hounds

    Cowes for lunch and let slip the hounds

    The last sail of the year saw us head directly across the Solent to Cowes and hide behind the baffle wall to get lunch and chill. A fine sail to end the year though it did require leaving the creek with only 50cm and ploughing through the soft mud of the bar.

    The mast seems to be having some issues around the hounds where the shrouds and forestay attach – the fitting seems to be drifting down a bit , so it’s time to get the mast down and in for some checking and attention. Get those black marks sorted too.

  • Winter Work

    Winter Work

    Winter Maintainance 24-25Download
  • Taking Odd Times II Apart

    Taking Odd Times II Apart

    Sails all needed checking over and the spars varnishing.

  • Packing Away

    Packing Away

    Winter maintainance underway with sails drying, covers off to Kinver Canopies for new cushions, refurbishment and replacements zips.

    The bed issue is sorted by adding two boards to the crew footwell and then two cushions on top making the whole area under the canopy one big bed for Nancy, me and the the dog.

    Varnishing the woodwork and adding a battery and instruments in the locker and helm position.

  • Sparkelfarts and Odd Times II

    Sparkelfarts and Odd Times II

    Not happy with the boats name, we took the decision to rename her. After much debate we took Nancy’s grandfather’s boats name – the ‘Odd Times’ and carried on the tradtion – it also works a pun ‘Odd Times II’ but it isnt really meant as that. The Ship Registry was dealt with and a new name added to the transom.

    We also needed a name for our new dinghy – an Ebay bargin – and Sparklefarts was christened.

    There was much more garden rigging and measurements, lists made of work to do.

  • What Needs Sorting?

    What Needs Sorting?

    The canvas cover needed some love and the zips and tapes on the cuddy needed a lube up

    It also becomae apparent that the width of the bunks was going to be a problem for me as a side sleepers and would need expanding.

    The jackstays didnt seem right and the cover had been cut to make the arrangement work – this needed some consideration too.