Fitted out for now

After just over four weeks we have completed the major fitting out that we needed to be alongside for, save for the heating system, which can wait for cooler times.  We have done enough for now and want to have a shake-down cruise.

We have completed some major tasks:

• The ultra-sonic antifouling has been running for ten days now.  It is rather more audible to us than I had anticipated, probably because of it resonating through the aluminium hull. We can both here what sounds like grass hoppers.  Let’s hope the algae are put off.  There is some weed growth evident, but this may have predated the installation.  The boat needs a good sail and may be a scrub off on a beach somewhere.
• The security system is installed, complete with remote switching on of lights for coming aboard at night.  It does work, for we forgot to turn it off one time before entering the cabin and an almighty cacophony greeted us, and we both instantly got text messages to tell us what we had done.
• Tony has been building a panel to take the regulators and dump resistors for the wind generator and solar panels.
• After considerable uncertainty and debate about how to position the wind generator so that it cleared the radar dome, Tony took the plunge and build a level platform on the stern arch.  Fortunately Ynskje’s son Dan was visiting from Germany and arrived just in time to help hoist the rather heavy generator into its place atop the tower.   Note the spinnaker pole doing duty as a derrick.
• It was so good to have that help that Dan was invited back the next day to help lift the solar panel rig into place.  Both are now connected up and we are generating a useful amount of power, which we need as the grass hoppers seem quite hungry.

Next Saturday 9th July Tony plans to travel to Bristol for the annual Marianne Fry Lecture, which is the only professional activity he is still involved with.  It will be good to see friends and former colleagues again, although that world seems rather distant now.

Then we will return to the boat and head west – may be Dartmouth and beyond, depending on wind and weather.  We plan to be back for a break before the grand children come aboard on August 2nd.

We will update you in due course.

Ynskje & Tony
xxx