I have had very mixed emotions over the last few weeks.  We have finished a number of things which is great.  

We have finished the cockpit, albeit that we will need to fit it, and cut new holes for the engine controls etc.  The metal work is being painted, should be finished this week, I have started rerigging the mast. 

However we have not progressed the hull at all.  Hopefully things will improve this week.

We had a visit from Suzie and Julie who helped by doing some sanding.  It is always nice to have help.

Other visitors have brightened our day too

Taking stock back in the UK

Back in the UK for medical check ups, and a quick ski trip in France.

 We are moving forward with Guiding Light....slowly

But taking stock of where we are, reveals that although we feel that we have spent over three years working on Guiding Light, we have actually spent only 19 months working in that time.  So there is still hope.  We will launch this year.

One problem we have is finding sufficient space to varnish.  I have my gazebo but i can only fit so much in there.  The rest is done outside which is far from ideal.

I tried to included two videos, hopefully they work...sorry

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Christmas and the New Year

Since my last blog much has happened here in St Lucia, sadly not to Guiding Light.

Poor Kevin had a slight accident, he fell down a ravine and ended up in hospital.  All is well now, he stayed an extra week which was nice.  By then we were into the ARC, and spent two 24 hour periods as the finish line boat.  The first time we had 25 boats in the 24 hours, so not much sleep!

Work is progressing slowly, with the odd notable, even if small, success... I finished the light boxes, see photograph for proof.  I am varnishing everyday over Christmas

Hopefully 2024 will be the year we launch, but I am no longer so confident.

Wishing you a very blessed and Merry Christmas

No blog last week as I was racing in the Mango Bowl.

We have been making good progress, helped by having Kevin out helping.  As you can see from the photograph, he has ground back and painted the floors red.  He has also dismantled and sanded the butterfly hatch, ready for repair and varnishing.

At one stage we had seven people working on the boat at the same time!  But we are still very much up against the clock if we are to make Classics next year.

I also completed my little experiment with wood expansion.  A plank, 135mm wide expanded by 3mm when left in the sea for two days.  Leaving it for two weeks showed little more expansion.  Removing the plank from the sea and it returned to 135mm after one week in the sun.  I'm not sure what this means for our plans going forward.  Any thoughts?

My other conundrum is hull paint...

The wood needs to take in water and expand to seal the gaps.

Paint provides a waterproof layer between the sea and the hull

So how does that work?

 

Well, here I am again, but not much has happened.  Unfortunately not much progress, the guys didn't work this week, so my confidence has decreased somewhat!

The experiment with the plank has shown that in 48 hours the swelling was around 2%, then left for two weeks and little change was seen.

Gill and I worked all week and have sanded and varnished stuff!

Alasdair

The old plank taking up water

Some varnished pieces waiting a week to cure before being put away till they are needed

 

November 2023

 I can't believe it has been so long since I wrote my last entry...sorry!

The depressing news is that we haven't really got any further, We are still working on all the things we were a year ago.  We are making progress but it is painfully slow.

On the positive side we now have three guys working with us and there is a real enthusiasm to get her sailing by February... To that end I have registered for Antigua Classics in April 2024.  I am fairly confident this time

I really will try and do better, but I've said that before.

McVitie is still with us and offering much needed "encouragement"

In the varnishing gazebo, all is going well

Where to begin!  A great deal of work has been done since my last post, and plans have changed many times… I think that we have now more or less finished taking the boat apart and are now putting it back together.  

This year we have had a number of friends helping us out. A few giving us a day or two of their holidays, some coming to work.  It makes a massive difference, not just an extra pair of hands but also the boast to our morale.

The roll of honour …

Brian and Pam

Kevin and Sally

Kevin (again)

Kaveh

We have moved back our completion date, again… we will aim for Antigua Classics 2024. But hoping to launch, or at least be ready to launch by the end of the season.  I will keep you posted. 

I have varnished the boom and the blocks the winches sit on, and have started varnishing the spreaders.  Gill has almost completed preparing the hill for paint, an enormous task.  Zaka is getting close to finishing the deck!

Much more work still to do, but we are getting there.

Happy New Year to all

Love Alasdair and Gill