So as I come crashing into the 21st century I also become a Blogger. Never thought it would happen but here we are.

The project is slowly coming together and now with lots of help from Simon Hosler - a man with whom I spent many happy hours on watch during the 2005 Fastnet - the website is up and running. As I write there are a few edits and additions to be made to it but at least we have something to show. If you haven't seen it it's at www.soundsailing.co.uk

The boat is languishing in the yard in Polruan and I haven't had time to do any work on her for a few weeks now. There is the rigging to replace, which entails removal of the mast, but that means that I can fix some of the electrical problems at the top without having to spend hours dangling from a Bosuns Chair or timing the low tide right so I can do it from the top of the No 2 jetty at Fowey docks.

I'm hoping that the guys at the yard have started on the osmosis treatment and respray. The osmosis treatment involves grit blasting off the gel coat (the shiny surface of the hull) below the waterline, drying out the moisture within the hull structure and spraying on a new epoxy gel coat with a modern formula that wont suffer from the same problems. The old (original) gel coat wasn't completely impervious to salt water and by a process of osmosis allowed a build-up of moisture within the structure of the hull.

The engine needs attention as it shows an overheat light after 10 minutes running. This is just a hotspot caused by a buildup of scale in the cooling jacket and is easily fixable and just requires some of my time.

There's a myriad of other small jobs to be done and time is running out as I want to be back in the water by Easter!

I could go on for pages but enough for now.

Watch this space.

S