In the Water Next Week - You're 'avin a Steffie

As you can probably tell from the title we're not back in the water yet. Guarantees have been
obtained from Steve at the yard that she'll be ready to launch when I get back from my next gig at Donnington. This was extracted with the judicious use of a mole wrench on his testicles and Caskey looking threatening in the background.
We have, however, got a lot done in the last couple of days. Deck painted, running rigging replaced, winches overhauled, spray hood on etc. She's looking smart and ready to go if you don't look at the hull. ( I did take some pics but left the camera behind.)
Thanks to Shawn Plummer for the loan/donation of various bit and pieces that will come in useful, not the least of which is a top of the range searchlight. Thanks mate.
Also thanks to Caskey for his help in doing some of the shittier jobs.
Watch this space.

Could we be in the water next week?

I arrived at the boat today to find one of the yard chappies sanding the hull!! At last. Things are moving on. Later there were two guys, one sanding, one filling and they said that they would have the above the waterline paint on by end of tomorrow. This is getting exciting. I wish I'd had the camera so I could have posted a picture of the work.
Spent the afternoon terminating the new mast wiring and putting stuff back together. I was really looking forward to seeing the deck flood light working as it hasn't worked since I can remember and that must be ten years. I flicked the switch and it flashed on and went out again. I think the sealed beam unit expired in surprise at seeing electricity for the first time in years! Bugger. That means a trip up the mast at some point.
Summer is definitely here. It was one of those beautiful sparkling days in the harbour - hot sunshine, a slight breeze enough to ripple the harbour, Troys and dinghies racing, a pint consumed leaning on the wall of the Lugger and my boat still sitting in its cradle in the yard. Not happy.
Off to Tate Gallery tomorrow for arty farty gig over the bank holiday weekend, so more next week.

Mast back on, press launch postponed.

I got the mast back on a few days ago. We have new steels, ariel, wiring and lights, so for the first time that I know of all the mast systems will be working. The bottom still isn't done and as a result I had to postpone the press launch that I was supposed to be doing today. I hope it didn't piss anyone off to much.
Sent out an e mail today to everyone in my contacts asking for donations and got some immediate replies. If you have received it please do forward it to anyone you know. We've almost got our first £1000! only another 49 to go.
More soon. xxx

Mast off ye lubbers

Got the mast off today. The rigging has gone to The Boathouse in Falmouth to be copied and I've done various jobs on the mast. Unfortunately I won't get the rigging back tomorrow so time has now got even tighter. I've fitted the new cockpit speakers tho so we will sound good as we circumnavigate.
The photos show Gamaldansk looking fairly forlorn in the yard but watch this space as shel'll be resprayed very soon.

Where is all the time going?

I've now got an almost full complement of crew signed up for the trip although, as the word has spread, it's thrown up a lot of people who aren't soundies but none the less want to come, and who am I to say No? Although the initial idea was to have a Sound Crew we now have, along with various noise-boys, a producer, a production manager, a rigger, a lampie and a sound press journalist (poor show from the vidiots - too tough for you???), plus my brother and a long time family female friend. So a good mix of skills (professional and sailing) and personalities but leaving a rather biased gender discrepancy with Rachel Fisher being the only female crew, apart from my wife Sally who may or may not do the last few days with us depending on her state of pregnancy which will be well advanced by then.
I'm taking the mast off the boat tomorrow to replace the standing rigging (that's the wire stuff that holds the mast up) and to replace lights, aerials and wiring. The boys in the yard have started treating the osmosis and I'm hoping that I will be pleasantly surprised when I see her tomorrow.
Tamsin, the top PR lady at the RNLI South West is putting together a press release and we're going for a press launch at Fowey lifeboat station on 21st May so I have a fairly close deadline to have the boat back in the water. In the meantime I shall be in Dubai and Seville working, so time is getting very tight.
I'll endeavour to get some photos of the progress of the work published here in the next couple of days.