Well, it's been a long winter in the boatshed for the Good Ship, with much fettling and maintenance completed to have her looking her best for the coming season. Big props to the crew for all the help (Dad, Iain Mowat, Neil, Marcin, Ola, Ross, Tibor) - we got there in the end! The launch was a particularly dreich event and since then the boat has been storm bound in Kip Marina, although this has allowed maintenance to continue. As a quick summary of what we did this year:
Topsides sanded and filled/faired and recoated (damn canal had played havoc with the paint last year)
Varnish work on deck all redone (5 or 6 coats, lost count)
Deck and cockpit repainted
Forecabin painted (it's no longer the black hole it once was...)
Cabin ceiling repainted
Cooker rebuilt (yay! at last. baking to commence shortly)
All spars revarnished
Sink pump installed
Various woodworking jobs (thanks Dad)
Various interior varnishing
Anchor winch electrics rebuild
Lots of other wee jobs.
So, lots done, and the Good Ship is ready to go again! Plan is to hang around the Clyde til the Tall Ships is over mid July, then off to the West, to the Outer Hebrides ('Ultima Thule', the end of the world as the Romans described it). Can't wait!
Andy (Skipper, First Sealord, Admiral of the Fleet)
