Getting closer to departure

Wood gouged out needing filler, and coachroof epoxy damage

It's been a bumpy ride, I don't think we have had this many problems with a lift and boatyard work for a long time - we had got used to a great service from MDL Shamrock Quay.  This time we could not get the lift and launch slots we wanted in April, and it was downhill from there really.  The compromise we came to, was to spend two weeks lifted out for varnishing rather than three, which would have been a tight schedule but fine.  Then it was announced as Marelle was going into the shed, that she would have to be moved out again in the middle of this time to allow other boats to be launched.  If we had known this beforehand we would have cancelled the work, as any less than two weeks is not feasible.  Then Tim at MDL Shamrock Quay said that there were no launch slots available till June - not great when we have both left work to go sailing at the start of May!  It really has been a complete nightmare dealing with MDL Shamrock Quay this time for lift and launch work, and just to top it all off when Marelle was launched, we found that the handrail and coachroof had been damaged by the mast being lifted with a bottle screw trapped under the handrail when it was unstepped at the lift out, so we are having to get that fixed.  Spencer Rigging have been very good about this, and have accepted responsibility and covered most of the cost of the repair, but MDL's attitude was that it was nothing to do with them even though they were operating the crane and their people were on board Marelle at the same time as the riggers.

Depressingly, talking to other boat owners we are not alone in having problems with MDL Shamrock Quay resulting in boat damage during lift/launch this year.

I have used the time to get the new bow cabin cushions finished off, very pleased with how these turned out.  Kayospruce did us a great deal on the material and supplies.  I also made some hand rail covers, and now I am working on a hatch garage cover.

Completed bow cushions

Handrail cover

New radar installed!

Martin had a great idea to get BD Marine to make an engraved stainless bracket for the chart plotter station inside the boat, this is going to look fantastic when it's installed.

Template for chartplotter bracket

Greenham Regis installed the new Raymarine Quantum 2 HD radar today, they did a great job - it was fiddly getting the wire down the mast as the inside of the base of the mast was filled with polystyrene that was blocking the wire run, and had degraded anyway over the 53 years since the mast was made.  This new radar uses Doppler effects to automatically highlight if a target is heading towards or away from us.