PRACTICAL
the coachroof, I could hoist both sails
without having to leave the cockpit. I also
had a second forestay made, and with
two off-centre U-bolts, a forestay lashed to
each with a length of Dyneema, I allowed
myself to have two foresails ready to go
at one time. This was accompanied by a
downhaul on each side, both running
back to the cockpit through a few rings
lashed to the stanchions. This meant that
when sailing I now only had to run up to
the bows to change over the jib halyard or
jib sheets. Also added was a second-hand
Wayfarer main in very good condition,
and which fitted perfectly after having a
bit of its belly chopped out by a sailmaker.
Med mods
When reaching the Mediterranean
I planned to make full use of the
anchorages, so I needed to ensure I had
a trusted setup with plenty of rope and
chain. I set off with a 5kg Delta as my
main anchor, with 25m of chain and a
good 30m of rope, and a hefty 7.5kg
Danforth as my kedge, with 10m of chain
and 20m of rope. In addition to this I had
about 5m of spare chain on board, which
comes in handy as a damping weight.
For the canals, my dad and I made a
funny-looking ‘spoiler’ to support the
mast. It had three U-shaped grooves in it,
the idea being that I could change which
side it was on. Supported above this was
a rotating plank of ply, which angled my
solar panel to its optimum position.
Although it’s an odd-looking structure, it
is useful: the solar panel works a treat for
keeping my phone alive between shore
power points and the frame saves space
inside, being the home of my boathook
and scrubbing brush. I even now have a
washing line running from my spoiler to
the backstay: very useful!
With another two lengths of trusty ply,
we constructed two fender boards –
crucial for going through locks in a boat
with curved sides. They would also form a
barrier between my precious fenders and
the grimy lock walls, so I was free to bump
and nudge my way into all 236 of them!
A lot of people thought I was crazy to
be crossing all of France with just a 4hp
outboard; but after a good servicing, a
slight modification and a toolbox filled
with a plentiful supply of spares and
spark plugs, it was all I needed. (Writing
this three months into my journey, I can
happily say I still haven’t had to use any
of those spares, except for one
precautionary spark plug change.)
The main task with the outboard was
more of a practicality. In the worst-case
scenario I would be motoring across the
Channel, and after that I would of course
be using a lot of fuel. Converting the
outboard to a 20lt external tank meant Icould not only hold a considerably greater
amount of fuel, it also saved me from filling
up the feeble 3lt internal tank every five
minutes. With an additional four 5lt petrol
cans (with which, on my trolley, I could
walk to the petrol station and back) I had
a total of 40lt capacity which, in theory,
would see me across the Channel if
needed and keep me going on the canals
even if the fuel stops became sparse.
In terms of servicing I simply greased
what needed greasing, checked and
changed the spark plug, learned how to
change (and then changed) the impeller
and learned how to change the gear oil.
My understanding was basic, but I knew
which parts were the likeliest to go wrong
and subsequently how to fix them. If all
else failed, I had a very long oar...
Lots of this equipment, when new, can
be very costly, so as a poor student I
found boat jumbles to be indispensable.
The Wayfarer sail was of course key, as
well as four large Hercules fenders – a
steal at £12. In addition to this was my
trusty collapsible trolley (which proved
useful for both fuelling and shopping), the
20lt fuel can, a block and tackle for my
mainsheet and a spare, two aluminium
cleats for the stern and most of the blocks
and cleats used for the modifications.
The final element was the electrics.
I already had a battery with all my
navigation and masthead lights wired in,
but in previous seasons I hadn’t really
used them since I hadn’t been sailing at
night and had only anchored a handful
of times. Since the Channel crossing
would be through the night, I changed
the masthead lights to LED so the battery
wouldn’t run out before we got there. The
solar panel had to be wired in, along withABOVE First
use of the well-
preserved genoa,
surprisingly tidy
despite its ageABOVE RIGHT
My first sail,
goosewinging
with the original
main and dirty jib▼ Twin forestay
fittings allowed
me to have two
foresails ready
to go at one time