Practical Boat Owner - June 2018

CRUISING

the stainless steel work. With my best

technical drawing skills I designed and

drew plans for the gantry, holding tank

and bathing platform. I telephoned a

number of companies found on the

internet, none of which now seemed to be

trading. Simply asking around the yard

got results with two local firms getting the

best reviews.

One was obviously very busy and our

one-off jobs did not fit their type of work,

but the boss of the other spoke my

language and although the cost was

much higher than I had budgeted for they

agreed to start work on the holding tank

and gantry, fitting it in between their

existing work. So before long I had the

completed holding tank ready to install.

Getting the fixing points for the gantry

was tricky, with each one having a

compound angle to contend with. That in

addition to not having an exact centreline

from which to take measurements meant

it was all going to be a bit trial and error. I

hadn’t yet designed how the solar panel

mount was to pivot and hadn’t even

thought about cross bracing to give rigidity.

The fabricators put their top welder on

the job and after a number of site visits

with the frame tacked together it was all

welded before offering it up to the boat. It

looked amazing. Made from oval stainless

steel tubing it mimicked the existing lines

of the boat and looked strong enough to

lift a car.

With the gantry in place I could then turn

to the bathing platform.

I owe a lot to these guys who really did

an amazing job in such a short space of

time. They also made a conversion plate

for the radar and, having finally decided

which liferaft we would buy, a deck cradle

for it to rest in as well as other brackets

and clips to put everything together.

At the same time we were busy sanding

woodwork and fitting or replacing kit, from

electronics to a new sea toilet. Our fridge

had died so I installed a new keel-cooled

compressor; I redesigned the gas locker

to take the larger foreign cylinders and

found a way of replacing the headlining in

the main cabin.

Working in a confined space, wind and

rain to contend with outside, it was a

constant battle.

No matter where you were working the

spanner or screwdriver needed was either

up in the cockpit or down on the ground

but always the opposite to where you

were. Climbing up and down the ladder

100 times a day not only kept me fit, but

helped me sleep despite the howling

winds we suffered in Portland.

We held on to my car for as long as

possible so we had transport to fetch

whatever we needed on our frequent visits

to chandleries or DIY stores. But eventually

the car went, leaving us with just two folding

mountain bikes that live in a side locker.

Just a few last-minute jobs once back in

the water and we would be ready to go.

Testing the engine, everything seemed

fine until I felt a fine spray of water on my

arm as I checked the oil level. The exhaust

elbow had sprung a leak. I literally got on

my bike back to the fabricators. I’d spent

LEFT Busy nav

station aboard

Twenty Twenty

means everything

is to hand

Folding bathing platform was essential for keeping cool in hot Continental weather

Everything seemed

fine until I felt a spray

of water on my arm

Clare Pengelly/World Cruising