Arwen's meanderings

Hi everyone and welcome to my dinghy cruising blog about my John Welsford designed 'navigator' named Arwen. Built over three years, Arwen was launched in August 2007. She is a standing lug yawl 14' 6" in length. This blog records our dinghy cruising voyages together around the coastal waters of SW England.
Arwen has an associated YouTube channel so visit www.YouTube.com/c/plymouthwelshboy to find our most recent cruises and click subscribe.
On this blog you will find posts about dinghy cruising locations, accounts of our voyages, maintenance tips and 'How to's' ranging from rigging standing lug sails and building galley boxes to using 'anchor buddies' and creating 'pilotage notes'. I hope you find something that inspires you to get out on the water in your boat. Drop us a comment and happy sailing.
Steve and Arwen

Saturday 21 March 2015

Arwen finally slid off the drive this morning for a wash and scrub out in the lovely spring sunshine.


 Everything was emptied out and her decks, floors and thwarts washed down to remove the black spore mould that seems to proliferate on her during the winter months.

The grating broke so that needs repairing
So much comes out of the lockers!
 
 
The oars need sorting as well. they were borrowed and are only 7' long so are way to short for Arwen. I need to get some 9' 6" ones
 
Arwen needs a refit. There are one or two areas where delamination is happening. Some of the fibreglass has delaminated on the stringers on the floor as well.

This is where water collects when Arwen is on the sloping drive. Just below the blue bungies on the left hand side is where there is some serious delamination

Dents, dings, down to the aluminium undercoat...lots to do. The question is of course whether to do it over Easter or do some sailing and then towards the end of August repaint and repair her before putting her away for the winter.

So many dents and dings need sorting

The mast is looking somewhat forlorn and worst for wear as well. Maintenance after winter......I think sailing at Easter is likely to be delayed!

I am thinking of burgess hydro-sealing the mast - it does needs a spruce up
 
Pizza and lemonade snack - so healthy!!!!!!!
 
'Stuff' going back in slowly
 
 
 

4 comments:

Rik said...

Nice 'ores you have got there... ;)

More sunshine needed on her. and some splash! I hope to see her on the water soon.

Bursledon Blogger said...

Steve I'd seriously advise against Burgess hydroseal, I've used it a lot in the past - on the plus side it's really easy to apply, dries in mintes and looks okay when first applied.

BUT the colour darkens to a very dirty brown, looks awful and abrasion resistance is poor.

I just spent the weekend stripping off nasty dirty brown Hyrdoseal I applied to Tosh;s rubbing strips this weekend - what a mess, now scraped sanded and cleaned I used oil - easy to apply and easy to touch up, Tosh lives in the garage so no big deal touching up a few times a season as it takes minutes.

all the spars are varnished 7 coats I did them 12 years ago, kept in the garage they only need the knocks and scrapes touching up - a quick rub down and 2 top up coats 3 years ago and still looking good - Yacht varnish not the nasty Polywhatitsname.

If you're convinced of a modern sealer for spars try Cetol, I used it on Matilda Emilie's rails, looked good for two seasons out on the mooring with no cover or maintenance and very hard wearing.

Good luck

Max

steve said...

Thanks max
What oil do you use?
I want quick, easy, low maintenance

Steve

Bursledon Blogger said...

Steve, I used some leftover oil that we put on the hardwood floors . wasn't cheap even by boat standards but it seems hard wearing on the floor even where the sun shines strongly through the windows Max

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