Thursday 27th of October 2016
I realised that it might be possible to lift Blazer out this weekend even though I haven't planned to.
So this morning I set about checking if it is possible.
First - the forecast is for a dry weekend for painting.
Then I found that the local chandler can get an affordable anti fouling paint by tomorrow.
Then I asked at the office if they can lift Blazer out - no problem - 9 am Friday until 3pm Monday.
I booked the hire of the powerful pressure washer.
Then I went to Tregestel Bricolage - ( a big DIY / marine store ) and bought a roller and tray - plus - I found hinges for the gas locker door !
I have on board -
Old overalls.
Good quality masking tape.
Paint brushes.
New anodes.
A small tin of red anti fouling paint for the waterline strip - (boot top ).
All sorted !!
I spent the afternoon preparing Blazer - the lifting rig here is unusual - I will have to remove the back stay!!
It holds the mast up but with swept back spreaders the we will be OK without it for the lifting.
I lowered the boom and settled it on the guard wires cushioned.
I cleared the jack stays and halyards.
I measured the tensioners on the back stay so that I can tighten them back up to the same tension afterwards.
I will go around to the lifting spot early to get ready.
I went to see the crane driver and asked if it mattered which way they want me to moor up - NO - any way is good.
So- I'm all set - 4 days on the hard standing for the price of 2 because its the weekend - great.
I have never left it so long between lifting out - it must be 3 years at least - I can see a lot of growth on the keels that just has to come off.
Mike.
Thursday 27 October 2016
Wednesday 26 October 2016
More Maintenance
Wednesday 26th of October 2016
A damp and misty start today so I decided to work inside.
I dismantled the engine cover and took off the pipe that lets cooling water into the cylinder block.
The last time I took it off was a couple of months ago and it was blocked then with salt deposits - it's not easy to take off because one of the two Allen bolts is in an awkward spot but after 20 minutes - I got it off !
It was blocked solid again !!
I cleaned it and refitted it - I must devise a way to flush out the sea water when I'm leaving Blazer for long periods.
Blazer desperately needs to be lifted out for hull cleaning and anti fouling - it is long overdue - the weed growth blocks the cooling water inlet and yes - it was blocked today !
I tried to clear it from inside but a lump of weed was acting like a flap valve and I could not shift it.
I tried to reach under the hull with the mop - no good - I tried a long cane - no good - the curve of the hull was stopping the cane reaching the spot.
So I took measurements of where the inlet is inside and marked up the hull outside and noted that it was 40 inches under the hull. - I taped an empty pop bottle to the mop and marked the handle at 40 inches.
I was able to reach under - in the right spot - and the bottle held the mop tight to the hull - Got it !!!
It only took an hour !!
I must book a lift out - SOON.
The engine ran well and temperature was good - sorted for now.
I swapped the oil pressure switch for a new one - I noticed that the original had a loose spade terminal and although it worked OK - I wanted to swap it - DONE.
Next job - varnishing.
As part of the clean up prior to leaving Blazer to go home last time I cleaned the galley cupboard doors to remove some grease spots - I used neat bleach and it removed the grease and some of the varnish as well !!
So I might as well re-varnish all the galley and engine cover woodwork !
I used my orbital sander to prepare the big areas and the triangle detail sander for the corners and awkward bits - then hoovered up all round.
I use an oil that I have tested and its great for inside woodwork but outside it looses the colour with sunlight and goes transparent within 12 months.
I quickly applied one coat and what a difference - lovely - but it will want another two coats at least.
Not a bad result for the day - I'm pleased that I'm getting the bigger messy jobs done when I'm here on my own.
Mike
A damp and misty start today so I decided to work inside.
I dismantled the engine cover and took off the pipe that lets cooling water into the cylinder block.
The last time I took it off was a couple of months ago and it was blocked then with salt deposits - it's not easy to take off because one of the two Allen bolts is in an awkward spot but after 20 minutes - I got it off !
It was blocked solid again !!
I cleaned it and refitted it - I must devise a way to flush out the sea water when I'm leaving Blazer for long periods.
Blazer desperately needs to be lifted out for hull cleaning and anti fouling - it is long overdue - the weed growth blocks the cooling water inlet and yes - it was blocked today !
I tried to clear it from inside but a lump of weed was acting like a flap valve and I could not shift it.
I tried to reach under the hull with the mop - no good - I tried a long cane - no good - the curve of the hull was stopping the cane reaching the spot.
So I took measurements of where the inlet is inside and marked up the hull outside and noted that it was 40 inches under the hull. - I taped an empty pop bottle to the mop and marked the handle at 40 inches.
I was able to reach under - in the right spot - and the bottle held the mop tight to the hull - Got it !!!
It only took an hour !!
I must book a lift out - SOON.
The engine ran well and temperature was good - sorted for now.
I swapped the oil pressure switch for a new one - I noticed that the original had a loose spade terminal and although it worked OK - I wanted to swap it - DONE.
Next job - varnishing.
As part of the clean up prior to leaving Blazer to go home last time I cleaned the galley cupboard doors to remove some grease spots - I used neat bleach and it removed the grease and some of the varnish as well !!
So I might as well re-varnish all the galley and engine cover woodwork !
I used my orbital sander to prepare the big areas and the triangle detail sander for the corners and awkward bits - then hoovered up all round.
I use an oil that I have tested and its great for inside woodwork but outside it looses the colour with sunlight and goes transparent within 12 months.
I quickly applied one coat and what a difference - lovely - but it will want another two coats at least.
Not a bad result for the day - I'm pleased that I'm getting the bigger messy jobs done when I'm here on my own.
Mike
Hot Sunny Day
Tuesday 25th of October 2016
A bit foggy at first then hot sunshine all day - great !
I continued with the fuel - this time I filtered two 5 gallon drums of red diesel that I brought from home this trip.
They were the result of a major fuel spill (a few years ago) from a shattered glass filter bowl which emptied the fuel tank into the bilge. - I pumped it into the drums and cleaned up - got rid of the glass bowls - now aluminium.
I have searched for a contractor to filter the fuel without success - but now I can do it myself !
Red diesel is legal in boats in the UK but not over here - reading up about it - it is better if you are caught with it in the fuel tank than if it is in the reserve drums - so yesterday I transferred the white diesel into the reserve drums to make space for the red diesel in the fuel tank.
I now need to find the UK receipt for the red diesel to prove that I have paid some duty on it.
So - all finished with the fuel - all washed in hot soapy water - and I found a great place to store the filter system in the cockpit locker ready for next season tank check.
Next job was to tidy up some plumbing to the cockpit shower - done.
Next job was to remove the broken hinge from the gas bottle locker door - the local chandler has no replacements so I will find them on line or repair the originals at home.
I then got cracking in the galley and cooked a Chilli Con Carne - tasty.
I finished the day with a drop of red wine watching the sunset - great !!
A bit foggy at first then hot sunshine all day - great !
I continued with the fuel - this time I filtered two 5 gallon drums of red diesel that I brought from home this trip.
They were the result of a major fuel spill (a few years ago) from a shattered glass filter bowl which emptied the fuel tank into the bilge. - I pumped it into the drums and cleaned up - got rid of the glass bowls - now aluminium.
I have searched for a contractor to filter the fuel without success - but now I can do it myself !
Red diesel is legal in boats in the UK but not over here - reading up about it - it is better if you are caught with it in the fuel tank than if it is in the reserve drums - so yesterday I transferred the white diesel into the reserve drums to make space for the red diesel in the fuel tank.
I now need to find the UK receipt for the red diesel to prove that I have paid some duty on it.
So - all finished with the fuel - all washed in hot soapy water - and I found a great place to store the filter system in the cockpit locker ready for next season tank check.
Next job was to tidy up some plumbing to the cockpit shower - done.
Next job was to remove the broken hinge from the gas bottle locker door - the local chandler has no replacements so I will find them on line or repair the originals at home.
I then got cracking in the galley and cooked a Chilli Con Carne - tasty.
I finished the day with a drop of red wine watching the sunset - great !!
Tuesday 25 October 2016
Fuel Problem !!
Monday 24th of October 2016
On the last trip I changed the fuel filters and was alarmed at the amount of sludge in the primary filter - it was pretty certain that the fuel tank is contaminated with DIESEL BUG !!!
Back in derby I bought the components to make a fuel cleaning system - a 12 volt dc fuel pump - a big filter and spare filter elements - along with all the bits to pipe it up.
Today I assembled it and put it to work - sucking dirty fuel from the tank through the filler cap - filtering it and returning it to the tank.
I used a stiff plastic tube to probe around all the bottom of the tank - it worked really well.
I laid out an absorbent mat in the cockpit to mop up any drips and it did a good job - no fuel leaked into the marina.
The amount of sludge that I filtered out was amazing !! - the filter was a water filter at 5 microns and gradually over 3 or 4 hours the flow slowed to a trickle - I changed the filter element and found the first one covered in slimy black sludge !!
Gradually the black bits flowing down the clear tube to the filter became less and less and I struggled to find any by moving the probe tube around.
I then pumped fuel into two clean five gallon drums with a fresh filter element and caught some fine bits of black stuff that were floating around.
I would like to empty the remaining five gallons but I will have to buy a can for that tomorrow.
All in all - I am pleased to have cleaned a lot of the BUG from the tank without paying an outside contractor to do it and with my filter system costing around fifty pounds - not bad !
I will treat the tank with an additive that eats the BUG to get rid of any that might be stuck to the tank walls.
The problem of diesel bug is here to stay now that bio diesel is added to road fuel and with Blazer not moving far these days the fuel is now a few years old.
Now that I have my filter system I can easily clean the fuel at the start of each season if I want.
Mike.
On the last trip I changed the fuel filters and was alarmed at the amount of sludge in the primary filter - it was pretty certain that the fuel tank is contaminated with DIESEL BUG !!!
Back in derby I bought the components to make a fuel cleaning system - a 12 volt dc fuel pump - a big filter and spare filter elements - along with all the bits to pipe it up.
Today I assembled it and put it to work - sucking dirty fuel from the tank through the filler cap - filtering it and returning it to the tank.
I used a stiff plastic tube to probe around all the bottom of the tank - it worked really well.
I laid out an absorbent mat in the cockpit to mop up any drips and it did a good job - no fuel leaked into the marina.
The amount of sludge that I filtered out was amazing !! - the filter was a water filter at 5 microns and gradually over 3 or 4 hours the flow slowed to a trickle - I changed the filter element and found the first one covered in slimy black sludge !!
Gradually the black bits flowing down the clear tube to the filter became less and less and I struggled to find any by moving the probe tube around.
I then pumped fuel into two clean five gallon drums with a fresh filter element and caught some fine bits of black stuff that were floating around.
I would like to empty the remaining five gallons but I will have to buy a can for that tomorrow.
All in all - I am pleased to have cleaned a lot of the BUG from the tank without paying an outside contractor to do it and with my filter system costing around fifty pounds - not bad !
I will treat the tank with an additive that eats the BUG to get rid of any that might be stuck to the tank walls.
The problem of diesel bug is here to stay now that bio diesel is added to road fuel and with Blazer not moving far these days the fuel is now a few years old.
Now that I have my filter system I can easily clean the fuel at the start of each season if I want.
Mike.
Sunday 23 October 2016
Back in Trebeurden again !
Thursday 20th to Sunday 23rd of October 2016
Having finished work on our summer house major rebuild, I thought a break on Blazer was in order before starting the construction of my big workshop in our garden.
I am on my own so far this trip - Jackie isn't keen on the out of season Trebeurden, plus her daughter - Fiona and family were visiting this weekend.
Thursday I travelled via Portsmouth / Cean and drove to Trebeurden arriving about 1.30 am !! - a long day.
Friday was unpacking the car and sorting stuff aboard Blazer - a big surprise - Jean-Francois next door was here until Sunday !!
We had dinner on Blazer Friday night along with another boat owner - Yves.
It was a great night - 3 courses and nice wine - plus three oil lamps on - the full works - lovely.
I asked the guys if dinner on other boats was a common thing - no - this is a first !!
I asked the guys if dinner on other boats was a common thing - no - this is a first !!
Saturday - I was invited to go sailing with Jean-Francois on his boat and the weather was great - sunny but cool and fair winds !!
We sailed 31 miles to the Sept Iles - a great trip.
Sunday ( today ) - a heavy rain / dull day - I chilled out on board and pottered in the cabin - making a big beef stew - Great.
No photos yet this trip - I will pick up some Duracell batteries tomorrow for the camera.
It's great to be back again - Blazer is in good shape - I might even manage a day sailing - you never know !
Mike.
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