a hole in the ocean

Some one once said that a boat is like a hole in the ocean; into it you throw all your spare cash. I am trying to keep track of all the new stuff I buy for this old boat. The cost of all new items added to an old boat is not recoverable when you sell the boat later.

Magnum 21

1. Jockey wheel

The original jockey wheel that came with the boat was old but still working well. I decided to change it because I parked my boat on the front lawn which slopes the wrong way. When it rains the cockpit fills with rain water. The new jockey wheel has a longer reach, tilting the front of the boat higher and so drains the water to the back and out through the drain holes.

maiden voyage

Today (25th November 2016) is the day. I am going to launch the boat at Lake Ngaroto for the first time to find out whether everything is working: centerboard, rudder, sails, all running rigs and to check the integrity of the hull (leaks if any).

After the welder and electrician have finished with the boat trailer I went for the WOF the second time and passed!

I put back the mast and outboard engine. The sails and rudder are stored inside the cabin. For towing long distances, I strongly recommend the use of a heavy duty tie down as shown here.

failed WOF

My first submission for Warrant of Fitness failed for 2 reasons:
1. rust corrosion on the trailer.
2. the light board was too narrow.

For welding the trailer, I need to remove the boat somehow and then send the empty trailer to the workshop.

I removed the mast, rudder and outboard engine, storing them temporarily behind the house.

test rig up

Before I launched the boat on water, I did a test rig-up, on my front lawn, of the mast, sails and rudder just to make sure that everything is there.

I stepped the rudder and checked all the control lines on it.

Next I raised the jib.

mast

I spent a whole day working on the mast, re-installing all the standing and running rigging lines. It was like a big jigsaw puzzle.

The trailer painting was completed yesterday, with undercoat and top coat bought from Bunnings.

The painting job took me a week because I have to lay down on my back, under the trailer to do the under side. I suspect that I may have missed painting a few awkward spots inaccessible to the brush.