Failure is allowed

 We left Shotley in perfect time to take the first of the ebb up the coast towards Lowestoft. The track out of Harwich past the Felixstowe container port heads due south and we were running - this didn't bode well for trying to get north.

Nevertheless we made good time beating between the Felixstowe shore and the shipping channel and by about 10:30 we were north of Bawdsey and well out to the east.

But the sea-state was pretty nasty and Robinetta was starting to pump every 5-10 minutes. We didn't feel like we were in any danger but neither did we feel we had any safety margin.

Progress was going to be almost non-existent with the waves knocking us back and the wind on the nose.

We decided that carrying on was not the prudent decision.

Alison had noticed that the main-sheet was very worn in places. We didn't want another rope parting in-use so we decided to go to Suffolk Yacht Harbour and visit the Classic Marine chandlery there and buy some of their buff polyester braid - a significant upgrade on the three-strand polypropylene synthetic hemp we had.

FInally heading north

We have been planing to take Robinetta to Scotland since the spring of 2020, and now, at 6pm on the last day of August 2021 we were actually able to leave Tollesbury and head north. We motored down Woodrolfe Creek, keeping a careful eye on the depth gauge. We were within an hour of high water, but it was neaps, and there was very little water at the head of the creek. We raised the staysail as soon as we could, but waited until we were in Mersea Quarters before raising the main and setting the jib. It was 2 years since we last did this, and I wanted plenty of water around. The engine faltered for a moment as we reduced speed, and I wondered if the old fuel in the tank had got contaminated, but it picked up immediately so I relaxed.

It was late in the day to start a voyage north, and there were only Northerlies or North Easterlies in the forecast, but as we sailed out of the Blackwater Julian put in a chart plotter course to take us towards Lowestoft. I already felt tired, and Julian has been having trouble with back pain, but we could hope!

The sailing was lovely. The forecast was for force 4-5, so we had the no 2 jib and a small reef in the main, and Robinetta romped along at over 4 knots. The tide wash helped us through the Wallet, and we only had to put in 2 tacks to avoid the sands. Because we were heading for Lowestoft Julian had taken us out from the coast rather than hugging it, and by midnight we were 6 miles off Walton pier. The wind had got up, the seas were uncomfortable, and we had lost the helpful tide. It was time to change plans and go into Harwich.

I put in the new course and went down to put the kettle on for a cup of tea, when Julian suddenly called me back on deck. I heard him say the gaff had broken, but it was actually "just" hanging down the mast. We furled the jib and Julian got the engine on and held Robinetta head to wind while I lowered the gaff and stowed it along the mast. Then it was a slow slog into Harwich, with Robinetta rolling all over the place with only the staysail to steady her, and a new engine we had been told not to over rev until it had bedded in.

We were safely berthed in Shotley Marina by 04:30, and went straight to bed.

In the morning we could actually see what had happened. The throat halyard had parted about a meter above the deck and needed replacing. That meant my first trip up the mast in a while. The only 3 strand available in the Shotley chandlers was white, so now we have mismatched ropes for the first time, and the lingering fear that we should have replaced other ropes too. At least we already had a new peak halyard...

The engine performed well, and my fears about our 2 year old diesel having been contaminated proved unfounded. If the seas in the Wallet could not stir up sediment or diesel bug in the fuel tanks I doubt anything will.

We will set off north again with the tide on Thursday, having taken a much needed break at Shotley  doing repairs after our shakedown voyage.

Getting the rigging wrong again

Monday, being a bank holiday, did not see any work from the yard, so after checking the navigation instruments Julian took the car to Bishop's Stortford, where a work colleague had offered us a temporary parking space. It is not easy to get to Tollesbury by public transport, so this will make it easier when we pick it up after our sailing. I moped out the bilges, making sure all the limber holes were clear, and did some tying up ready for the mast to go in then had a relaxing day waiting for Julian to get back.

We had hoped to eat out, but Tollesbury does not have a huge range of dining choices, and it was shut....

Tuesday was an insanely busy day. We were up at 06:30 to move Robinetta over to the fuel dock while there was water. The Marina has a sill, so does not dry, but the water level drops enough that moving around is only reliably possible an hour either side of high water at neaps. We then went back to bed for a bit, but as soon as the yard workers arrived they told us we were the wrong way round in the berth for their crane to reach so we had to turn her in a hurry while there was water. Then we had to get the bowsprit out and rigged so there was room on the foredeck for the riggers.

As soon as the water had dropped the riggers were there to fit Robinetta's mast. This went as smoothly as it always does (i.e. not very!). Somehow while we were dressing the mast the directions had got turned around, and we put the mast head antenna and light cables down the opposite side of the mast to normal. Changing that would have taken too long, so Julian had to rerun the electrics for the antenna so we could use the radio.

Also while dressing the mast we had got the jib and staysail halyards mixed up. They are different lengths with different fittings, so how we made that mistake is as mysterious as the running the electrics on the wrong side of the mast. Luckily that is an easy fix as the yard could swing one of their workers out on a bosuns chair on the crane and he switched the rope around straight after lunch.

Then it was all down to us to get the mast chocked and stayed, the boom refitted, the sails bent on... We were also expecting a visit from Mike French, who had fitted the new engine, to do some final running up tests. Once he had adjusted the idle he told us we were good to go.

Finally, at 18:00 there was enough water over the sill for Robinetta to leave the marina, and start her journey north.

Cleaning out the water tanks and painting

First thing this morning I turned the engine on, so I could use the electric water pump to empty out the water tanks. As the water came through all frothy with bleach I realised that was the perfect time to wash down the rest of the cabin. By 9am I had a clean cabin, and had emptied, refilled, emptied and refilled the tanks. The engine had also had an hour of gentle use under load as a generator, so I felt happy about that.

 

A walk up to the local shop for milk for breakfast, then a drive to Maldon to buy provisions for the week took up the rest of the morning.

 

The only obvious change to Robinetta today is the paint work. Julian tidied up the stenciled name which had got over painted slightly last summer, and I got in Worm, and painted over the linseed putty mix that had been put in just before she went in the water last summer. She now looks smarter, but the assistant harbour master has confirmed that the mast can not go in until Tuesday, which leaves us only 4 days to head north before Julian has to be back at work...

 

 

 

Putting her back together

Julian spent most of the day getting the electrics sorted out, (he might post details himself?) which included getting the new running lights to work. Meanwhile I washed down the insides, reinstalled various bits and pieces, and re-caulked the bits, which had been leaking for a while.

The water tanks have been empty ever since the winter of 2019, so I began the process of getting them back in commission by filling them with a solution of Puriclean. Tomorrow I will pump that out, refill the tanks, and pump them out again. The it is time to replace the charcoal filter, and finally fill with drinking water. All that pumping out will drain the batteries if I don't have the engine on to power the pump, so the new engine's first use will not be for propulsion but electricity generation... This will at least help with the running in of the engine "Five hours of gentle use before you start to push it," went the instructions from Mike French!

Back afloat

At long last Robinetta is back in the water! We heard that French Marine would finish installing the new engine on Friday morning, so I phoned Tollesbury Marina with my fingers crossed, and asked if they could launch her on the Friday afternoon high tide. Miracle of miracles they could. They would even be able to put the mast in her on Monday morning. Julian and I drove down from our new home in Scotland with Worm on the car roof on Thursday, and spent Friday morning washing off mud residues then painting on anti foul. I had not expected so much mud to be left on Robinetta since she was power washed when she was lifted out, so I expect they were careful not to use too powerful a jet, which has been known to wash out stopping and caulking from between the planks

Having to wash her did slow the painting down. There was no time to touch up the topsides that still sported their crack filling layers from last summer’s extended drying out on land, and I was doing the final touches below the water line when the tractor arrived, launch trailer in tow, to take Robinetta off the cradle. That did mean that I had a brush all ready when the pads of the cradle were removed, but there was not a lot of time for the anti foul to harden before she was launched. The other unfortunate news was that when the harbour master told us they could get the mast in on Monday he had forgotten that it was a Bank Holiday, and they would probably not do it until Tuesday.

 Rather than trying out the new engine the yard used their work boat to move Robinetta to her new temporary berth. Once she was tied up Julian and I jumped on board. She had only been out of the water for a month, but five weeks of July and August sun had not been kind to her, and quite a few seams were seeping. For the first couple of hours I was pumping her out 24 strokes of the pump every ten minutes. Normally the float switch and electric pump would have taken care of this, but all the old electric system had been disconnected when the new engine went in. 

French Marine had installed new wiring from the batteries, heavier gauge that the old, and it took Julian nearly four hours to get the electric pump hooked up to the power and working. At one point he was sure the pump was broken, and took it out of its housing. He discovered it was totally blocked by wire wool, and after he cleaned it he hooked it up directly to the batteries. This proved it still worked, which was a huge relief. I had not been looking forward to waking up every hour to pump!

Once the pump and float switch were working (but not the rest of the electrics) we went out for dinner, before heading back to Robinetta for our first night afloat since May.

engine compartment cleaned

 

The engine compartment has been painted ready for the new engine. The freshly varnished mast has been dressed ready to be put back once Robinetta is floating again. Now we just need to wait for the engineer to get back from holiday....