Lively Levante's First Cruise

With more than enough work now complete for the boat to be very comfortable to live on we could look forward to having our first week on board and some good sailing should the weather be kind enough to allow it!
The first couple of days were not promising with gales all along the south coast but they were forecast to give way to a ridge of high pressure and a period of stable weather, which would be ideal - if it happened. 
Living on board with just two of us is quite a luxury now that we've got everything organised; some of the less attractive aspects such as the lack of storage and space in the heads don't matter so much . The new galley works really well, especially the fridge which swallowed up an enormous amount of food for the week. It was a shame in a way that the days are so long at this time of year as the oil lamps make the saloon so inviting when it eventually grows dark in the evening. Fortunately we've found plenty of room to keep our walking gear under the bunks in the forepeak so spent the first day walking followed by a relaxing evening enjoying a steel band that was playing at the club. 
Monday dawned and amazingly for us the wind had moderated, as forecast, to a force five so we could set off for Cowes. Even the tides cooperated with high tide at mid day so we didn't even have to get up early, and with a full spring tide we'll get away quickly. The little Yanmar engine started first time and we were soon through the lock which was in free flow and motored down past Ichenor to East head and out to sea. We'd put a reef in the mainsail to kept her stable and she slid easily through a rough patch over the bar into clear airs. With the genoa up we could see how she really performed in a 20-25kn northwesterly, this was no disappointment!  We were soon beating over to Bembridge in the company of a rather larger racing yacht and a similar size Westerly. Amazingly we held onto the racing yacht whilst the Westerly sagged down wind of us, going to windward had become enjoyable again!
After a quite exhilarating sail through the forts and past Osborn Bay we came up to Cowes just before the tide was about to turn. What had been really noticeable was how easy she was to helm, light but responsive, very different from what we'd been use too, it certainly had Lynda's approval! It's always great to spend a night in Cowes and this was no exception, just the way to spend the first night away from home.
 The following day the wind had really dropped off with only about five knots most of the time so after shopping around for the many bits of safely gear we lacked we set off for Yarmouth. We had expected to motor all the way and in bright sunshine, it was not hard to tolerate. A gentle motor across the western Solent past Newtown River was very pleasant  and a good way of building up confidence in the engine anyway. With only a bit of throttle,  she motored at a steady 5kn making little noise even though there was no sound insulation installed yet. 

Once we'd rounded the pier the harbourmaster came out and escorted us to an alongside berth; such a luxury, thanks to being out of season. With shore power connected up we were able to keep the wine and beers cold so able to enjoy a couple of sundowners  to mark the end of a wonderful sunny, summers day.
As it was all just too good to miss we decided to have a lay day and booked in for two nights enabling us to have a fine walk over Tennyson Down the following day with it's glorious views over the Needles and the Solent. We'd found an excellent delicatessen in Cowes so ate well that night on board; the cooker had proved itself too!
Time to move on and Buckers Hard the choice, without much wind it was time to relax rather than try to be too ambitious. We tried to sail but even the Contessa's hull, that was so easily driven, failed to make much progress so it had to be the iron sail again. It's not far over to the other side and into the Beaulieu river so it didn't take long and we were soon safely moored up at Bucklers Hard. It was like old times motoring up the river past our old mooring and Ginns Farm where we'd had so many enjoyable evenings. Another lay day was called for and despite a band of rain passing thorough we enjoyed a walk up to Beaulieu for lunch.

It was quite a wrench leaving such a pleasant  stopover the next day, all the more so as there was a food fair in the grounds of the Master Builders Arms which we couldn't  miss.  Although we ended up with  late start we had a brisk, favourable wind to take us home, a good15 knot southerly. With full sails set  we had a fine sail past Portsmouth in perfect conditions. Just for a change we let the autohelm take over for much of the time to get used to it and found that it also performed rather well even though it's one of the few bits of of original equipment and considered rather suspect. After several days of fiddling I'd managed to master the plotter and instruments which all worked well except that there was no way that we could display the bearing and distance to the next waypoint, it was only shown on the plotter down below, a minor incovienience.
After a fast passage we arrived just before high water, went straight though the lock and moored up in time for tea; very civilised! After a week on board it felt that all the hard work and expense of restoration just might have been worth while. What was particularly satisfying was the number of very favourable comments made by those passing by, there are clearly many closet Contessa lovers out there who envy her sailing characteristics but have chosen a more conventional, more modern, yacht with greater accommodation.  For us anyway, the ease of handling and splendid sailing more than make up for the compromise made on space in a marina.

First Sail

Nothing's easy or simple on a yacht, fitting the deck organisers so we could run all the control lines back to the cockpit and go sailing proved this immutable rule. They have to fit on the coach roof which has a gentle curve to it while the organisers are flat. This meant that we had to have some teak pads made to sit underneath them and also find a way of fitting them without having access underneath. Not too difficult to sort out but enough to

slow progress and delay the first sail.

We'd planned to take her out for a while so when the appointed day came and the conditions turned out to be perfect, bright and sunny with a north westerly force 3-4, we were really pleased .  With some help from Clive we soon got started on sorting out  the many control lines, separating the ones we'd use regularly (like the reefing lines) from those we'd only use occasionally (Spinnaker lines!). Naturally once we'd got them in place we realised that they wouldn't work very well that way round and had to re-reeve them in a different order. This was due to the winches being on the mast side of the jammers which is the opposite of the way modern yachts would have them. With no room to fit more we just had to make sure that winches would be available, at least most of the time. With the wind coming from the bow we were able to try hoisting the main sail and pulling in the reefs, which was just as well as we found that they didn't work. The folds in the sail were not long enough to enable the reefing cringle to reach the horns on the boom on the new mast; we'd have to improvise!


After a couple of hours of faffing about and with the tide rising nicely we were keen to get out of the  marina and sailing. Once clear of the lock and into Chichester Lake we hoisted the mainsail; in a light breeze disturbed by the trees we unfurled the genoa and sailed fitfully towards Ichenor.  It's always a pleasure to switch the engine off and set sail but that moment had a special significance and although it wasn't exactly fast, it was wonderful to be underway with just the sound of the wind and the waves lapping around us. 

 Once clear of Birdham we got into some clear air and she started to speed up, Soon the sails were in tight as we sailed, close hauled up the channel. The headsail looked surprisingly good and only needed some minor adjustments to the sheeting angle to make it set well. The mainsail looked rather sad at first but we soon realised that despite it's looks it needed quite a bit of tension to pull it into shape. With the knicker hard on and a bit of clew outhaul the sail set well and looked remarkably good for one that had seen many years of use, it was certainly going to be good for another year or two.

It was amazing how little effort was needed to propel the hull forward, she just slipped through the water with such ease. In 15 knots of wind we were soon doing 6 knots through the water according to the log, not that I'd want to trust that figure without calibration. Whatever the actual speed she felt fast and was responsive with just a touch of weather helm, just what was wanted. It felt like all the work over the past eight months had been worthwhile, she was going to be great fun to sail!

The recent spell of remarkably stable, sunny weather had been ideal to complete  the varnishing of the interior. There hadn't been time earlier to strip the woodwork around the companionway, the table, the heads and all too many other areas but a spell of settled weather had been ideal to get all this finished off. Naturally it's a messy, time consuming job but satisfying once done and (hopefully) the last significant job outstanding. It's meant that the heads are now finished off and looking more complete now that the sliding door has been replaced. We had hoped that the list of jobs outstanding would be much reduced after several days with James, the chippie, on board and another couple of weekends spent finishing off. Unfortunately it's as long as ever but that's probably the way it will stay for a while, but that doesn't matter now we're sailing!

Finishing off weather

With a bank holiday weekend extended to have the whole week off we'd hoped to be able to go out and have a sail to christen "Lively Levante" and get her back into commission. Nothing too ambitious, just a trip around the harbour with a few nights at Sparkes or Northney. The cat had been booked into the cattery from Tuesday onwards to allow the first few days of the week to be spent getting her seaworthy. Naturally the weather intervened to upset our plans; although initially bright and sunny soon 50 knot winds were forecast, and did set in from Thursday onwards. Turning adversity into advantage we decided to give the work outstanding a real bash and also spend a few nights on board to get organised.

The sails proved to be one of the most awkward tasks to finish off. Whilst it didn't take long to set up the headsail after being shortened, fitting the stackpack on the boom was fraught. After several attempts and conversations with the sailmakers and Z-spars we took out the feeder at the end of the boom (rather brutal!). We then had to fashion a smooth entry in the extrusion and with a little help from a former Storm competitor that we'd met, managed to fit pull the bolt rope at the foot of the sail through boom with the material of the stackpack around it. With the sails up and after a day spent compounding the deck she looked so much better.


With several wet and windy evenings in prospect we thought that we'd spend what we'd save on marina costs on the interior and get the main bulkhead between the saloon and the heads sorted out. We gave in to the temptations to buy not one but two ludicrously expensive but very attractiveDanish oil lights. Together with the downlighters that now replaced the fluorescent strip lights and some strategically placed reading lights we had all illumination options imaginable from bright working conditions to atmospheric. There's nothing nicer that being snug down below when the wind and rain are raging outside, it was just a shame we were in a boat park and not safely tied up in some more remote part of the harbour like we used to be on the Beaulieu River.

Eventually most of the jobs were completed, as always most took longer than expected. I'm really impressed with the NMEA 2000 instrumentation, it all worked straight away after being extended. Finishing off the portlights and fitting blinds was the opposite; I couldn't face replacing all the screws with ones that were the right length so just ground them off but it was a long messy job. With most of the restoration materials and tools taken off the boat it was possible to build up a stowage plan and fit in all the bits and pieces we'd grown accustomed to having on a cruising yacht. "A place for everything and everything in it's place" is the theory but putting it into practise took many trips to various shops and chandleries, yet another dent in the credit card and lots of time but we did get there and are now, at least, are reasonably organised. We've found that a boat is just like a house, you have to live in it for a while to find out what works and what doesn't. 

It felt good putting the charts and all the other navigation stuff back in the chart table, we could imagine being out to sea even if we couldn't be there yet. Now that the electrics are largely finished and from a sailing perspective it's only the deck organisers that we're waiting to fit (which we can easily improvise) we're ready to go as soon as the weather improves.We celebrated being "back in commission" and hoped for better weather sooner rather than later. There's still rather a long todo list but it's mainly things that are non critical that can be deferred; it's time to see how she sails! So frustrating not being able to take her out yet after working solidly over the past eight months; as Paul (The shipwright) said "its time for her to start paying you back".

Afloat At Last!

Looking back over the last week, I feel it's better to focus on the result rather than how we got there, it was a tad stressful and touch and go to say the least! The good news is that Lively Levante is now safely moored in Chichester marina as we had hoped and in time for a week's holiday we've planned starting from the bank holiday next weekend.
We knew it was going to be challenging as everyone in the yard has been under pressure from owners to get their boats back in commission and in the water by the weekend to catch the tide to be ready for the bank holiday weekend, just like us. Due to the bad weather during March most owners had given up trying to get the season started with an Easter cruise so the yard was jammed full. Boats had to come out in a pre-defined order and if one had problems...
The start of the week was relatively calm with the engine being craned in which happened

without too much trouble. Having been cleaned up and with new ancillaries in a refurbished engine bay it looked like it should do with everything in good shape and in sharp contrast to it's original state.  Paul managed to finish off fitting the cooker and to install the anchor winch; he also managed to fit the collar for the mast on the coachroof by Wednesday.
The difficulties then started with the mast when Barry, the rigger, identified a number of additional items that had been missed out; fortunately he had been able to get a mast coat which could have sunk our plans, without that we would have been in trouble. With all the halyards rigged and the mast dressed he was ready for the hoist which should have been at 11am on Thursday. 
Unfortunately the crane was stuck on another yacht that had problems with the fitting of a new keel that wouldnt fit. Eventually in mid afternoon the new mast was raised into

position and, just as it was about to be lowered, the crane came to a halt! Barry requested valium, other jobs were slipped and after more sitting on hands the crane eventually got re-started setting the mast in position on top of the keel. Naturally much of the work that need to be done to set the mast up had to slip to Friday, the day she was meant to be going into the water.
Although many boats were being queued up for launched our slot came up on time just after mid day and Lively Levante was gently lowered into the water with the rigging still being completed. This was just as well as there's less than a two hour window when there's enough water to take her to a berth. It was a wonderful moment to see her back in her element at last as she was towed away to her berth, looking just resplendent in the bright sunshine. Seeing her from astern her beamy hull was deep down in the water, so different from more modern yachts that seem to sit on the water rather than in it.
That afternoon the plan was for Dale to run up the engine and make sure she was ok for the trip, yet another emergency intervened and despite the best of intentions

Dale didn't arrive. Soon the water had disappeared and there was no chance of completing this task, it would have to be done just before we left on Saturday.
Barry finished off his work as far as he could without parts such as the fitting to take the strut for the boom; we'd just have to manage with an improvised kicker. It was now up to us to set the sails and flush out any issues before we were due to sail away the next day. Naturally enough there were surprises such as a lack of mast slides and a boom that would not accommodate the stack-pack; however after a quick dash to the Marine Super Store we got on top of them. The more significant problem was that the shackle on the Furlex was much higher above the deck that the old Hood furler so we couldn't tension the genoa, not much sailing tomorrow, it would be for emergencies only!
The following day Dale arrived just as the water was flooding in and soon got the engine running sweetly. Re-assuringly it started with the first flick of the switch and water was soon splashing out of the exhaust, showing all was well. After a few more improvisations and safely stowing everything on board we were ready to go the moment there was enough water to leave the berth. Impatiently, we tried an hour and a quarter before high tide but couldn't get out, 15 mins later it was a whole foot deeper and enough to clear the mud around the berth. I was pleased to have Clive on board who knew Mill Rythe well as we followed the narrow, shallow channel out to the deep water mindful of the yacht, Sparkle, that we'd watched go aground the previous day.
We were free of the Yard at last but this pleasure was tempered by the wind suddenly piping

up from 10 knots to 25, not exactly as forecast! Despite this It didn't take long to motor round to Chichester which was all we could do really and with the lock in free flow were soon in the marina. The gusty northerly winds made mooring a final challenge but we got there in the end. It had been touch and go all week but thanks to the many players who had helped us overcome a succession of problems we'd stayed on track, she was now afloat and safely in her new home at Chichester.

Racing To Catch The Tide

It's a bit muddy out at Mill Rythe where Hayling Yacht Company is so with a deep fin keel we need a spring tide to be able to get out into the main channel. The next full moon is on Thursday the 25th so the following weekend is ideal to get Lively Levante over to Chichester; the high tide is 5 metres at 1pm, perfect!
The only difficulty is that there is still rather a lot to do before we can get her into the water and seaworthy. I've managed to finish off the electrics and electronics, so we have an echo sounder now which is highly desirable. The instruments all worked immediately on switch on, the NMEA 2000 bus is fantastic compared with all the faffing about that was needed to make the earlier systems work. The yard need to finish off the installation of the cooker,

install the anchor winch and re-spray the stern; good job the weather forecast is for dry conditions so this should be complete in the next couple of days.
The main priority though is to crane the engine back in together with the mast. The engine should be straightforward as all the ancillaries are there, it's just a matter of shiming up the engine mounts to get the shaft alignment right so that the SureSeal will do it's job and keep the water out. The Mast is more problematic with several key parts we still need that could delay hoisting it. The first problem was the furlex, which was in short supply; fortunately some prompt intervention by Richard, who runs HYC, in the form a sprint over to Hamble, seems to have solved the problem. Hopefully all other bits and pieces needed, in particular  the mast coat, the kicker and the highfield lever for the inner stay will appear whilst the mast is being dressed over the net couple of days. A brief meeting with Barry the rigger and Paul the shipwright the previous week turned out to be invaluable in planning what's needed to set the mast up; it was only then that we realised how much work was needed to fit the collar to the deck that made this mast different (but much better) than the original. It's all nail biting stuff but we're optimistic that the she will be in the water by the end of the week.

The new floor and a couple of coats of varnish has transformed the interior from a building

site into something altogether more civilised.   II'm really pleased we did take the floor out and refurbish it as that was the only way it was going to become really solid again. There's no dodgy give now when you stand on it and it looks really smart and appropriate for her age, shiny but with a few imperfections to give the "patina of age". I'm equally pleased with the varnish work which has now sealed the woodwork and put an end to all that dust from the sanding. The two pot varnish has been a great success as it meant that it was possible to put four coats on over the weekend. The saloon is now starting to look warm and inviting; hopefully the surface will be really hard wearing too. The only disappointment was the main bulkhead where some marks are left from the various bits and pieces that had been tacked onto it over the years. We'd sanded it as far as we dared go but there is a limit, we didn't want to go through the veneer, so we'll just have to find something to fit on it and cover it up!

There's Change In The Air

There's change in the air, thank goodness the cold spell has been broken and we've had a bit of sunshine for a change. The boatyard has become much busier as everyone who didn't get their boat in the water for Easter scrabbles around to finish off the antifouling whilst they can. Last Saturday the riddle of the mooring at Langston was solved; in the autumn all the boats suddenly disappeared, why? Driving past it all became clear, the owners club together to get a crane for a day and have a hauling fest; suddenly it's a hive of activity and they're all back in the water.

On Lively Lady it's been a bit of a slog to get all the systems installed but now there are real signs of progress which is just as well as time is slipping away so quickly. The Hydronic heater is now installed neatly in the engine bay and just about up and running apart from a few problems with air in the pipework. It's just like a home central heating system really with two fan assisted radiators (like car heaters) from Kurunda installed, one in the saloon and one in the forepeak. They're both connected to the tiny eberspacher heater unit using car heater hose and a gazzilion jubilee clips. You can just see one of the blowers on the right under the port bunk all boxed in so that the air gets sucked in from the saloon ducted to the blower, nicely warmed up and out again. Can't wait for a chilly evening out on an anchorage to try it out for real!

This is also where the domestic pressurised water pump, the accumulator to smooth out the flow and the piping for the tank has now been re-instated. It's been a bit of a faf to find sensible places to locate and fit everything in but this arrangement seems to work alright. As the water tank has osmosis which will taint the water we've installed two filters under the galley, one standard one and a ridiculously expensive one that's apparently guaranteed to take the taint out of the water. The remainder of the installation is in the forward end of the sail locker where the little calorifier (the blue hot water tank in the photo on the right) sits at the bottom surrounded by pipework and ancillaries. I can't get over how many jubilee clips were needed, we're now over 100, I always seemed to be at the ABC chandlery next door to get more. At least there are plenty of drain and  venting points which should help long term, hope they don't leak!

The other systems that have taken an age to install are the electrics. All the heavy current and charging equipment is now installed so the switch panel is live which was cause for celebration. On the left you can see the new battery boxes for the starting and domestic batteries, the 110 amp/hr battery here is paralleled up with another in the forepeak which should give us plenty of capacity. It's all industrial strength, fused and switchable to avoid any problems later on; hopefully this will all just stay under the covers and never need to see the light of day. Next it's finishing off the low current wiring from the panel and the NMEA network; the end is in sight!

The change of the seasons has been really noticeable, especially as the evenings are now so much longer. The geese seem to have noticed too, they were around in huge numbers a little while ago but have now left for the summer. It was quite difficult to concentrate on one day when there must have been a thousand or more geese feeding on some unfortunate farmers land adjacent to the yard. In desperation he set off a maroon to scare them away; it made a mighty crack and sent them all up in the air, at least for a while, an amazing sight!

Lively Levante

It's just great to be back outside away from all the dust of the osmosis shed. It has been convenient to be under cover but now the hull is finished and watertight it's so much better to be outside. Even though the weather is rather cold and wet, at least most of the work to be done is down below. We're now on the far side of the other workshop in a sheltered position, and most important of all, adjacent to a power distribution panel to gain advantage from the work over Christmas installing the shore power system! The rain has washed away most of the dust leaving the hull sparkling after Bassie had done such a great job of polishing it a few days ago. At long last it's starting to feel like a yacht again now that it's more complete and after the removal of many of the boxes inside. The new instruments and compasses give her a very different feel outside, still traditional Contessa but updated.

The last big job got started this week, the removal of the floor which we'd left to the last. Naturally there was  a bit of a horror story underneath but nothing that's been too difficult to remedy. The floor bearers have delaminated and are caked in baked on engine oil and dirt. It's now cleaned up, repaired, and with a new hatch making the area look like new; hopefully James will be able to give the floor itself the same treatment as well as strengthening it and tidying up the access panel surrounds. The countdown to re-launching in mid April is generating a sense of urgency now! there's too much to do and only a few days left so it's time to have a hard look at priorities and defer all the other things that can be done later when she's in Chichester.


On the positive side the galley really has started to come together. The corian top that's now in place complete with new fiddles all round looks both smart and practical. It may not be the cheapest way to go but we really wanted a change from tiles.  Eggo has made a particularly neat job of the cold-box lid which fits snugly and the infill for the sink has a chopping board in the reverse side; a nice touch of luxury! The job now is to put in all the plumbing, connect those taps up and get the water system working.

After much too-ing and fro-ing with the Registry of Shipping and Seamen we've finally got the name sorted out. As it's fully registered, not just on the small ships register, we've had to choose a unique name and most of the obvious ones have already been taken. After Shamal, Meltem, Lebeccio and Alize we just had to name her after a wind and Levante, a breeze that blows around Gibraltar sounded right. FIrst we tried four different spellings but they were all taken, then a few other more obscure winds, we were trying to resist the suggestion from the Registry folk that we add "of Chichester" to the name. None of this worked but we finally thought of "Lively Levante" which, we think, is particularly fitting for a Contessa and that proved to be unique and is now her name. With this critical decision behind us it's now possible to get on with all the other bureaucratic stuff like radio licences and the more interesting choice of the sign writing on the stern.

It's Starting To Come Together Again

It's difficult to be immune from feeling the ups and downs that are inevitable with a restoration project like this, especially as this is now month 6 of what was intended to be a six month project. Fortunately there's no desperate need to get her into commission on a set date and things are steadily coming together. It's just that that phrase "everything takes four times longer than you think" keeps echoing in my head. 

Progress on the electrics, which is the more interesting part of the project, has had to be put on the back burner while other things like making her watertight take priority. With the work on the bottom largely complete we've got to be ready for a move outside which would be less than ideal without any windows in place. We've been screwed up by screw sizes; the windows were shipped with ones that were never going to fit, much too short. The problem is that the inner fibreglass liner has sprung away from the deck moulding in places so some quite long screws are needed to pull them together, at least on a temporary basis. I ordered some A4 quality screws on the internet that were great price wise, arrived promptly but were the wrong length; fortunately ABC Marine next door had plenty in stock, I should have tried them earlier. Naturally, putting in windows is a two handed job, and my first offer of help had to be cut short due to the screw problems. Fortunately a good friend, Clive, jumped in at short notice and together we were able to make a really good job of installing them. I'll be very surprised if any water gets in after the care we took to get a really good layer of sealant in place all round all eight windows.

The next priority has to be finishing off the engine compartment which also means fitting and commissioning the heating system. Once all this is done we can get the engine back in and put her back in the water. With time running out I left the engine clean up to Dale, the resident engineer who's been particularly helpful. Now that it's all cleaned up, repainted, serviced, and fitted out with new piping, it looks very different and ready to be the centre piece of the rebuilt engine bay.
Even though we only let Z-Spars know some of the final specifications a week or two ago the mast has now arrived all neatly wrapped in polythene and looks very good too. With new rigging and halyards it's going to make the Contessa look much smarter and, hopefully, will mean that we don't have any maintenance problems. Even better Richard has found a buyer for the old mast, it may not be much but saves the effort of chopping it up with an angle grinder and putting it in as skip! It does set another priority though, stripping off the winch and furling gear that we plan to re-use.

The one thing that we're totally dependent upon for the success of the project is the efficient operation of the burger van which provides delicious bacon baps at lunchtime that are indispensable to us all. Can you imagine the consternation when, just at the busy time, 1pm, the power failed and the hotplate went cold?  We stared disaster right in the face. The burger lady was despondent as it was after 12 and she assumed that the workshop where the power was controlled would be locked up. Fortunately we're working in the workshop and even have some spare fuses; everyone has a moment of fame and that was mine, the day was saved and a smile came back on the burger lady's face!

A New Bottom

Now that the last few areas of the hull are dried out it's time for the completion of the osmosis treatment which has resulted in the hull looking like it was when it was first built. The first step was to grind off the last of the last of the old gel coat around the skin fittings and edges of the skeg, the hull was then steam cleaned to drive out the contaminants that had accumulated with the moisture. Not surprisingly this highlighted a number of areas that had delaminated and needed to be rebuilt, apparently not many, but one did rather deep, almost to the bulkhead inside.

The top layer of fibreglass that had been peeled off earlier was then replaced by sheathing the hull with a layer of 400 gram biaxial cloth. A bit like wallpapering but needing great care and plenty of help as timing is critical, not for for the faint hearted! The epoxy resin has to be mixed up and applied quickly before it starts to set, the pre-cut sections of cloth are then laid over it and another thick coat rolled on. This is when Jim & Steve's years of experience pays off, it all went on first time without a hitch.

The following coatings have to be applied after the resin has gone off but not cured so that a chemical bond develops between the coats. First there's a layer of gel shield then the filler followed by more gel shield. Putting the filler on is like plastering, it's spread thinly over the cloth filling up all the indentations; several layers are needed in some places to achieve a consistent smooth surface, all done by eye. It will take several days to cure and as there are no supports it's not possible to work on the interior, result: a weekend off!

With little to do I've been casting around on the net to see what other people are doing and came across a really interesting note "Fundamentals of Restoration Projects" by David Pascoe (http://www.docksidereports.com/fundamentals_of_restoration_proj.htm). He's a surveyor that has clearly seen more than a few yachts being restored; some successfully and some less so. His insight is amazingly accurate, wish I'd read this before starting the Tipsea2Levante project. "Automatically understand that every job takes 4 times longer than you thought it would" is typical of his views, it's jam packed with insights that I've had to learn the hard way and thoroughly endorse. Strangely it's comforting as I've ended up doing most of the key things he considers important such as making the engine compartment a central feature of the restoration despite the effort involved. He suggests that "highly desirable" yachts with that "something boaters love" are the only ones worth this level of attention; I think that the Contessa falls into this category, or certainly hope so...

Spar Wars

Having to finalise the specification for the new mast prompted a reflection on how we came to make our choice which is certainly a topic of conversation on forums. Initially we'd hoped to be able to use the original mast with a bit of patching to cover the wear at the partners but corrosion underneath the fittings condemned it to scrap. We feel more than a bit peeved that the surveyor didn't report it as this is quite obvious now and we should have been able to negotiate a price reduction.

Nevertheless there are advantages in a new mast, it should be trouble free for our ownership, look better and keep the water that was cascading in, out. The obvious choice for a Contessa is a Selden mast, the company who bought out Kemp, the original supplier. They're big, with a lot going for them, but not inexpensive. The main alternative turned out to be Z Spars who seem to offer all that's needed for a predominantly cruising yacht and were prompt and efficient. I seems just like buying a car, the initial base price is not too painful but the extras mount up ever so quickly not to mention delivery and fitting. We don't want to have to get up the mast to fix things so a new VHF aerial and lights aren't optional. We've also chosen to have an inner stay and lazy jacks so care had to be taken to make sure the halyards and cleats would be adequate. The prices for the Z Spar we specified turned out to be significantly lower than Selden which makes quite a difference although we spent some of this on a new spinnaker pole! We've now carefully checked all the dimensions and specifications (all very fiddly & time consuming!) by comparison with the old mast, confirmed the order and are awaiting delivery. It will be interesting to see how the installation goes and see if there are any issues arising from the re-use of the original Hood furling mechanism. Everyone seems to be rather keen on selling masts so there must be quite a bit of margin in it for them; shame they don't all separate their services from mast sales. It seems a bit anti-competitive that some riggers are only prepared to fit masts they've supplied or maybe they just have lots of business on the go and can pick and choose.

The final dimensions of the blade to go on the inner stay have now been agreed with Ivan of Arun sails after numerous phone calls to get them right. A custom fitting to support the stay which will pass through the deck and onto the forward bulkhead (forming part of the anchor locker) is being made up. We're also having some fittings made up that will attach to the main bulkhead between the heads and the forepeak to allow some dedicated blocks to be fitted enabling the sail to be set up without taking the headsail down. The foot will be 1.9m long so the sail will be somewhere between a No3 Jib and a storm sail which, conveniently, is just about what we wanted. When the wind pipes up in future we'll be ready for it!

Work on the interior is progressing well too, the galley is nearly finished and much of the electrical equipment is now in place. It all fitted in rather well and should be quite accessible either behind the instrument panel or under the pilot berth by the batteries. What has been quite amazing is the amount of wire that's disappeared into the hull, almost 100 meters! Clive reckons that will be enough to sink the boat; I hope not but I'm not so sure that this and all the other kit installed will do much for speed in light airs!

All Change!

There's been a change of scenery in the Osmosis Shed with a shuffle round to let some boats out and a couple of new ones in. Our Contessa now has another for company named Bugle, also there to have it's hull treated for the dreaded boat pox. After a pause whilst several other rather larger boats were treated, Jim and Steve, the osmosis team, are getting ready to re-coat the hull once it's fully dry. There are a few areas around the stern that still have high levels of moisture so the lamps are on them to dry them out which should be complete in a week or so. They're about  to work on the Westerly in the foreground any time now and when that's complete they'll get started on our yacht which will take about a week to complete. During this time the props will be taken away so there'll be no access or work on board for a week until it's cured. There will then be another round of musical chairs and, with a bit of luck, we'll end up in the other shed for a few weeks whilst the GRP work is finished off.

It's amazing what a difference a couple of weeks can make, the galley is looking very different, the bilge pump and been moved allowing the gas locker to be re-instated and the water system is starting to take shape. Paul's fitted some new plywood panels to make up an outer surround for the cold box and put the spacious inner liner that's been specially fabricated in place. There's about an inch and a half gap all round that's now filled with foam which should be good enough as insulation but we'll add a bit more on the outside where we can. Initially I was surprised by the number of hours quoted for the job. Now it's clear why they were needed, it's a fiddly job, especially the new gas pipework. It's satisfying to see it all coming together as planned, the cold plate is unobtrusive and the compressor unit fits amazingly well in the space behind the cooker. All we're waiting for now is the Corian top that Eggo is preparing based on the ply top that's already cut out for the sink and taps. Can't wait to see it in place!

I've managed to complete a variety of time consuming jobs that have to be done before work can progress including the forward battery plinth and the base for the calorifier.  I'm also rather relieved that I've been able to run the NMEA cable up from the nav area to the coach roof without difficulty. The acrylic has arrived so the instrument pod is ready to accept the instruments as soon as the 90mm cutter arrives. With so much stuff now installed it's been possible to have a good clear out of the interior and tidy up. The recycling bin is now full of cardboard and all those bits that wont get used such as the old galley top taken to the skip. It all looks so different, some way towards being a yacht again!

Progress at last

The snow, visitors and business pressures have not been able to slow down the momentum that's building up now that all the decision making is behind and we're starting to really get stuck into the restoration and installation of new equipment. With a burst of activity from the chippie and others from HYC, who are now fully engaged, things are starting to happen.

James, the carpenter, made up a pattern then cut out the new panel that covers the old, tatty woodwork  where the antique vhf and switch panel used to be. It fits perfectly so with the instruments loose fitted has started to give an impression of what the Navigation area will start to look like when finished. There's just enough room for everything except the Navtext which will be have to fit on the access panel for what was once the bookshelf and will now accommodate fuse boards and bits of electronics. In addition to the VHF, Plotter & circuit breaker panel there is the Tank Tender to check fluid levels, a panel for lighting and the remote controller for the power supply. After a couple of coats of varnish it will be ready to be wired up

Paul, who's a shipwright, has got started on the galley by ripping out the top and interior dividers revealing how much space there was hidden away underneath, much of it inaccessible. A rather extensive area of bulkhead bonding that had delaminated has now been re-built and the ply top is almost ready to be fitted. Once this is done the cold box can be constructed by the GRP expert, Arron, and the sink fitted with both the mixer and drinking water tap. We're hoping that the Seagull IV filter that will be hidden underneath will make the water palatable despite the inevitable osmosis in the tank. It will be finished off with a Corian top and new fiddles. With the top off it's clear that there's plenty of space behind the cooker for the little Waeco compressor unit, looks like we'll be able to arrange plenty of air flow for it too which is a relief.

I've managed to finish off the ducting for the wiring from the nav area to the forepeak and back to the base of the mast; it may seem simple but it too ages to make up and fit packing pieces to support the ducting. It's quite large as there are rather a lot of cables to accommodate including two large DC wires to the forward batteries, co-ax for the VHF, NMEA 2000 cable, 5 core cable for the mast and reading light power. The new Contest 130 compasses are now fitted making the cockpit look much smarter and updated but still in a manner consistent with the original feel of the yacht. 

There's been a lot of activity in the Yard as everyone realises that there's not much time left before Easter and lots to do, getting a parking space is proving difficult. There was a bit of excitement earlier when a wooden Ketch, that sank near Emsworth on it's mooring, was towed in and then lifted onto the hard. It looked really forlorn, mud streaked, with seaweed and a mooring buoy in the rigging; certainly sad for the owner.

A Happy Start To The Year!

Despite the appalling weather and excesses of the holiday period we've managed to get a surprising amount of work done and plans are now well advanced for a very active couple of months that should get the Contessa something closer to shipshape than the stripped out hull that she has been until now.

The really boring stuff seems to be behind us now that the preparation is done and all the lockers are painted out. It's much more interesting and satisfying to be putting stuff into the hull than forever taking it out. The pile of equipment left by Father Christmas has now shrunk as parts are progressively fitted and the shell becomes more like a working yacht.

The shore power installation is now virtually complete with most of the kit fitting neatly into what was the pilot berth and is fast becoming a storage locker for big stuff like the inflatable tender. The consumer unit is accessible (but out of the way) when the RCD blows, and switches for the power supply and water heater are easy to reach. The power supply (complicated thing!) is at the far end which would be difficult to monitor if there wasn't a remote controller that's going to be located in the navigation area. There's sockets in the galley for the kettle and plenty underneath the berths for heaters and the inevitable hair dryer.

The engine compartment is looking much healthier in Danboline grey rather than soot black and ready to do the job with the fuel and water filters now in place. The shiny insulation should finish it all off but that's not going in until the engine is in place once more to keep it in pristine shape.

It's been rather pleasant working inside the Shed whilst the weather has been so relentlessly wet even if a bit antisocial. The yard has been relatively quite, I can only guess that it's only owners that would work over the holiday period and who would want to do that outside in these contains! There was a bit of company for a few days when Dale and Alan (The engineers) worked on the Hayling Ferry between Christmas and New Year; apparently it's the only time its not in commission.