__________________ 'MARINER' - A WORK IN PROGRESS _________________

 I have stripped the deadwood of its fiberglass covering. When the timber is dry it will be re-fiberglassed.

To dry the timber out along each side of the keel and deadwood I have set up a fan heater at either end of a long plastic tunnel. It gets warm enough during the day in the tunnel that if I had the inclination I could plant and harvest some tomato plants.

This is the stern fan heater. I have had both fan heaters going constantly during the day for about a week now. I will use a moisture meter to give me some idea of when to apply the fiberglass.

My good mate Bernie gave me this stainless steel spring loaded boom vang. He had two and said I would be helping him out by taking this one off his hands. It fits so well it could almost have been made specially for 'Mariner'. One good aspects of these rigid vangs is that you can dispense with a topping lift if you want to. Bernie won't take any money for the vang, only saying "...... Just buy me a beer".  So I will buy him a couple of dozen (which he will insist I help him drink a few of) and stuff a large donation to his yachts rum ration locker in his back pocket when he's not looking.

Today the modifications to the bow fitting were completed. On the left is an extension piece that fits over the existing bow roller flanges, incorporating the existing roller and providing another roller further forwards, keeping the now self stowing anchor clear of the boats stem.
On the right we have added two tangs above the bow roller complete with a removable captured pin. This allows mooring ropes etc to be held securely without them slipping off the roller. The whole fabrication matches the existing sturdy bow fitting being made of quarter plate stainless steel.

I am well pleased with the alterations to the anchoring system ably designed by Terry and fabricated by Victor one of his very skilled engineers.

For those shipmates who know the literature, Victor is the son of Paul Farge who sailed on 'Kurun' with Jacques-Yves le Toumelin from Morocco to Tahiti, being the first part of Toumelins' famous circumnavigation which featured in his book 'KURUN Around the World (Rupert Hart-Davis 1954). Needless to say I had a good old talk with Victor about his late father whom I knew well.

'Mariners' new self stowing 'Delta' anchor is held in place by a couple of bungy cords rather than pinning with a bolt. In very hard windward weather where there may be the possibility of burying the bow in solid green water I will stow the anchor on deck tied to the samson post.

Today the diesel mechanic Jeff turned up with a new set of engine beds, mounts and propeller shaft. We had a good chin wag about the engine which may be ready to install next week. Things are looking up.