===================== I HAVE BEEN THINKING =====================

At the present time my exercise regime consists of Sailing (My OK Dinghy) and Cycling (Folding Brompton and my Road/Trail bike). I would like to have another string to my bow for the sake of variety and fun. So I have been thinking about building a row boat. The boat I have in mind is a classic dory design - Phil Bolgers 15 foot 'Gloucester Gull' Dory, a most beautiful example of the type. 

The action of rowing is one of  rhythmic simplicity and long rows have an attractive meditative quality to them. Another attraction is that the rowing is done in the open air and on the water - a place that I like to be. Launching and retrieving a rowboat will be relatively simple compared to the more complex task of rigging and de-rigging my OK Dinghy and this dory will fit easily on my road trailer.

A Winter build of this Gloucester Gull dory will mean an additional form of exercise and a nice rowboat. I think it's going to be a good Summer.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< CURRENT PROJECTS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Well shipmates, I haven't blogged for a while but I have been busy, busy, busy - such is the life of the retired sailor. 

This photo (above) shows one of the projects I have been working on, which is a stone guard for my OK Dinghys' road trailer. The OK Dinghy Association has a 'Traveller Series' which I am going to participate in, which will require towing my OK Dinghy around the country. So it is important that the boat gets protected from the general road detritus and any large projectiles that may get thrown up by passing vehicles. 

I am pleased how this project has turned out. It has added a little bit of weight to the road trailer (the weight of one sheet of plywood, glue, screws and a couple of planks of wood) but any added weight has been offset by the more streamlined profile of the stone guard.

The other project that I have had on the go is on the right of the photo - My yacht 'Mariners' dinghy. This old dinghy, which lives year in and year out moored to a floating pontoon in the Hatea River had developed some splits in the hull and was always full of water whenever I went down to the river to row out to 'Mariner'. 

I have given the dinghy the 'full Monty' - 6oz fiberglass cloth on the floor area of the dinghy on both sides of the hull to strengthen it up - a full, all over, 'two pot' paint system and a new rubbing strake. The dinghy is looking flash and the 'full Monty' should last for many years to come.

'Mariner' is also been having some TLC - A complete clean inside and out, a new toilet, new stove, new running rigging, new spray dodger and other small upgrades and repairs. I am going to install the new spray dodger after I have completed a hull and decks repaint. This will be completed when she is hauled out for the annual antifouling paint when the weather gets a bit warmer - probably Nov - December.

When 'Mariner' has had her refit I will probably put her on the market and sell her. A bit of a wrench for sure but I have come full circle in terms of sailing and are presently enjoying the small boat sailing of my youth - hence the OK Dinghy sitting on a road trailer in my carport, who every time I pass her in the morning on the way to get the newspaper out of the letter box talks to me, saying, "time for a sail, you old bugger ...... don't forget you are in your 70s now and the clock is ticking........ "