When we saw the forecast for Storm Franklin yesterday we decided that gusts over 60mph were going to prevent sleep and be quite scary.
So we left the boat before lunchtime while the wind was “only” gusting to mid forties. On our way back now as the wind will drop massively. We have called into Ikea at Warrington, nearly on the way, to get some plastic boxes to use as storage drawers on the shelves we are going to put into the wardrobe spaces.
Nice that we were able to put some free charge into the car while finding the boxes (the website and zapmap say you have to pay but we were not asked to present a card).
While at home I put some more plywood and timber in to make the shelves from. Didn’t have space for anymore when we came on Friday.
Update, first drawers now fitted and video is done:
Sustainable Sailing 
If you are scared of high winds when your boat is ashore, you should not be taking it to sea…you will be terrified!
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Boats are designed for and belong on the water not for exposed boatyards 😊
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When I was a teenager we spent 3 days unable to get off due to the 1979 Fastnet storm. We recorded Force 9. Five of us on a 24 foot Eygthene 24.
It is very different ashore in a relatively unprotected boatyard.
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It is very different out on the water. Vida is safe as houses ashore with her masts down. Anglesey and the Irish Sea are challenging. You really do need to know your stuff. Have you done any RYA courses? If you ever launch, I will pray for your safety.
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Safe as houses ashore, well maybe. It still doesn’t make for a good nights sleep. So just as you would move to a more protected anchorage in a named storm is coming through we moved for more comfort. Just good seamanship.
Yes I have RYA qualifications and am working through the yachtmaster. No we are not minimising the challenges of Anglesey and the Irish Sea, we have a good view of them. One of the features of belonging to the North West Venturers Yacht Club is cruising the area in company, so with friends to encourage and support.
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Btw if you make ill-considered modifications to your Rival CK she will be unsaleable in future. If she is one of very few built, she is precious. Don’t do anything to her that cannot be made good going forward i.e. drilling holes in the hull/deck.
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Ask Sailing Uma if they regret their huge modifications to their boat 🙂
Our modifications start from dealing with damage. For example the cracking in the deck through failing chainplate backing plates. Our water damaged bulkheads, our pink seacocks, our sludge filled inaccessible diesel tanks and broken valves in a fuel pipes that could not be accessed. A fresh water pump that had failed but not been replaced because the dangerously corroded paraffin tank, the califorier, and some timber needed to be removed in order to remove it.
There are a number of Rivals who have suffered chain plate failure eg Cherry Ripe when in the middle of the Atlantic. Commonly the original bronze bolts are replaced with stainless which opens up to crevice corrosion.
Much has changed since 1977 in materials (epoxy resin for example), options (composting toilets) and technology (LiFePo4 batteries, AIS, GPS) and our refit can benefit from these.
Resale value is not our primary goal. Older boats are not a financial investment. Refitting to maximise our use is our choice.
As for holes in the deck. With our backing plates and reinforcement we can already see that the decks are stiffer. You could very easily switch from our dyneema chainplates to stainless and they would be far stronger than the originals.
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