Solo Ventures

 Well today,  though I've just cut & shaped a new stbd rudder, I am not talking about that kind of cat. Im talking about real cats.   When I was just 9 years of age I was sent to stay with my grandparents. I'd never been away from mum & dad or my brothers & sisters before, so technically it was a wrench. But, I never felt upset about  the situation because I saw it as an adventure. My Pa commuted by train for long hours, so I only saw him on weekends or later at night. Most of the time I spent with my soft-spoken Nan & her animals. They loved on spme acreage and had a menagerie including, a few goats, 2 dozen chickens, a pack of dogs for breeding &, to my surprise, a cat.  Like Nan & I, the unnamed cat was shy. Although my family were regular visitors, no-one had ever seen a cat. Anyway soon after I arrived it was evident that Mum was unwell with her pregnancy & she had to be admitted to hospital with total bed-rest. As the weeks...

 It's apparent the tiller is built from four pieces  of 6mm ply, constructed inn a box pattern.  Fortunately each piece is sealed inside & out. The rot is limited to the top piece & at this stage that has been removed for most of its length.   The Rudder looks as though it had been snapped or fractured at some point.  Since then,  that part and the head have been laid up in fibreglass.  The effect of this at the head of the blade are that it locked on moisture & is totally rotted out.  This all is not a big issue.  I pretty well knew there was root there when I bought Knu , and frankly gouging out the rot is deeply satisfying.  It will be so much more satisfying to overhaul these pieces & have them looking better & ready for a storm. 

 After fitting the port hull into its cradle yesterday,  I was very keen to get moving on sealing up patches of flaking paint,  and to make sure there was no water in the hull.  Fresh water is timbers enemy oftimber.  I towed the hull and cradle and was pleased that it didn't want to flip over on its side. But my illogical hope that I could make it 150m up by the house was crushed.  As the rig negotiated a ridge buy the driveway the load came heavily on one of the tubeless trolley wheels and sheared the tyre off the rim. I replaced it,  but realised the density of the rubber was very light compared to normal tyres.  The hull would have to be worked on where it is.  Good newsnewsletters though.  As I cleared away hatch covers below there was NOT ONE DROP OF WATER IN THE HULL! I was quite surprised and very pleased to find no hint of trouble.  Clearly,  the builder of Knu had done a lot better job than those that followed. Flake...

 Well actually just the starboard rudder.  I knew when I bought Knu that the rudders and tillers were suspect.  So the Random Orbital Sander relished its task of smoothing out flaky paint.  But this was just window dressing,  there were boggy bits. All along  the top of the tiller, boggy, boggy, boggy. The offending pieces were gouged free and revealed a hollow construction,  sealed in epoxy and solid on the side and base  Just the top of the box profile needs replacing.    The worst of the rot. Ugly,  but I knew it was there.   Stbd tiller with rot removed revealing a sound core.  Unfortunately the rudder blade was looking terminal.  A mass of fiberglass had been applied 2/3 up and the head,  also containing rot, had been classed in place ... very poorly.  So at least one new blade is needed.   Starboard rudder head showing rot and a mass of reinforcing fibreglass.  Look at this dog...

 JetBoil Stove, or MSR Whisperlite which is multi fuel.  I think the JB needs canisters.   AIS Tracker , apparently these are#1 tool for avoiding ships at sea.  Windvane (Homebrand) Or bungee cord system.  Jordan Series Drogue/ spare scooter tyres , Cookie Fat would hang of a sea anchor when ever a strong headwind or wind conditions required.  Not running before a storm let's it pass over.  The JSD id's the best,  can be home made etc  Navionics with tablet for navigation Cutter rig using Hobbie furler and jib . 

       

 I have owned Knu, a Tiki 21, for a little over a year.  But I suspect she is much older,  and it shows.  Most of her age is, thankfully, cosmetic; faded sails,  worn cordage and cracked paint.  All stuff I am totally okay with.  The biggest problem I have relates to her transport and at the moment I am making cradles for her hulls.  To load into a car float and manoeuvre while installing the cross beams which are obviously too wide for the road.   Once the transport thing is sorted and she's painted up, I plan to get out coastal cruising and camping.  The greatest issue I have with owning and sailing a little Wharram is mental.  I'm sure it will come up in later posts.