Big Boy

Summer – theoretically – is Here at Last.. !!

I was supposed to set sail Westward today but due to persistent rain I’ve decided to wait another day.

This happens so often at the beginning of my holidays… The appeal of a Motorsailer increases each year.

There have been various preparations over the last few weeks… A lift, wash and anode change, which is all that has been needed since the Coppercoating four years ago.

However though it’s a great success on the hull it hasn’t taken properly on the iron keel. The rust is coming through to the delight of the local Sea Squirts. This lot have appeared since the last lift out 11 months ago.

Whilst checking things over I noticed… well actually I’d noticed sometime ago but chose to ignore it – that the inner skin of the anchor locker hatch had split and water had soaked into the end grain balsa.

It looked as though the balsa would have to go but I removed part of the inner skin and it dried out to be quite hard again.

At this point a friend – Jim – let it slip that he had some experience of fibreglassing and as I’d never attempted it, he offered to give me a demo…. I just need to purchase a ‘Big Boy Kit’.

I asked if he’d also like me to get a left handed paint brush and some Tartan paint, but he assured me we could manage without those extras on this occasion… nevertheless I felt a little uneasy at the front of the queue in Tool Station as I announced that I was looking for a Big Boy and I couldn’t find one in their catalogue!

Happily I emerged Virgo Intacto and imagine the catalogue must index it under some sort of euphemism.

So job now nicely done thanks to Big Boy Jim ! and if the Solent is anything like as busy as it was last summer that anchor locker will be getting a bit of a bashing!

Here it is!

How did they know?!?