A Room with a View

Under clear blue skies we made our way down to BV and discovered that the cockpit tent had been finished. Along with the clear blue skies there was also a bitingly cold wind that would normally see us staying down below as much as possible; perfect for trying out our new 'room'. With all of the new canvas panels in place, BV looks far from elegant when viewed from the outside. However, from inside the cockpit tent, it feels completely different. We have over 6 ft of headroom and big windows to view the scenery through; it feels cavernous. It was great to be able to eat and work in the cockpit, protected from the elements.


Given our plans for next spring to explore Galicia (which has a reputation for a lot of rain) on our way down to the Mediterranean, we think the new cockpit enclosure will add a lot to our quality of life when in port, especially outside of the warmer summer months.

Before our new-found enthusiasm for working in the cockpit wore off, we tackled a job we'd been putting off for weeks. Resewing the leather steering wheel cover is no fun in a cold and exposed cockpit but, with the new tent in place, we no longer had a good excuse not to tick off that job. The finished wheel looks great and was well worth the time.

As well as that cosmetic work we pulled out all of the life jackets, replaced the auto-inflation components and then pumped them up with the footpump so that we could check they have no leaks. Sadly all of the lights were also close to their expiry dates too so the chandlery did a very good trade in supplying us with new lights as well as the re-arming kits.

We also dug out the flares, checked they were in-date and reminded ourselves how to set them off. The lifejackets had to remain fully inflated for 24hrs making the cabin feel very cluttered with emergency gear. Partly that was also because we'd taken off the forward cabin door and emptied some of the galley lockers so that we could add some layers of varnish.

We particularly want to revarnish the galley area before we set off so that it is protected against the steam and heat from the cooker when we are heeled over. The lockers all seemed very bare without the usual piles of crockery in them but, even though it is not the best varnishing weather, it makes sense to get the layers of varnish on now to make more time for exploring next year.

The cabin door came off because we have found that it sticks slightly but only during the winter months because the wood swells very slightly in the damper winter air. We have re-cut the recesses for the hinges and will take the door home to plane off a couple of millimetres from the edge and then revarnish.

The seized footblock is still proving to be a major headache. There is now a large hole drilled most of the way through the centre of the stuck shaft. However, even with the application of a bolt extractor and beefy spanner it remains stuck fast. Next step is to cut a thread in the hole so that we can make a puller to see if that will allow the shaft to be drawn out. It's very frustrating when we have the replacement part but just can't get the old one apart or off. I'm sure anyone who has worked on restoring an old car or machinery will sympathise; there always seems to be just one stuck bolt that holds up progress!

Aside from labelling up the new switches and fuses linked with the now completed rewiring work, we also tried out a windscoop we have made. We chose to make one with effectively 4 scoops combined so that whichever direction the wind comes from one of them should always be pointing into wind. It is attached to the forward hatch and diverts the air down into the cabin. Working with the electric fans we have already fitted, we hope the combined effect will make a well ventilated and cooler boat to live in when we find ourselves in hotter climates.

So, once again we found ourselves travelling home after a few days working on BV with the car full of bits of wood, mostly cabin doors and the odd floorboard or two which will go into 'Nicky's painting and varnishing shop' for some tidying up and a few extra layers of varnish. We are definitely making progress but there still seems a lot to do before we will be fully ready. Less than four months to go!