What’s up with OB?

There hasn’t been a post about her all month I know, but that’s not to say that progress isn’t being made. For the past two weeks I’ve been making spars. They’re still not finished; circumstances, mainly the tiresome business of earning an honest penny, contriving to keep me out of the workshop while I work myself to a high pitch of anticipation—for we have the new sails.

The sails, laid out on the lawn crisp and bright are, at first glance, fantastic. But I wonder if they may be slightly over engineered, reinforced beyond the level of stress they can hope to encounter. The mizzen looks especially beefy and I wonder how it will set. A cursory trial in the garden with sailboard masts and assorted poles looked not quite right, rather starched and uncomfortable, a bit odd. Both sails seem to beg that vital ingredient, a sackful of wind. But April hasn’t been a good month for launching; apart from being away due to the honest penny business, when I have been at home it’s been waves, waves and waves.

However, the weather’s cleared now—so get on with those spars Ben.

I’ve also been addressing some pressing jobs on the hull. OB’s a young boat but she’s had a fair amount of use and it shows in chips, bumps, bruises and dull, scratched varnish. I’ve started by eliminating the self bailers—they let in a continuous trickle when closed and more when opened so out they go. I’ve installed some drain plugs to let water out when we arrive back at the beach but at sea I’ll continue to bail by hand. I’ve painted her bottom, added some long overdue centreboard slot lips, which should also contributed to a dryer cockpit, and a small stainless steel forefoot protector. I’ve still to touch up the interior paintwork and sand and varnish the decks. But soon we’ll be all a-tanto, shipshape and trim, ready for the sea again.