Our first night aboard

Last night we slept our first night aboard chuckle. It was better than camping no tent to put up and the foam matresses were a dream. We spent the rest of Saturday afternoon and most of Sunday pottering about eyemouth and doing jobs to chuckles. Fitting a mast boot, kicking strap, wind vain the main sail and exit pipe for the new auto bilge pump. We did not go to sea, there was a biggish swell and cold east wind and there was no point when we could have so much fun getting to know the ropes. Fergus said his favourite bit was he helming chuckle as we put putted our little boat through the harbour to meet the harbour master who very kindly came out on his day off to lift me up in his forklift truck bucket to fit the wind vain. Freyja favourite bit about the first night on board adventure was sleep in cosy chuckle and BT falling in and dady drying the dog with a towl. I just can't wait to get down there again, and sail her out now in favourable winds...... Waiting for a westerly.

set up for lift at eyemouth

beatrice 'Bt' does a job act looking important and keeping the crowds at bay. It throw it down all day keeping any tourist away thankfully....

coastal marine, eyemouth's boat yard, did a great job in lifting her in and then the mast, much thanks to them for all there help and assistance.

checking for leeks! oh my i quite lost the plot thinking all the water in here was sea water, but it turned out she just got so much rain inside her having had her cover of in 3hrs of pouring rain.

this is the point when i listen to the good reasoning of the boat yard man, and calm down a little....

as i left chuckle sheeted in the rain thursday night. I must thank the harbor master for assuring me she would be kept a close eye on and bilges pumped if required. felt so bad not to have both filled with water to have checked for leaks before we put her in and not having installed an auto bilge pump.

I fitted the auto bilge pump yestarday, so i had a great nights sleep last night, no insult to the harbor masters i know they would keep an eye on her. It has been felt that the pump was not nessasrey on monday morning as she was not letting in hardly any water if any, but i fitted one all the same, as i had been to newcastle to get it and i guess it would be good to know its now in.

the old mast dack partner rotten and removed.

still on the trailer

Fergus and Freyja helping to fit the new mast partner.

The gleaming new elm mast partner in Le Tonkinois varnish from: http://www.tradboats.com/

Partner wedges made to fit mast like a barrel, in cedar.

fitting out

this is the yanmar 1gm 10 engine for chuckle with the cylinder head and piston removed ready for my more qualified friend to arrive and help refit the whole engine from this point.

engine ready for the next days refit..

engine refitted and running on test bed took my pal and me 4 hrs.with lots of prep before hand.

jenny cleaning the inside with hot soapy water before chuckle goes to eyemouth

Nearly there

For 3 weeks I have been working flat out to get chuckle in the water
and not let her dry out and crack up, literally. tomorrow I will put
her in the water if a Crain can be provided by the boat yard that is,
this is the phone call I must make first thing!

Thomas Hawson
Hundalee Mill Farm
Jedburgh
Roxburghshire
TD8 6PA
T. 01835 869931
M. 07801 653830
www.thomashawson.com

A leep of faith in wood

I have been dreaming of keeping and sailing a wooden boat for as long as I can remember. What boy has not? Well a few weeks ago it all came true for me. Having been exploring the sea in my home built greenland skin boat and then a high tech carbon Kevlar sea kayak for the last 5yrs my children are a bit sad about daddy going off on his own or with his friends to the sea without them. As a family we have also been canoe camping but now with two children and a dog the canoe is ok for the afternoon but with all the camping kit as well it was going to be a bit over packed..... So my imagination took a leep after being reminded of the family potential of the classic Nordic folkboat.