Ahead of myself!

Okay, so we don't have any floors, walls or anything else yet, but this was offered at such a good price it would have been rude to turn it down. It has been lovingly looked after all its life and is in wonderful condition. It will provide hot water & heating (with the new copper cylinder that came with it) and hopefully cooking as well (not to mention burning rubbish). We will have an electric cooker as a back up and solar panels for the hot water in the summer. The only problem we have is what to do with it until it can be craned into Bonnie!!!

Busy Two Weeks

We have had a really busy couple of weeks. First to the work done on Bonnie. We have had another hatch cut on the foredeck, which will eventually have a hatch fitted to allow light and ventilation to the office area.

Then there's the door to the office area.

And finally, look at this nice clean bottom all ready for greasing. I told you I was good, cheap labour!

We also had the 'Ginger Party'. Everyone was red-haired, the food was ginger and the place was orange. All for Billy's birthday!

Happy Birthday Billy!

This weekend I was on another committee boat. This time for our GP14 Open Meeting. Visitors came from everywhere and we had 25 boats racing, it was really exciting. The weather was great, although perhaps the racers could have done with a bit more wind, but on the committee boat it was perfect! Sun and sailing, what more could one ask for!

Smack Race

We have had a lovely weekend. Saturday was a big day for the sailing club, it was our annual Smack and Classic Yacht Race. As Commodore I was part of the race committee and had a great day out on the water. The sun was shining and the wind was, for once, in the right direction and the right strength for a great race.

This is Sunbeam, a local smack, taken just before the race started.

These two hardened sailors are also members of the race committee. We even feed them and water them!!

Another local smack, Charlotte Ellen, had their launching party back at the hard. Free beer and champagne, accompanied by a jazz band was a perfect end to the race. Back to the club and even more beer, food and music til late at night. Well done to all sailors and helpers.

Not sure about the hangover the next day though!!!!

Work done so far..

Here are some photos of Bonnie as she was when we bought her. The plan is to completely strip out everything and start again, reusing materials where possible and making better use of the available space. We plan on building a new wheelhouse and so the mezzanine floor will go. As the main salon will be on deck, the area pictured down below will be the galley, dining area and a snug area for those really cold nights when we don't want to be on deck looking at the rain and bleak Essex marshes, although they do have a certain charm even in winter.

We have already stripped out the main bedroom and have spent hours chipping loose bitumen paint off the bottom, ready to grease the hull inside.

The bed has gone (and the chemical toilet!) and, with the surveyor's okay, we have cut a door through to a completely unused space. This will become my office as I have enough books to open a library (occupational hazard for an English teacher). The surveyor has also recommended that we keep the Rockwall, but bag it up before we put it back.

We will also put in a bathroom, a utility room and a workshop. We were planning on a second bedroom, but have decided to keep more living space for us and have a big American style L-shaped settee in the wheelhouse, which will accommodate guests.

However, none of these plans are set in stone and once we start, who knows things may change!