Electric
9 inspiring years
Sailing Uma have put out a video celebrating and summarising 9 years since they bought Uma. They are one of the most inspiring couples around so if you haven't seen them before this would be a great place to start.
Dave Warnock
Motor
Electric motor and drive train progress
Whoop whoop. Our electric motor is now in very close to the final position and ready for us to fit the brackets and motor mounts so that we can connect the drivetrain all the way to the propeller. That is still quite a lot of work and we do have
Cooking
Drivetrain progress
Today we took the big step of drilling a hole through our new thrust bulkhead for the propeller shaft. Eventually, this hole will be significantly larger as the propeller shaft comes through it and ends inside the Aquadrive flexible coupling which gets bolted onto the forward side. At the moment
Plans
22 months to go: Thinking about next steps
At the end of July 2025 we will move our home onto Vida full-time, just 22 months to go! My appointment as a Methodist Minister in Wythenshawe, Manchester will finish and hence we have to move out of the house we are currently living in. So at 60 years old
Progress
New Video with August 2023 update
New Video posted on YouTube with an update on our #BoatRefit progress
Dyneema rigging
Dyneema boat cradle supports
Today we have added the diagonal supports to our boat cradle to stop any chance of the new legs bending sideways towards the narrower part of the hull. We have used 6mm dyneema with locking brummel eye splices lined with stainless thimbles. Coarse length adjustment is with a 2.5mm
Progress
Battery box progress
Jane is cleaning the battery box (I've just sanded it) so ready for final bits of fibreglass tape and thickened epoxy filler. Then coating all the wood with epoxy to seal it before painting. After that we add some battery restraints and ready for the wiring plus watertight
Plans
Progress update
We have had a lovely day. We arrived at the boat about midnight so quite a late night by the time we had carried everything to and then onto the boat, plus made the bed. Therefore we had a nice lie in. Then some jobs planning before gently starting work.
Progress
Preparations for carbon fibre stanchions
Today we have removed 8 stanchions and their bases (timing due to someone else wanting the bases for their boat). Clearly been a source of leaks. We have drilled each bolt hole and countersunk from above and below. Now filling hourglass shape with slightly thickened epoxy. The places where the
Dyneema rigging
Dyneema shroud progress
Jane has been busy making more of the shrouds for our mizzen. Unfortunately our garden is flooded and been heavy rain all day so it hasn't been practical to use our stretching rig on them.
Progress
Fitting Aquadrive thrust bulkhead
Today we are filling the gap between the original engine bearers and the new thrust bulkhead that the Aquadrive will be fitted to. We have got the thrust bulkhead tilted and angled correctly for the propeller shaft to be centered in the stern tube and for the propeller shaft to
Plans
Half term arrival and plans
Quite a slow journey to Vida today for half term. We called in at Abakhan Fabrics and got some fleece material (bought by the kilo) for Oodie style winter lounging outfits for when we are still keeping the heating off. The journey suddenly slowed as we got to Bangor as