Back out to Great Keppel Island

 After a week with my injured wife and with our son who flew over from Adelaide to help out I'm back out to Keppel for some work and rest.

Had a 20 to 25kt northerly so just sailed from Rosyln Bay to Fisherman's Beach under jib. Averaged 6.6 knots.  Approaching the beach I saw an unusual ketch rigged sailing cat.

Trampolines Completed

 With the help of our son Mark, the trampolines are now both fitted.  This now completes our upgrades commenced recently in Mackay.

The old girl is now seaworthy ready for cruising again.

Back in the Water

 After 14 days Palawa Dreaming is back in the water after having:

1. new PSS rubbers
2. New cutlass bearings
3. New starboard trampoline attachments glassed in and painted
4. Bows and sugar scoops repainted
5. New steering cables fitted and rudders aligned
   
6. A crack in the starboard hull repaired
7. a crack in the starboard engine bay repaired
8. New anti-foul job
9. Wave deflectors fitted to the underside to stop salt water entering helm station cavity through steering cable conduits
10. Topside repairs painted
11. New anchor chain 10m indicator replaced
12. Mid section bilge pumps and hoses replaced
    
    
    
     

Many thanks to Mackay Slipway for their travel lift and support, Mark Gralow for the cutlass bearing work, Gordon Rickett for his fiberglass and advice.

Friday a mate and I are heading off to Yeppoon.  Plan to be back early next week.

Starboard Trampoline Taking Shape

Our original trampolines were made of woven rope and in very poor repair.  The starboard tramp was to a point where it was unsafe and so I began removing it this January, but didn't get a chance to replace it until now.

After having a good look at other cat tramps I decided to use conduit glassed in with a 6mm stainless rod down the middle to tie off the new tram we had made a year or so ago.

Going back up on the "Hard" this time was an opportunity to bring this up to speed.  After much soul searching and understanding my own capability I decided to contract this job our a fibreglasser here in Mackay.

This is where it is up to at the moment.

Hopefully the tram will be on her by the end of this week.

Replacing the Steering Wires

 OMG what a mess.

The steering on our boat is a push-pull arrangement using1/4" stainless 7x19 wire.  The cables have looked a bit dodgy for a while, so it was time to replace them.

On close inspection the cables linking both rudders had been repaired at some time before we bought the boat and rather than run a continuous wire one of the previous owners had elected to join two pieces of cable together.

I recall having the steering become slightly jammed at times previously and this join was the cause with the connections rubbing against the exhaust hose.  Luckily no long-term damage has been done.

The electrical tape they had used caused large amounts of rust to form and one end didn't even have a thimble.

Only a single wire clamp had been used where you would expect to see two.

All of the cables have now been replaced with shiny new ones with only the rudder alignment left to do before she goes back in the water.

Repair And Antifouling

 

Antifouling done

Cutlass bearings and Propspeed done

Crack behind Starboard prop shaft repaired

Crack in starboard hull repaired

Starboard floor back in

 Haul out Day

Unfortunately, in the process of docking Suzy went over the side and broke her collar bone and left to go back to Kinka Beach to recuperate.

 Middle Percy Island to Mackay Harbour

Motor sailed into Mackay Harbour where we will be for three days waiting to be hauled out.

 Hunter Island to Middle Percy Island

Fair winds and a bit of motor sailing and we made it to Middle Percy Island just after lunch.

 Pearl Bay to Hunter Island

Headed off for Middle Percy, but the wind gods were not with us so we only made it to Hunter Island.

We are off Cruising Again

 Well not exactly, we are off to Mackay to haul out and inspect the hull for damage, replace cutlass bearings and antifouling.

Leaving Keppel Bay Yeppoon.

Suzy being sun safe.

 

Corio Bay Headland

Sand dunes on Nine Mile Beach

Quion Island

 

The wind dropped out so we only made it to Pearl Bay--stunning anchorage in a south easter.

 

Tomorrow we will try to get to Middle Percy Island.

 The Mast is back on

After 2+ months of rebuilding our mast and replacing the rigging, our mast is finally back on the boat.

The initial problem of rot in the base led to the discovery of more rot in the leading and trailing edges.  Really depressing, but it gave me an opportunity to check the rigging (it was faulty and nearly to the point of failure), inserting a new conduit for masthead light, VHF and mobile booster antennas as well as replacing the faulty and rusted deck lights. A new coat of two pack paint and it looks like a new mast.

We also replaced all of the running rigging with new rope.  She looks a treat and ready to become a sailing boat again.