Posts Archive - Sailing in Shoal Waters

2026 • 2025

2026 (104)

2026-10-02 – Sampson and Compression Posts (Refurbishment, Repairs)
It is a beautiful, warm day today albeit somewhat windy and I’m on annual leave for today and...
2026-09-29 – Building a New Sampson Post (Refurbishment, Repairs)
I ordered some oak last Saturday, pretty much as soon as I had determined that the old sampson post...
2026-09-26 – Continuing Work and More Destruction (Refurbishment, Repairs)
The next major task for Shoal Waters is another leak test and that means completing all those...
2026-09-22 – Shoal Waters Under Cover (Refurbishment, Repairs)
It was another beautiful day, sunny, dry and no wind. Today I hoped to get Shoal Waters onto the...
2026-09-21 – The Last of the Under-Waterline Epoxy (Refurbishment, Repairs)
It is a beautiful day to day, the sun is shining, the temperature is set to get up to 20º C or...
2026-09-20 – And Over She Goes (Refurbishment)
Although the wind was still quite gusty this morning, by the time lunch time approached it was...
2026-09-19 – Windy, Windy, Windy (Refurbishment, Repairs)
It’s windy, did I mention that? Too windy. I had wanted to turn the hull today, but...
2026-09-18 – Inversion Blocks (Refurbishment, Repairs)
The first task of the day and mid-morning or so, was the dismantling of the tent over the hull....
2026-06-17 – It’s Raining Again… (Refurbishment, Repairs)
But the weather forecast said that it should clear up around 13:00 and sure enough, after raining...
2026-09-06 – Stop Raining Dammit ! (Refurbishment)
I thought today would be the day that I started, and possibly completed, the last part of the epoxy...
2026-09-15 – Cleaning up the Sticky Stuff (Refurbishment, Repairs)
The main task of the day was to clean up the remaining sealant so that the keel bands are ready for...
2026-09-14 – More Sticky Stuff (Refurbishment)
This morning started warm and very, very humid. Most uncomfortable. I took the cover off the boat...
2026-09-13 – Warm and Dry – Not! (Refurbishment, Repairs)
I awoke to the sound of steady rain this morning and by the time had gotten up and done the...
2026-09-12 – Keel Bands (Refurbishment, Repairs)
With the warm and dry weather continuing to hold for the last week and for the next few days,...
2026-09-06 – Copper Epoxy & the Forgotten Rudder Stock (Refurbishment, Repairs)
The forecast for today was in dry with a high of around 26º C, so I decided that today was the day...
2026-09-05 – Sanding and the Transom (Refurbishment, Repairs)
I am not a fan of sanding, never have been but I realise that it is a necessary part of making just...
2026-08-31 – Affixing the Skeg (Repairs)
The next task on the list is to put the skeg in place, which is a little more difficult since it...
2026-08-30 – Skeg and Keel (Refurbishment)
I had a lazy start to the day, to be honest, so it was was after lunch before I started any work on...
2026-08-29 – Preparation for More Epoxy (Refurbishment)
I have to say that, although it was satisfying getting the sheathing done, by the time I finished I...
2026-08-25 – The Rain Approaches (Refurbishment, Repairs)
By the weekend of 22 & 23 August, the forecast is getting more certain that several days of...
2026-08-20 – Still Working on the Preparation (Refurbishment, Repairs)
As with all the operations involving epoxy, no photos get taken unless there is someone else not...
2026-08-18 – Continuing the Preparation (Refurbishment)
Finally, after about 6 weeks of dry and hot weather, we finally had some rain. A few spots...
2026-08-16 – Aft to the Transom (Repairs)
Another cool day and time to continue with the transom repairs. But, having said that, the first...
2026-08-15 – Stem Repairs Continued (Repairs)
With the temperature forecast to be around 10º C cooler today than yesterday at a reasonable 24º,...
2026-08-14 – Stem Repairs (Repairs)
Despite the contining heat, work has been progressing on the stem and planking repairs, just...
2026-08-09 – Another Unwelcome Surprise (Repairs)
The task for today was to investigate the patch of soft planking that the surveyor reported in the...
2026-08-08 – It Should be a Slog, But It’s Not (Refurbishment)
The scraping continues along the starboard hull and, as I mentioned before, I started at the bows...
2026-08-06 – The Penalty for Carelessness (Refurbishment, Repairs)
On his website Charles Stock wrote a number of articles and I was reminded of one of these as I...
2026-08-04 – Hull Surprises (Refurbishment, Repairs)
I made an early start on the hull this morning, after feeding the animals and before breakfast,...
2026-08-03 – Transom Repair & Starboard Hull (Refurbishment, Repairs)
I didn’t do any scraping over the weekend, instead I continued the transom work and gave...
2026-08-01 – Skeg Build (Refurbishment, Repairs)
During the last week I managed to work on the scraping every day except Friday. This was the state...
2026-07-28 – Transom Rot (Repairs)
As I approached the aft end of the hull with the hot air gun and scraper, I decided to take a look...
2026-07-27 – Deeper and Deeper (Refurbishment, Repairs)
I had said in my last post that there were a lot of scratches under the antifouling but that...
2026-07-26 – Hull Work Continues (Refurbishment, Repairs)
Although the main task is to remove the antifouling and topside paint, there are a few other tasks...
2026-07-19 – Starting the Antifouling Paint Removal (Refurbishment, Repairs)
I decided that it would be prudent to try to find the best method of removing the antifouling (AF),...
2026-07-19 – Measurement and Skeg Destruction (Refurbishment, Repairs)
The next task in the long list of tasks for the rest of the year was to measure the height of the...
2026-07-18 – Inverting Shoal Waters (Refurbishment, Repairs)
It has been some considerable time since I last carried out any sustained work on Shoal Waters,...
2026-04-03 – More Work on the Transom (Refurbishment)
Before I turn Shoal Waters over for her hull work, I need to finish a few things first, primarily...
2026-03-28 – Change of Direction (Repairs)
I’ve not been able to carry out any work on either of the boats, or anything else for that...
2026-03-18 – Transom Leak II (Repairs)
Since the source of the leak is not obvious, the next step was to remove the outer backing pad to...
2026-03-17 – Transom Leak I (Repairs)
The next leak to investigate is the one at the bottom of the transom. To remind you , this is where...
2026-03-05 – Removing the Bottom Runners (Repairs)
I have to confess that it was very difficult to get started on anything Shoal Waters related today....
2026-03-14 – Investigating the Leaks (Repairs)
Something that is easy to do and requires little thought is scraping off paint. Armed with hot air...
2026-03-13 – Demoralised ! (Repairs)
I don’t know about you but I know myself very well and after such a day as yesterday the last...
2026-03-12 – Leak Testing (Repairs)
I had prepared the boat for the trip to Ely last night and this morning we drove over to the...
2026-03-11 – Gantry Crane V (Construction, Launch and Recovery)
The pins for the cranes did not arrive yesterday, so the first thing I did this morning was to look...
2026-03-10 – Gantry Crane IV (Construction)
I would have liked to have started on the construction of the second gantry this morning, but I...
2026-03-09 – Gantry Crane III (Construction)
With time running out the gantry crane needs to be completed today if possible and that meant an...
2026-03-08 – Gantry Crane II (Construction)
The next part of the gantry cranes part is to make the various components from the timber that was...
2026-03-07 – Gantry Crane I (Construction)
Today I started the construction of the gantry crane, which is really two gantry cranes that will...
2026-03-06 – Preparations Continued (Repairs)
The day started overcast with little wind but chilly, so I decided to do a small task, just to get...
2026-03-05 – Preparations For the Leak Test (Repairs)
With only a week to go before the leak test, the tasks over the next week will be concentrated on...
2026-03-04 – Aft Nav Light & Case Supports (Repairs)
No varnishing today so the first task was to finish the support extension started yesterday. The...
2026-03-03 – Case Top & Rubbing Strake (Repairs)
The first task of the day was the fourth coat of varnish on the new aft navigation light mount and...
2026-03-02 – Aft Deck & Other Rebuilding (Repairs)
The first thing on my list of tasks for the day was the varnishing. There’s not much to it,...
2026-03-01 – Name Plates & Aft Deck (Repairs)
Since it is Sunday today, I decided to take things a little easy, so the first task was one that I...
2026-02-28 – Aft Deck & Centerplate Case (Repairs)
The first task was to get the graving piece for the aft deck sorted out. This is the graving piece...
2026-02-27 – And More Small Tasks (Repairs)
I have some more brightwork to do, so today’s first task was to put another coat of varnish...
2026-02-26 – More Small Tasks (Repairs)
Considering just how warm it was yesterday, the weather station recorded 16º C, it was a tad cold...
2026-02-25 – Hanging the Rudder (Repairs)
Whilst I await the arrival of suitably long bolts to continue the work on the centerplate case, I...
2026-02-24 – Rectifying the Screw Up (Repairs)
The first task of the day was to check that the new template I cut yesterday actually fitted the...
2026-02-23 – Screw Up (Repairs)
No varnishing today so I did nothing until my first tea break. The first task was to remove all the...
2026-02-22 – More Epoxy Work & Glue Ups (Repairs)
Today was going to be a little bitty since the epoxy and glue work that needed doing meant that...
2026-02-21 – Transom & Centerplate Case (Repairs)
I made an early start thing morning, but only for the varnishing which I carried out before...
2026-02-20 – Odds and Ends (Repairs)
With the weather forecast for the next few days indicating that the temperature is going to be 10º...
2026-02-19 – Transom III (Repairs)
Varnishing first thing and I shall be very glad when all this brightwork is done ! The first task...
2026-02-18 – Transom II (Repairs)
Just to give myself a change from the normal morning routine, I didn’t varnish the brightwork...
2026-02-17 – Transom Major Issue (Repairs)
After I had lunch I still had some time left on my lunch break, so I decided to cut out the top...
2026-02-17 – Transom I (Uncategorized)
After the usual round of applying varnish to various parts of the boat, I took a look at the case...
2026-02-16 – Centerplate Case II and Small Tasks (Repairs)
The weather this morning was a little warmer than yesterday, but even so, the day started in much...
2026-02-15 – Centerplate Case I (Uncategorized)
It is a miserable day today, here in the Fens of Norfolk. It has been sleeting sideways for the...
2026-02-14 – Aft Lockers (Repairs)
A slight change to the procedure today, it was 1º C when I first went down to the boat this...
2026-02-13 – Centerplate Case Aft Block II (Refurbishment, Repairs)
As is now usual the first task before work was to apply some varnish to two small areas in the...
2026-02-12 – More Small Stuff (Repairs)
The morning started the same way that it has done for the past fews days with varnish work. This...
2026-02-11 – More Small Tasks While I Wait (Repairs)
First task was to apply yet another coat of varnish to the top surfaces of the galley stove boards,...
2026-02-10 – Centerplate Case Aft Block I (Repairs)
The first small task on the list today was applying a second coat of varnish to the top side of the...
2026-02-09 – Galley Stove III (Refurbishment)
Today, being a work day, means that I carried out small tasks that could be done during a teak...
2026-02-08 – Galley Stove II (Refurbishment)
I put the diesel heater on when I went out to feed the outdoor cat this morning, meaning to give it...
2026-02-07 – Galley Stove I (Refurbishment)
Despite the air temperature being 9º C this morning, when I went out to the workshop my fingers...
2026-02-06 – More of the Same (Repairs)
Not surprisingly, the tasks for today were pretty much the same as yesterday. An early start to get...
2026-02-05 – Adding the Glass Mat (Repairs)
The final stage of the case sides before fitting is to sheathe the inside of the case. Since there...
2026-02-04 – Compass Continued (Refurbishment)
The brass machine screws arrived this afternoon so once work was done I went down to the workshop...
2026-02-03 – Compass Refurbishment (Refurbishment)
Shoal Waters was fitted with a ‘ fine brass binnacle compass’ (Sailing Just for Fun...
2026-02-02 – More Small Tasks (Repairs)
Just a few small tasks today, starting with applying the third coat of varnish to the hatch runners...
2026-02-01 – Port Centerplate Case Side, Again (Repairs)
It is February already and I need to get a move on. Still lots to do and time is starting to run...
2026-01-31 – Completing the Case Side Removal (Repairs)
Although completing the removal of the port side of the centerplate case is a major milestone, the...
2026-01-30 – Second Major Issue (Repairs)
The aim of the next few days and the weekend is to complete the build of the port side of the...
2026-01-28 – Continuing Small Tasks (Repairs)
The weather has been just a tad cold this last week and I have been hard pressed to spend more than...
2026-01-25 – Freezing Fingers Day (Sailing)
It is very cold outside today, not temperature-wise, although that is just 6º C, it is the...
2026-01-24 – Continuing the Case Side Removal (Repairs)
The weather continues to be reasonable for the time of the year, the temperature is currently 8º...
2026-01-23 – First Major Issue (Repairs)
Things have been progressing well on Shoal Waters since we bought her last June and the repairs...
2026-01-22 – Continuing Small Tasks (Repairs)
With the forecast set to be wet but not cold for the next two or three days, I decided that one of...
2026-01-21 – More Small Tasks (Repairs)
With the current wet and windy weather, I can not say that I am particularly enthused to work on...
2026-01-20 – Some Small Tasks (Repairs)
As we are having warmish weather currently, around 10º Celsius, I decided that one of the...
2026-01-19 – Reseating the Tabernacle (Repairs)
Today’s task was to put the tabernacle back into position with sufficient sealant to prevent...
2026-01-18 – Runners and Case Side (Repairs)
The first task of the day was to get the top runner underway since that needs to be left alone for...
2026-01-17 – Oops ! (Repairs)
I had big plans for today, get the case top runner done, mount the tabernacle, fit the retaining...
2026-01-16 – Port Centerplate Case I (Repairs)
Before much can be done with the csae side, the top runner from the old side needed to be removed...
2026-01-14 – Continuing With the Hatch Runners (Repairs)
The task for my tea breaks today was to shape the hatch runners and the hatch so that it can be dry...
2026-01-13 – Continuing the Epoxy Work (Repairs)
With the warm weather continuing as forecast, I inspected the epoxy first thing and found that it...
2026-01-12 – Companionway Hatch Runners (Repairs)
The forecast temperature for today was 11º Celsius, quite a difference from the -10º Celsius we...
2026-01-10 – Companionway Hatch & Runners (Repairs)
The forecast for next Monday is 11º C which means that it will be a good day to get some of the...
2026-01-03 – More Things That Need Fixing (Repairs)
Every time I go into Shoal Waters’ cabin I wince at seeing the clock. It is a brass clock...
2026-01-01 – Why did the Centerplate Case Disintegrate? (Repairs)
The reason why the centerplate case sides disintegrated is a question that has occupied my mind...

2025 (54)

2025-12-29 – Case Side V (Repairs)
Work has continued on the centerplate case sides over the past days, I’ve just not posted...
2025-12-25 – Case Side IV (Repairs)
To be honest, I hadn’t intended to do any work on Shoal Waters today, after all, it is...
2025-12-24 – Case Side III (Repairs)
Epoxy day, or one of them at least. Having got up, fed the cats, most important, and done my...
2025-12-23 – Case Side II (Repairs)
The first task of the day is to prepare the work area in the workroom for the epoxy work and, like...
2025-12-22 – Case Side I (Repairs)
Today is the day I start to cut out and construct the starboard side of the centerplate case. So,...
2025-12-21 – Case Template VI (Repairs)
Even though the temperature is several degrees warmer than yesterday, I didn’t make an early...
2025-12-20 – Case Template Va (Repairs)
The evening was cold and condensation was forming over just about everything and I remembered that...
2025-12-20 – Case Template V (Repairs)
The aim of the work on Shoal Waters today is to get as much of the plywood template for the...
2025-12-19 – Case Template IV (Repairs)
The main task for today is to cut out the plywood template for the inner case side. All but the...
2025-12-16 – Case Template III (Repairs)
It is a dreary, wet and slightly cold day today, not at all conducive to doing anything outside. On...
2025-12-15 – Case Template II (Repairs)
I gave myself an easy day yesterday as I find that working over the weekend without a break seems...
2025-12-13 – Case Template I (Repairs)
The next part of the repairs requires me to construct a template for the sides of the centreplate...
2025-12-06 – Portlights and Chisels (Refurbishment)
I will soon be reaching the stage of the centreplate case replacement where I need to make a...
2025-12-02 – Completing the Starboard Side Removal (Repairs)
One of the good points about the way in which Charles Stock build the interior of Shoal Waters is...
2025-11-30 – Shocking Discovery (Repairs)
Have you ever had one of those light-bulb moments? You know, where something suddenly dawns on you...
2025-11-29 – The Need for Additional Bracing (Repairs)
Now that I have enough of the starboard side of the centreplate case removed to see how to remove...
2025-11-28 – Where Does it End (cont)? (Repairs)
Now that there is light in the cabin I can continue the removal of the starboard side of the...
2025-11-28 – Navigation Light Revisited Again (Refurbishment)
The first task of the day was to finish the navigation lights refurbishment and to that end I made...
2025-11-27 – Gaskets and Bulb Holders (Refurbishment)
The 1mm thick neoprene sheet arrived a few days ago and now that the main cabin light has been...
2025-11-27 – Rewiring Part IX (Refurbishment)
I took a slightly extended lunch break today to work on Shoal Waters. I had been working on a data...
2025-11-26 – Rewiring Part VIII (Refurbishment)
Unfortunately, the parts I need to finish the installation of the cabin light didn’t arrive...
2025-11-25 – Rewiring Part VII (Refurbishment)
Having found yesterday afternoon that the light faded too fast after work to get anything...
2025-11-24 – Navigation Lights Revisited (Refurbishment)
One of the things I say frequently enough to make my wife roll her eyes is that it’s good to...
2025-11-23 – Rewiring Part VI (Refurbishment)
The task for today was to connect the solar panel to the controller and check that it works as...
2025-11-22 – Rewiring Part V (Refurbishment)
The minimum task I set myself on this cold and wet Saturday was to get the battery hooked up to the...
2025-11-21 – Rewiring Part IV (Refurbishment)
Between some Christmas shopping, making bread and darkness setting in I managed to get in a couple...
2025-11-06 – Unexpected Findings (Maintenance, Repairs)
Charles Stock had a unique opinion on painting and varnishing that basically said, if it...
2025-11-04 – Rewiring Part III (Refurbishment)
While I wait for the spacers for the charge controller and switch box to be varnished, I can work...
2025-11-03 – Rewiring Part II (Refurbishment)
The bus bars arrived late afternoon yesterday and to my dismay, they are not the correct size. I...
2025-11-01 – Rewiring Part I (Refurbishment)
I elected to make a start on the rewiring of Shoal Waters since I will be needing a light in the...
2025-10-28 – Navigation Light Reflector (Refurbishment)
One of the reasons for working on the nav lights these last few days was to answer two questions....
2025-10-28 – Here a Jig, There a Jig (Refurbishment)
As any maker will tell you, we spend more time making jigs than making projects, or so it seems at...
2025-10-27 – Navigation Lights Cont. (Refurbishment)
Having had another cup of tea and a sit down, I decided that since the screws had arrived I would...
2025-10-27 – Thoughts on the Galley Cont. (Refurbishment)
Having had a cup of tea and a sit down, I decided to tackle the locker hinges and the old gas...
2025-10-27 – Thoughts on the Galley (Refurbishment)
The stove in Shoal Waters was, for many years, a single burner screwed into a Camping Gaz cylinder....
2025-10-26 – Navigation Lights (Refurbishment)
I started looking at the navigation lights as I need something small to be getting on with since I...
2025-09-12 – Moving Shoal Waters into the Hay Barn (Maintenance)
The time has come to move Shoal Waters from off the hardstanding in front of the workshop and into...
2025-09-04 – Fitting the New Cross Beams (Maintenance)
Today’s task, or at least the Shoal Waters related task since I have other tasks that I wish...
2025-09-02 – Bolting on the Cross Beams (Maintenance)
Just a quick update to the work on the working trailer. The M12 penny washers arrived late on...
2025-08-31 – Starting Work on the Trailer (Maintenance)
There’s not been much work done on Shoal Waters for the last seven weeks, I had minor surgery...
2025-07-12 – Where Does it End? (Repairs)
The title of this post is a little misleading, since what I’m trying to find is where the...
2025-07-10 – Measuring Up (Repairs)
The next part of the centerplate case replacement is a bit technical, apologies for that, but has...
2025-07-08 – Opening the Centerplate Case (Repairs)
I had some work to do on the CNC Laser after work and while that was running I decided to look at...
2025-07-07 – Starting Work on the Centerboard Case (Repairs)
Time to start work on figuring out why the case is leaking and why the surveyor had concerns about...
2025-07-07 – What’s Wrong with the Trailer? (Repairs)
From an engineering perspective there’s something about Shoal Waters’ road trailer that...
2025-07-05 – Removing the Centerplate – Afternoon Task (Repairs)
Continuing on from the tasks of the morning, removing the centerplate was next. The pivot bolt was...
2025-07-05 – Removing the Trailer – Morning Task (Repairs)
With the weather a little cooler during the day than of late I decided that I would spend the...
2025-06-20 – Weighing the Boat (Repairs)
We have finally reached the point where the boat can be weighed, so let’s begin. Firstly the...
2025-06-19 – Making the Support Beam (Repairs)
The next task in the very long list of things to do before Shoal Waters may be relaunched is to...
2025-06-18 – Too Low Sweet Chariot (Repairs)
As I mentioned previously, there are two main problems with the trailer as it is right now. This is...
2025-06-17 – Moving the Axle Part 2 (Repairs)
The following day I set too with paint brush and wood preserver to coat all the cut ends of the...
2025-06-16 – Moving the Axle (Repairs)
So, first things first. Off to the local timber merchant to buy six reclaimed railway sleepers....
2025-06-12 – Next Steps (Repairs)
With the boat now on her trailer with wheels but pretty much empty, now would be a good time to...
2025-06-09 – Moving Day (Launch and Recovery)
Before Shoal Waters could be relaunched a number of things needed to be done both structurally and...