Our Previous 99 Days' Chronicles
How busy?!...
Phew! "Tide and time wait for no man" goes the saying, but we are sure ready for a little break.
No chance of that, though! With our latest planned leave date looming, electrical faults, dying batteries and faulty equipment arriving last minute, we are stretched to the limit.
Cpn Kelly is down with an awful cold and sore throat, just to add to the stress!
But, we have still managed to:-
- Build the secure dinghy rack
- Build an instrument facia in the doghouse
- Set the standing rigging
- Complete fitting all the new running rigging
- Dismantle, stow and tie down the bicycles
- Set up the brand new digital vhf radio and anemometer display
So, nursing ourselves back to health, we hope to complete the sail shakedown on the morrow, then things are as good as ready!
Great crew effort, everyone.
Our First virtual Crew!
Welcome to the first crew members to join our Patreon Channel. The place where those of you that want a little bit more of an adventure can join our virtual crew and support and help form our adventures.
For your support, we offer some amazing benefits and rewards. As well as inclusion in live chats and broadcasts there are unique videos and soundcasts - just for those who want to be right in the thick of it!
So, welcome to our first Midshipmen (family) and our first Deck Hand (My Mum!), and lets hope that you are not the only ones crewing with us.
A Visit from Black Dog
Well, he stayed longer than invited!
Luckily, he left in the night and Cpn Kelly can get on with the hard work of prepping Stray ready for next week.
Sad Day...
As Cpn Kelly suffers from stress and depression, one thing that is surprising is that all these continuous pressures with preparation have not greatly affected him before now.
He has had many bouts of cramps and muscle spasms, and days where his mind is woolly and too cluttered to think, but today it all became too much and he had to have a day off.
Thoughts of failure, extreme sadness, and heavy melancholy filled his lonely day... 🤔
Pinch, punch, first of the month!
Another day of full crew aboard.
Bosun Nicky spent the day tending to the victuals (stores aboard(), sanding the bowsprit and tieing down the safety meeting all along the sides of the deck.
First Mate Jeremy and Cpn Kelly spent the day sorting all of the sails. Setting the newly fettled mainsail and planning where the lines have to go for the new reefing system. Raising all the other staysails (ones that attach to the forestay) and working out where on earth to rig them to! Waif the dinghy is so long she covers the self-tacking rail. So a complete new system has to be steamed. This is going to be very difficult with just one week to go.
All of the seacocks have been thoroughly tested and are fully functional and dry.
Oodles done!
What a busy few days!
We dried Stray out alongside the historic quay in Falmouth. This was so we could replace two of the six seacocks, as they were troublesome. 🤔 You do not want a hole in your boat that you can not close when you want to!
Bosun Nicky spent one day pouring paint over herself, then the next day painting the whole boat above the waterline. Ready for our new name plates to go on!
1st Officer Jeremy scraped the couple of itchy things growing on the antifouling, then we topped up any patches and checked the hull.
Then we tested the new ascender to climb the mast using the steps and freed the jammed jib halyard. Dropped the foresail ready for work by our great Sailmaker Dave, who dropped off to us the beautifully fettled mainsail with added reef.
Then, finally, I returned Stray to the mooring and got cramp in four muscles in one leg! 🤔
New Launch!
Today we launched our Patreon Page with oodles of benefits and rewards for commiting to becoming part of our Team toobs Crew.
By supporting our adventure with as little as £1 per week, you help keep afloat our pirating venture of exploration and challenge. For your generous support you get to follow every step of our journey, whether it be by foot, boat or cycle. Our Iridium Satellite transmitter will tell you exactly where we are, and you will be the first to receive updates of what is going on.
Access our Treasure Map with all the adventures we have, and a few from the past. Help guide our trip with interactive votes on where we go next. Take part in live feeds and chats.
Join our crew and come adventuring with us!
Team toobs Crew @ https://patreon.com/teamtoobs
Last Mast Steps Fitted!
Huzzah! During the calm weather before the storm, I took advantage and fitted the last of the mast steps. I got to within 6ft and ran out!
Somewhere along the way I had planned for 18 inches between steps to make 20 to reach within 4ft of e mast head. That should have been a perfect height for working on all the electronics up there. 🤔 But, something went wrong and I was two short!
So, I removed the very first step, as it was the last useful, and placed it up aloft. Instead of having two steps to stand on at the top, I now have just one. It may be less comfortable, but at least we made it to the summit!
I did pay the price, though. Throughout the two hours, my thumbs were agony, I kept getting random cramps in legs, arms and torso, and my weakened muscles generally made it very hard work. 🙃 Not the best scenario for hanging 40ft from the deck!
The important thing is:- an important job done!
Let's Tidy Up!
A day tidying deck, tools, and workshop.
A long overdue job was to put all the tools, equipment and parts away neatly stowed. Reusing old 4 litre paraffin tubs proved a free and green way to ensure all stays organised when being tossed about at sea.
A very pleasant evening was then enjoyed with visitors aboard for tea. Bosun's daughter and accomplished tattooist, Eloise, joined us with her lovely partner and a home-made lemon cheesecake.
Some quality family time was enjoyed.
Wind blows me off!
It takes half an hour to get in the Bosun's chair, rig the safety harness, attach all the tools to me or the kit bucket, set all the lines, then climb the mast.
By the time I got there, the wind had picked up. 🧐. After just one step fitted, and two broken rivets, I had had enough! It took all my effort just to hold on, so I decided to come all the way back down, de-rig, and sort out the workshop instead!
Bosun Nicky sorted the aft-lockers, and Teak-oiled the oak boom stand again. It all definitely looks better for it!
Mast steps ahoy...
At last we begin fitting our hand-made mast steps, thanks to PK Fabrications lending us their super-riveter!
It took 4 hours to rivet and stick 13 of the 20 steps. We are using chunky 7mm inverts and 3M 5200.(This glue has ten times more shear strength than the rivets!) Then I had to stop due to cramps and aches. To be honest, I was surprised I managed that many!
They look a bit uneven from some viewing angles, but that is because they are in different positions around the mast, due to obstructions. But, they are all 18 inches above each other.
Hopefully the wind will keep low on the morrow for me to complete them. 🤔
Extra treat...
Looking for the most interesting thing to do in Falmouth for £3.50?
Well, here it is! The Museum of Magic and Folklore. From 6-ft one-eyes dogs, to witches, wizards and horses heads! All your basic needs for all things spooky and spiritual.
toobs made friends with the biggest dog she has ever met (but not the first with one eye!), gazed into the future using the Sea-witch of Appledor's crystal ball, and 'nom-ed' on a treat while spells were cast in the cellar of doom!
Team toobs recommend this epothicary of local lore and tales.
Happy Birthday Bosun Nicky!
It may be Nicky's 21st birthday again, but that does not stop the hardwork!
A day of painting the last topcoat on the anchor deck as well as hoisting the skipper to the top of the mast!
To be able to fit the new mast steps, Captain Kelly had to trust the arms and skill of Bosun Nicky, as she hauled him up in the Bosun's Chair to measure accurately all parts of the mast in order to place the steps in the best and most even way possible.
What a view! 40ft above the deck!
