Category: Uncategorized
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The Wind in the Wirral
Things are getting back to normal after my gall bladder operation. A week after the op I was up and about, and two weeks later fully fit I was ready for my first sail. The waiting list for that op was nearly a year during which time I had been advised by my doctor to…
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Engine Maintenance
The engine on Tarka is a small onboard single pot diesel with manual and electric start. It’s not a huge engine and is really only a backup for sail power, that and for manouvering in and out of tight places. There has béen a small crack in the exhaust manifold that has been a problem…
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Moving Day
Today is the long awaited day for finally moving Tarka to her new trailer. Decided to use Swanley Bridge Marina slipway again for convenience. Since reconfiguring the rollers on the new trailer earlier in the year I’ve been waiting patiently for the time when I find out if all that effort has been worthwhile. Basically…
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Summerhouse
Summer has finally arrived. I’ve been monitoring the temperature and humidity in the boat for some years now and take action accordingly. When Tarka is on the water it’s not so much of an issue but when she’s here at home extra care is given to prevent the boat getting too hot or to dry.…
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Mast Maintenance
The mast was last stripped in 2018 just after purchasing. It needed some TLC but partly due to budgetary constraints and partly ignorance it was not stripped down to the wood. After five years of annual oiling with a top secret mixture it was starting to look a bit patchy and feel a bit sticky.…
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Spring Cleaning
Day 1. Portholes, fairleads, vents, chain plates, and prop. Brasso, abrasive papers , rags and elbow grease.
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Trailer Electrics
Adding removable marker lights was a challenge. I didn’t want to end up with a fixed loom with spurs hard wired onto the main cable and markers. That way the whole removable setup would have been hard to manage on and off the trailer. So making the setup manageable meant having sections that could be…
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Chiggo
Tarka has an identical twin called Chiggo and it’s currently advertised on sale at David Moss Boatbuilders and Brokerage
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Moving to a new trailer
Decided the main winter project this year would be to move Tarka onto a new trailer. The original trailer is still a very good trailer but it is slightly underrated at 1890kgs. This may have been the exact weight when first commissioned. The whole rig now weighs 2000kg when fully loaded and ready for cruising.…
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Bala Sail In Company
This was a rally organised by the DCA which we attended. Going from Bala SC sailing up to the top of the lake where we landed on the shore for lunch, then back again.
Small Boat Voyages 