Thursday 18 September 2008

SOIA Broads Rally 2008














Hi All,
I've just returned from The Norfolk Broads where the SOIA hold their September rally each year. The Broads are a collection of old peat diggings that have flooded and which are interconnected by an assortment of rivers and channels, this may not sound very nice but I can assure you that the area is very beautiful and full of a wide range of wildlife. The weather was very kind to us this last weekend so the sailing was great and the pubs were even better!
We had 9 boats in all attend so we tended to fill most of the moorings when we stopped, we even managed to coerce the guide at Horsey staithe to open up the old wind pump for us to have a look around!







Wednesday 16 July 2008

SOIA Rutland Rally 2008







The SOIA hold their AGM at Rutland Water every June, there are a few races and social activities making it a very pleasant weekend! The rally was well attended with over 15 boats, I shall have to get the wife to take a few pictures of Helen B out on the water next time out! Here are a few I managed to take whilst ashore.
Our next trip is to the Norfolk Broads in September but the SOIA has another two outings before then! See the website www.soia.org.uk

Wednesday 14 May 2008

SOIA Windermere rally 2008





















I have just got back from a rally at Lake Windermere! The Silhouette Owners International Association run a rally there each May. Here are a few pictures!


















Friday 2 May 2008

New trailer under construction


I bought an old roller trailer and have had this frame made to fit it, it should make loading the boat much easier!

Tuesday 8 April 2008

In her element!




Helen B resides at Carsington Water on her trailer, we occasionally allow her a little freedom.

Swabbing the decks!!


Keith checking my paintwork!

Topcoat.



Topcoats on both the deck and topsides.

Painting.



I used Jotun boat paint. This is the undercoat or should I say third coat of!

Rebuilding the external.





The old bilge keels were replaced with new ones and glassed onto the hull.

Rebuilding the internals.











Unfortunately I did'nt take any photos during the reconstruction but this is the nearly finished article.

Before the reconstruction.


This was as she was bought and on her original trailer.

External metalwork





External metalwork was not much better than the internal stuff!

Removing the rot.




All the internal woodwork was removed along with a few bits of steel.

In the beginning




Most of the internal woodwork was rotten, along with some of the metalwork!