I have been busy with some motorsport and family commitments recently so there is little progress.

There was a trip to the Essex Boat Jumble where I picked up some useful bits including new lights for the cabins at half price.

Meet up with Nevil from the YBW forum who kindly gave me some Glass fiber chopped strand matting and polyester resin.

That will be most useful.

I have had a better look at the damage in the keel box and now understand what needs to be done.

The main damage is to the front of the box.

This is only 10mm away from the main bulkhead.

It is going to be difficult job.

Southampton Boat show this weekend.

Found that my C-Map chip has survived the sinking. Result.

Managed to get a good deal on a new Standard Horizon chart plotter and VHF.

Also met the chap who runs JG Tech.

His web site normally has the best prices anywhere.

Now talking to him about the rest of the electronics.

The engine started once we wired up the pre heaters.

Smoked a lot for the 1st 30 seconds.

I think it had a right to do so, we had filled the bores with diesel as soon as we had her out of the water.

Ran the engine for at least 30 minutes all seems o.k.

Gears select o.k.

We lifted Sirenia out of her trailer today using 4 chain hoists.

Keel removed.

There is some damage to the front of the keel box

I have decided that I have got to get Sirenia's keel out of the keel box to make a good repair to the box.
The 9 bolts holding the top block to the main keel casting have badly rusted away and need changing anyway.
I will grind these off.
I do not fancy trying to get the keel into the cabin.
To much weight to be playing with in a confined space.

So to get it out I need to lift Sirenia off the keel.
This involves a vertical lift of some 4 ft.

I have had more of a look round at work and have found that the covered area outside the vehicle workshops is a substantial steel frame structure with beams that I can get strops round 5m above ground level.
We have a lot of strops in the stores.

I can get Sirenia in there on her trailer.

I have managed to get some of the bolts holding the top of the keel on to undo.
They look like they were some sort of cap bolt.
I cut the head of one and was grinding away a bit of it that was stopping the washer from coming off when it started to unscrew.
I then set about the other bolts with a cold chisel and club hammer.
I persuaded 6 of them to come lose in the end.
I have had to cut the heads of 2 more.
So the top section is off the keel and it is ready to drop out of the boat.
I have brought a couple of 5m straps via e-bay.
Just need the chain hoists now.
Going to talk to the local hire co. that we do a lot of business with. 

With a friend I have been looking at the Beta Engine.
It all looks o.k.
When we stripped the engine, we tested the starter motor and it worked o.k.
Put it all back together the other evening and would the starter go.
NO IT WOULDN'T

I have now had a go at it and it is working at the moment.
We will introduce it to the engine again tomorrow and hope that it all works.

Today we put Sirenia in the water for about 3 hours.
There was no evidence of any water around the back of the keelbox where I expected it.
The was a small amount in the locker to the port side of the keelbox.
It appeared to be coming from the front end of the box.
There was no leak from the stern gland.

I think that we need to get the keel out of the box to see what is going on.
That is going to be difficult.
It weighs about 300kg.
it can't be dropped out of the bottom for 2 reasons.
it is sitting on a cross member of the trailer she is on and I have no way of lifting her off the trailer.
There is a large top block on the keel that has been bolted to it for 20 years and for most of that time has been in salt water.
It will have to come out into the cabin if that is possible.
I have e-mailed the Designer Julian Everett to ask his opinion.

This afternoon I have agreed a settlement with the Insurers GJW.

They are making a cash settlement at a very fair figure and paying the recovery costs.
They are not writing her off and will keep the insurance in place at a reduced value until I have completed the repairs.
We will then agree a new value for her and away we go.

I am very pleased with GJW's treatment of this claim.

Sirenia her self is back home and nearly striped out.
We have removed her engine and given it a once over and it seems o.k.
The starter motor is working.
In the next few days we will try to start it.

The electronics seem to have had it.
Nothing wants to fire up.
I have hopes the the C-map chip is o.k. but can't find some one with a plotter that will take it to see if that is the case.
The new Autohelm 1000+ is working but the bottom casing is damaged.
I have a old unit and hope that the case off that will fit.

The plan now is to find the leak by launching her at my local sailing club and then curring it.

A lot of work to get on with now.

My thanks again to all those who turned out to help with the clean up and for all the messages of support from members of the YBW.com East Coast forum.

I am pleased to let you all know that Sirenia is now back home and parked in the car port ready for work to start on her restoration.

Had a quote today for the work.
Not unexpectedly, it is a lot more that the insured value.
Now waiting for the insurance co to get back to me

I have been trying out some of the electronics.
The, new this season, Autohelm 1000+ fires up and seems to be o.k.
The Navman Plotter (New to me this season) is not playing at the moment.
The boards seem o.k.
I need to get some one with a bit more clued up on these thing to look at it.

I can't thank all those who turned out to help enough.
Saturday's work party achieved more in 1 day than I could of managed in a month of Sundays.

Lenseman has taken a lot of "before we started photos"

Here is a small selection.

Before we left her last night we put about a foot of water in her as requested by the Surveyor.

I went back this morning to see if the leak had showed it's self.
The only thing I could see was a small drip at the rear of the keel slot.
The surveyor is going to have a look for him self on Monday.

Again many, many thanks to all the workers.
I would be in a lot worse state that now without your selfless help.

Looking forward to getting her home and getting on sorting her out.
My aim is to be back on the water in time for Oostend next year at the latest.

Starting to think about the refurbishment

The surveyor want me to get 2 quotes for the work.
He has told Felixtowe Ferry Boat Yard to supply one.
He has suggested that I could quote my self.
The big cost items are:-
Mast and standing rigging.
GRP repairs. (Keel box and and repairing the 3 stanchion bases that have been pushed through the balsa cored deck)
New electronics
Re wire all systems
Engine refurbishment
new pulpit
new upholstery
Replace cabin lining

I believe the the work required if carried out at commercial rates would cost more that the insured value.
The alternative is to let them write her off and buy her back.
I don't know what value they would put on her.

A lot of the damage was caused during the recovery.
I am quite confident that I am capable of doing the work.

The hard bits will be fixing the leak and repairing the stanchion bases.

I am tempted to let them write her off and then I would be free to do the job how I want with out any further involvement from them.
I know that I will need a new survey before I could insure her again.

I went to Ramsholt this morning to find Sirenia sitting up right on the mud bank near Roger's mooring with the water level around her slightly higher that normal
I went over to her and found that the water had drained out of her to below the top of the centerboard case.
She was aground on the mud with about 1 hour of the ebb to go.
There was an awful mess in the main cabin with the water up to the top of the engine compartment.
The top 1' of the mast was bent aft at 90 degrees and there was a 45 degree kink in the mast at the point where the sail slides are put into the track

I called the boat yard and then said that they were on their way.
Once they were on scene we had an engine driven salvage pump going and quickly cleared most of the water out.
The keel was right down and wedged in the mud.
We tried to lift it but it was not having it.
We would have to wait for the tide to lift her a bit.
Looking around for the source of the leak we could find nothing obvious.

The mast had been damaged when the barge that they used to drag her from deep water snagged the back stay.
The chaps said that the spreaders on the mast where under water when they arrived.

Once the tide had lifted her a bit we managed to get the keel up and pull her free from the mud.
We had an alongside tow down the Felixstowe Ferry.
There did not appear to be any increase in the water in the bilge during the trip.
Once at the yard she was recovered ashore with their trailer sling thing.
We has a good look all over her bottom and the only thing we could find was a slight bulge at the rear of the slot the keel drops though and a dent where the keel had hit it.

We has caught the keel on the dinghy slip last weekend when going along side the Quay at Ramsholt to unload.
I can only assume that this is the cause of the leak.

I am taking the Trailer down tomorrow with the hope of bring her back to Cambridge on Sunday If the insurance Co will allow that.

Had a good look over Sirenia with the Surveyor
The source of the leak is not obvious.
He has asked that we give her a good clear out and then leave some water in her.
He will go and look at her again on Monday.

I had a call from the office to phone George, The Harbour Master at Ramsholt.
( Thank you to Roger (Sailorman) for acting as the messenger.)
He told me that Sirenia had sunk on her mooring overnight.
He has called out the Felixstowe Ferry boat yard with their recovery barge to try to lift her.
They have managed to get her onto the mud bank nearby and will recover her tomorrow.

I am going there tomorrow to see how bad the damage is and try to find out what happened.

I have informed my insurers (GJW) and they are going to appoint a surveyor who should contact me in the next few days.

Can anyone give me any guidance on things to think about or do to make sure I end up with the best result.

There is no way I will give her up.
I will get her back into use and better than before.

Thanks again to Roger.

Have been in the Walton Backwaters with the YBW.com East Coast Forum for a Pirate weekend.

Had a great time.

Put Siernia on the beach but had som trouble when getting of the beach.

The rope on the prop was a bit embarrassing
It was due to muddled thinking by me or no thinking at all.
I wanted to get the main anchor out 1st as it was set along the beach.
and then to haul her out on the kedge that was made fast on the port quarter.
For some reason I started the engine before we had the main anchor broken out.
We where struggling with this as the lever for the anchor winch had vanished.
The line on the kedge had not be let out enough to get us over the main and for some reason I dumped the remaining length of kedge line over the side instead of paying is out.
The engine got accidentally kicked into gear and then stopped.

We had the stay by the beach on 2 anchors for the night.
We touched bottom about 5 a.m.
8.30 saw me kneeling in 6" of sticky mud excavating the prop and unwinding the rope. (Thankfully I had put my chest waders in the boat instead of back in the car boot as I normally do after launching the dinghy)
It had got jambed between the prop and the cutlass bearing.

Back afloat mid day followed by a rolly surfy trip back to the Deben.
We got the the Deben bar before the tide turned.
With that wind blowing I would not have fanced the bar with a Deben spring ebb running.

Despite all that my crew of newcomers to sailing had a wonderful time and can't wait to do it again

Now home safe and dry.
Will have to clean Sirenia is still covered in mud. Hopefully it wel get washed off by our wonderful summer weather. If not I will have to do it when I can get down again.

Well the weather was looking better and I did not want to delay launching any longer.

I took Friday afternoon off and we slowly towed Sirenia along the A14.

We went to Suffolk Yacht Harbour and launched on their steep slipway.

Following a car trip to Ramsholt to drop off the dinghy we set to sorting out the rigging etc.

We tryed out the new plotter to check that it was getting AIS Data.

No luck.

After some serching we found that there was a loose wire.

As soon as that was sorted it was all action.

We could see ships as far out as the Cork.

Havibg sorted that we had a meal and snuggled up in our sleeping bags for a very cool night.

Saturday

We left SYH about 08:00 and had a great sail out of the harbour and down the Wallet to Brightlingsea.

It was a beam reach with the tide under us and the wind of the land.

We stayed within 300 ydrs of the beach most of the way and when straight over the Coln Bar in 4m of water.

In Brighlingsea we meet up with some other members of the YBW Forum for a meal at the local curry house. (The Kovalam)

A very enjoyable meal with good company.

And a very reasonable bill at the end.

Up early Sunday Morning. Quick breakfast and get ready to go.

Depth instrument shows 0.6m water depth.

That is odd.

The keel is right down.

Must be in soft mud.

Try rocking her.

No movement.

O well, just jack the keel up an bit.

40 pumps later there is some movement.

Better pull the rudder up a bit as well.

Of we go down to the River Coln.

We run out of water (0.3m) just before we reach the river proper.

Back off and try a different angle of attack.

Same problem.

My crew then point out that we should be leaving the green painted beacon to port.

This tactic work very well.

We had a good wind from astern to push us over the early flood out of the river.

No short cuts over the Coln Bar this morning.

Just hauled round to head up the Wallet and the wind eases down and it starts to snow.

The brave crew on watch (That is snow on the side of J's head).

The Skipper took the Photo from the relative shelter of the cabin.

The speed dropped away and the snow got harder.

The shore line vanished in the snow.

That is it. Engine on and motor sail.

Can't spend all day out in this.

J started to go a bit quite once we were off Walton so I took over and sent him below to make himself a hot drink and try to warm up.

Made good time to the Deben Bar and rode the last of the flood up river to Ramsholt.

Went along side the quay to pick up the dinghy ans as there was plenty of water stayed there to cook and eat FB pies and potatoes and off load our gear.

J and I took Sireina out to our mooring and, as more snow was threatening, quickly got sail covers on as secured her.

Back to SYH to collect the RR and trailer and off home through another big snow shower.

When we told out tail at home they said "What Snow"

Been nice and sunny in Cambridge all day.

61.5 miles over the weekend

Well the weather forecast was correct and the weather is rubbish again.

I decided to keep Sirenia at home for 1 more weekend.

I have splashed out on a Navman 5507 plotter, A C-Map Mega-wide chart and a NASA AIS engine.

I have spent today fitting and wiring all the bits.

I have Navman instruments and have managed to get the plotter to take their info over a data bus.

I can't check out the AIS at the moment as there don't seem to be any ships transmitting AIS data in the Cambridge area!

The old Lowrance plotter with its Chart chip are on e-bay.

Hope to get back on the water next weekend if the weather will be a bit more cooperative.

Well the weather beat us.

The forecast for the Easter weekend was not nice.

We decided to abandon the planed delivery trip.

As I had paid for a 7 day river licence I was determined to make some use of it.

Friday we headed up the river Cam as far up into Cambridge as we could get.

That is Jesus Green Lock.

We mixed it with some rowing 8's much to my rowing Son's embarrassment.

Then it was back down river through Bait's Bite Lock and Bottersham Lock and onto the Great Ouse to Ely.

My old sailing club at Ely has access to the river and I have always wanted to take Sirenia to the club.

Not one to turn down an opportunity we gave it a try.

The access is through a narrow cut round by the old river authority yard and under a bridge carrying the Ely - Kings Lynn railway.

The opening through the bridge is only about 10', Sirenia has a 9' beam.

We made it and motored over the the sailing club landing stage.

There were no club members there unfortunately.

There were a couple of fishermen in the landing stage.

They muttered about not being allowed engines on the lake.

We took a photo to prove that we had been there and set of back to the river.

Back into Ely and just got moored up before the heavens opened.

We spent the afternoon reading and surfing the net.

Evening meal at the Cutter Inn.

Friends from the YBW forum dropped in for a chat.

Back on board for a cold night!

We were joined on Saturday by another YBW forum member for the trip back to The new sailing club.

We where very glad that we were going in the same direction as the wind when the snow and sleet showers descended on us.

Back at the club we got Sirenia onto her trailer.

The slipway is at 90 degrees to the entrance road and to get pointing at the gate I pulled to the grass opposite and then tried to reverse back onto the road.

This was a mistake the grass was very slippery and I ended up with the trailer wheels well dug in and the Range Rover gust spinning it's wheels.

After a lot of attempts at digging around the trailer wheels and using some tracking the club had we finally got things moving again with the help of another club member with his Discovery.

Finally got Sirenia back home and parked up.

The forecast for today was Snow so we abandoned plans to tow to the coast and stayed home.

The forecast was correct as we had at least 2" of settled snow by mid morning.

Hoping to take Sirenia to the coast next weekend.

Well, Sirenia is afloat again.

My son and I have been working hard the last few days to get her raedy.

All the important bits are done.

Launched today at my new sailing club.

Access onto the site was a bit tight.

The slipway worked well.

It is very good to have her afloat again.

Had a short trip up the river and then got down to changing the engine oil and filter.

The weather is not looking good for the delivery trip next week.

Looks like I might have to trail over to the Deben.

This evening I have just managed to get the Engine running from the new fuel tank.

This is a much larger capacity tank about 13 gallons against 5.5 for the old tank.

Now just got to:-

Change the VHF cable in the mast

Change the cable feeding the steaming light on the mast.

(Both the above damaged due to some twit tying the roller reefing gear down on top of them when lashing the mast down before the tow home last autumn)

Install gas vent pipe from cockpit floor to skin fitting.

Antifoul the rudder.

Repair the old tiller (I have run out of time to finish the new one)

Clean out all the rubbish and dirt I have made during the winter.

Load up all the kit that has been taken off.

Can't wait to get her afloat again on Sunday.

Following the A14 fun.

I had not done a lot to Sirenia what with domestic duties, Christmas and lots of other excuses.

I did take out the Starboard side cabin Windows and rip out the starboard half of the main cabin lining.

Following that I have been laid up recovering from a planed hernia operation.

I have been offered the use of the mooring at Ramsholt again this year.

I do not fancy towing Sirenia Back to Woodbridge.

I have been making other plans.

The local sailing club on the River Cam has a slipway that looks like it will take us.

The clubs Cruising Secretary said it would be o.k.

I have resigned from my old club in Ely and applied to join this club.

So the plan is to launch onto the Cam and travel down river through Ely and Denver Sluice to Kings Lynn.

Put the mast up in Kings Lynn and then head out of the Wash.

Turn Right and then (24hrs later) right again into the Deben.

This needs to happen at Easter to allow us up to 4 days to do it.

Got to get Sirenia ready for sea.

I have been gathering materials to make new windows and lining.

This is the 1st weekend that I have been fit enough the get on with the work.

My son has be able to help.

We have made new windows and the lining that goes on the inside of the cabin around the windows.

This afternoon we have finally bedded the windows in and through bolted then to the lining with interscrews and pan head bolts.

The Lining material we are using is a 2.5mm plastic that is normally used to line Commercial kitchens and Laboratories.

The old lining was foam backed vinyl on plywood.

Some of the ply around the windows had rotted away completely and the vinyl above it kept hanging down.

The new work looks a lot better but I am not sure about the bedding compound I have used for the windows.

I think it will be o.k. but we will have to wait and see.

Very little chance of geting down to Sirenia for the last few weeks.

Time to bring her back home.

Saturday
Took the trailer to Robertson at Woodbridge and then went on down to Ramsholt.

Had a nice sail up river.
Had lunch and then got Sirenia onto the trailer.
Mast down and all strapped down.

Had a bit of a fun getting out of the boat yard with vehicles parked in difficult places.
Then away to the A14 and head for home.

Need to keep the speed under 50 when down hill or she starts snaking.

Just getting to the East Bury St Edmunds junction.
Down hill, right hand curve, lorry ruts in the inside lane.
Chatting away and the speed is 55ish.
Lorry ruts upset things and a big snaking session starts.
Towards the end of it I am looking out of my side window at Sirenia sliding sideways down the outside lane with smoke and sparks from both offside trailer wheels.
Here we go thinks I.
But luckily we slow to a halt in that configuration.
Wait for the bang as someone runs into us but it does not come.

Engine still running so I pull the rig straight.
Get out to have a look.
Some chap pulls alongside and asks if we are o.k.
Yes I think so.
We are just short of the on slip so I drag the rig over to the edge of that.

Police turn up after a few minutes.
Couldn't be more helpful.
We took a wheel of the near side and put it on the off side.
One tyre seemed a bit to flat.
One of the Coppers took it to a nearby garage at put some more air in it.
Once that was sorted the police suggested that we tow the boat to the next junction and then head for a Tesco car park off the roundabout.
This was achieved at 5 mph with a police car front and back on Blues.

The traffic Sargent driving the car at the back showed us back into a redundant bit of roadway and then came for a chat.
We agreed that we would need to fit new wheels before we went back on the road.
He left happy and wished us good luck in finding new wheels.

I was not at all happy to leave Sirenia there but had no option.
Came home. Had a stiff drink and went to bed.

Back to Bury on Sunday to have a look at her in daylight.
She was sitting at a funny angle on the trailer but no damage we could see on the hull.
The rudder frame was a bit bent and the rudder end of the tiller was smashed.
Could not see any impact marks on the rudder frame until I looked underneath it.
I recon that it had been sliding along the top of the central reservation crash barrier.

Went to see the manager of the Tesco store and told him that we could not move her until we had new wheels which would not be before Monday.
He said that was fine.
We unloaded all the most valuable gear into the Rang Rover and went home.

Went back to her this morning to find her still o.k.
Went to Anglia Trailer Center who could not have been more helpful.
Ended up with a new set of wheels and a much lighter wallet.

Wheels fitted and then a slow drive back home.

Sirenia is now tucked up safe and sound at home.

The friend from work who kindly let me moor Sirenia at his riverside bungalow last year and his son came out for the weekend.

They arrived after dark on Friday.

Up and about quite early Saturday morning Coffee and bacon rolls for breakfast.

Off the mooring at 9ish.

We couldn't get over the Bar until about 10:30 so we went for a sail up river to above Waldringfield on the flood and then turned back and slowly headed down river punching the tide.

Once out we headed down the coast and into The Walton Backwaters.

This was a big spring tide day and the wind had a lot of north in it.

We decided to see how far we could get going round Horsey Island.

We got all the way.

We crossed the Wade with a foot of water under the keel and only started the engine to get up the Walton Channel as we did not fancy tacking through the moorings.

By 14:30 we had the anchor down by Stone Point for lunch of Hot rolls, ham cheese etc.

We then headed of for Felixstowe to look at the ships and then carried on up the Orwell.

A phone call secured us a berth in the Ipswich Wet Dock.

As we headed up river I put a sausage casserole in the oven.

We got into the lock at dusk and went on to find our allocated slot with the illumination of the street lighting around the dock.

We sat down to the casserole and some tined spuds and then went to explore the area.

In the morning, after breakfast, we explored further and found Spirit Yachts base with the 100 footer moored up outside.

She had been at the Southampton show last week.

What a boat!

She does not look big until you start looking at the normal fittings and realise how small they look.

We headed of to the lock and where back on the Orwell by 10:00

Not enough wind to sail so it was a gentle motor down stream.

Below Suffolk Yacht harbour we found a small racing fleet of yachts all with spinnakers up but no wind at all.

Once we where out of the harbour the was a bit of a breeze and we sailed back to the Deben and with a lot of help from the incoming tide some of the way back up river.

Back on the mooring by 14:45.

Mileage for the weekend 58.2

Mileage for the year 791

The members of the East Coast Forum on YBW.com had agreed to meet at The Rocks, upstream from Ramsholt on Saturday afternoon.

I went back down on Friday.

When we had beached Sirenia in Burnham I had managed to get some anti fouling on the areas of her starboard side that we can not get at when she is on her trailer but the port side would not dry out.

With low water at about 15:00 I took her up to the rocks and by anchoring close to the beach and then taking the kedge anchor ashore I hauled her onto the beach bow first and sat back to wait for the tide to go out.

Dried out nicely.

Managed to anti foul most of the areas that I could not do before.

There is an area in the center of the hull that I can't get to.

I will have to think about haling her over on her beam ends to get at it.

Back afloat by 18:00 and onto the mooring.

Up early Saturday morning and off into wood bridge by car to get stuff for the BBQ.

Back on board by 10:00 and off down river to meet one of the forumites who was a bit concerned about crossing the Deben Bar for the first time.

She followed me into the river and up to the mooring and rafted up on Sirenia.

She and her crew them cooked a late breakfast for us all.

Other boats came by on their way to The Rocks so we headed of upstream.

An afternoons fossil hunting for shark teeth on the beach. (no luck)

A nice BBQ that evening followed by a quite night at anchor.

The next morning it had been agreed that we should all sail up and down a bit and photograph each others boats.

This was done and the visiting boats headed for the bar.

I went along and then turned back and headed for the mooring.

Big clear up and off home and back to work.

About 20 miles

Total  for the Year to date 732.8