Friday 9^th June 2006

Went up to the boat in the afternoon with a new battery and set about fitting it. I knew that there would be a few issues since it is bigger than the old one but the catalogue of problems that developed was astonishing even by the standards of old boat maintenance.

Removed the master switch from the old battery box, selected a new location and made a new bracket to mount it. Wired up the new battery - no power. Continuity testing revealed that the master switch had switched it’s last switch. Wired it out of the circuit and discovered that the VHF wasn’t working. Further continuity testing showed that the radio’s in-line fuse was intermittent. Re-wired the tiller pilot’s power supply.

Saturday 10^th June

After a visit to the swindlery I attempted to fit the new master switch but naturally everything about it was a different size to the old one. Modified the wiring terminals and the mounting bracket and it finally fitted and worked. Fitted the new fuse-holder and it needed the personal touch too.

Sunday 11^th June

Drove home via Ardlui and ‘phoned Ash who was out sailing of course but we arranged to meet further down Loch Lomond at Inveruglas. I took Mistral’s lines as Ash and Joan came alongside the pontoon in a moderate breeze and we chewed the fat for a while over a cuppa and marvelled at the antics of the other loch users. Truly scary. Do people feel safer because they’re on fresh water?

I volunteered as crew in exchange for a lift back to my car and we set off up the loch. It’s only 5 miles but the wind is so fluky between the steeply sloping shores of the narrow upper reaches of the loch that the sails were back and forth like a demented fiddler’s elbow. I’ve never seen so much sail trimming in 5 miles of essentially downwind sailing!

All good fun and Mistral is certainly a fine vessel though I can’t help thinking she should be allowed to stretch her sea-legs on the briny some day. Thanks for the experience Ash.