Safety Updates 2017

I prioritised the following safety updates for Grace in 2016

Purchased, registered and fitted an EPIRB. This went on the boat before returning to the UK.

Danbouy and Kim MOB Sling

• Installed a KIM man overboard sling.
• Installed an inflatable Danbouy.
• Located a knife and holder permanently in the cockpit.
• Purchased and stored a suitable set of bolt cutters (Grace has 10mm rigging) 
• Replaced the JackStays (UV compromised)

Purchased and fitted out a Grab Bag with the following contents:

• Knife

  

  Grab Bag

• Spare GPS and batts
• Epirb
• Hand Held VHF DSC Distress call and GPS
• Spare VHF batts
• Water
• Flares
• First aid kit
• Torch 
• Reading Glasses
• Thermal blanket
• Sea sick tabs
• Whistle

Std Horizon Portable VHF with GPS

GME MT403 Epirb

Finally the current rigging refit now has the spinnaker halyard remade longer to allow it to be brought back to the electric primary winch for man overboard recovery from the middle of the boat. This is made from 12mm cruising dyneema so will be fine for loading. 

New Sails in 2017

Grace was purchased with the original UK Sailmakers tri-radials.

Original Mildew Stained UK sails

I think these were a laminated design and it was clear that the laminates were separating. Water had got in-between the layers and then dark mildew stains had formed in places. This was particularly noticeable on the genoa.

The basic sail shape was pretty blown out with both the main and genoa hooking on the leech.

We had the sails laundered and basic repairs done in preparation for the sail back to the UK from France but it was clear that these were going to be changed as a matter of course once the bank balance had recovered.

Towards the end of the 2016 season we looked at comparative quotes from North Sails and Rolly Tasker as examples of providers at either end of the price spectrum. The Rolly Tasker deal was keen and looked favourable to us.

Peter Sanders at Sanders Sails Loft, Lymington

In the end... and on local recommendation I visited Sanders Sails in Lymington and have a good chat to Peter Sanders. Prices looked to be between Tasker and North. Why would I not want a local UK manufacturing sail loft to make these for me? I went local.










With much sail cloth research and advice from Peter I went with Hydra Net Radial from Dimension Polyant. This is not a laminate but the sail cloth has spectra woven in to give the stiffness associated with modern designs. For the main and genoa we kept with the tri-radial configuration.

Hard Wind Jib hanked onto inner solent stay

I also had Sanders make a hard wind crosscut "blade jib" with reduced sail area for upwind 25 Knot + wind
speeds. This would lead us to the addition of a solent stay which is made from dyneema. The solent stay is tensioned on a 2:1 purchase dyneema control line lead back to the primary winch in a similar way (and on the opposite side) to the genny furling line.

Grace has the standard 42Msq genoa and with the hard wind jib reducing foresail area to 18Msq. Not quite a storm jib which would be more like 10Msq.


Finally some video clips of the new sails going upwind

2017 Standing Rigging Replacement

Well it had to be done at some time!

It is recognised that standing rigging should be replaced every 10 years and insurance companies may require it. As Grace is a 2006 boat we were looking down the barrel of this particular stainless steel shotgun and decided to pull the trigger at the start of 2017.

This was "encouraged" along by Pav, our rigger from RigitUK (Southampton) who we had originally engaged to install the additional solent stay needed for our hard wind jib. Pav performed a general rig inspection and warned of general rig age, fitting wear and swelling out of tollerance on the swage terminals.

Mast Removal

At this point you become a passenger in an expensive process. I am not sure you can just ignore such advice and so down the rabbit hole we went.

We sailed up Southampton water to Rigit's HQ where Grace was de-masted for a complete standing and running rigging replacement.

New Rope Stock in Preparation

Much of the rope stock on board was UV damaged and aged and so we took the opportunity to replace the lot with low stretch cruising dyneema.  

Mast Inspection

While the mast was down I was able to repair and service the radar and re-powdercoat the radar bracket. I also changed the mast hear anchor light and tricolour over to LED.

Old Rigging 

Old Turnbuckles Replaced

Strange Mastless View

An unexpected additional cost resulted from us deciding to sack off the old Furlex furling system and replacing it with a brand new Profurl 350. The old unit needed major bearing parts replacing and looked to be an uneconomic repair.

The total damage cost wise was in the region of £6200 inc VAT for the main standing and running rigging parts and labour. The Profurl  added another £2200 inc VAT so the total pain added up to around £8400 for the full job.

New Rigging in Prep

Everything seemed to work well. The boat was left to stand for a week or so with the rig set to basic tension. At this point everything settles in and any movement and stretch comes out of the wires.

The Rigit team returned before we put the sails back on to bring the rig to final tension.

I have since put a couple of turns on the lowers as the downwind pair were just going slack in 25 knot plus winds. We have also put a little more tension in the forestay so we can get the desired upwind genny shape without mast bend.

As the main is in mast furling it is best to have as straight a mast as possible when the correct backstay tension is brought on.

More New Rigging

AIS System Added

Not our example but makes the point

Audrey and I plan to make some channel crossings to France over the next two years or so.

We made one crossing from Hamble to St Vaast along with a group from Flexisail in 2016 and we realised just how good it was to have AIS to help keep an eye on the "big stuff".

Neat Install by Hudson Marine
behind the instrument panel

I had worked out our Raymarine E120 is comparable with AIS so I asked local marine electronics suppliers Hudson Marine Electronics to do the job. Hudson are based at Mercury Marina and I could quite literally walk off the boat to go and see them.

We fitted the Raymarine AIS650 system along with a VHF splitter to make use of our existing antenna. A dedicated GPS is fitted for the AIS and Hudson have hidden this somewhere! Not had a good look yet.

By now I have made one journey up Southampton water with the AIS running and updating the display with other vessels location and heading/speed etc. It is really good!



The AIS650 transmits Grace's position too when the nav systems are turned on so you can see Grace here.

https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/photos/of/ships/shipid:4762701/ship_name:GRACE