Probably like most other boat owners you’ve been unable to visit your charges for a while now. We’re no different here but we still have jobs to do!

The main fun job I’ve had has been finishing off our new tiller. Our old one snapped off the day after we moved Rosie to be lifted out at Martham! I think the simple force of the current from astern on the rudder and the tiller being tied up caused it to break. It was very rotten but all hidden within the metalwork at the base so almost invisible to all but thorough inspection.

Before Christmas I purchased a shaped and epoxied but unvarnished tiller from Steve at Teign Tillers via one of the Westerly Facebook groups.

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First coat of international varnish and looking very good! I did four coats in all, rubbing down with 600 grade wet and dry in between each coat.

Finished!

I have now almost totally run out of boat-related jobs at home, the gearbox is done and ready to go to the boat but is sitting in my garage until the distant day I can get to Norfolk again.

My next task is semi-boat related. I plan on doing a tiny amount of trial and error with some epoxy and glass mat in my shed to try and fix one of our dining room chairs. Should take me a couple of days but it’s not like I can go to Homebase and get a new chair.

Stay safe!