Author Archives: admin

The removal of Enfys’ keel bolts is described in  here. In this article, Bill Dowell continues the story by describing the installation of the bolts and the re-building of the keel case. On the underside of the ballast keel the … Continue reading →

‘Enfys’ needed some fairly major maintenance and this had been in the planning for about a year. She had a busy 2018 sailing season with Bill Dowell- about twenty five separate trips and short voyages. But with concerns about the … Continue reading →

The structural elements that enclose a Finesse swing keel provide many routes for unwelcome leaks. (A) Ballast keel bolts. The external ballast keel is held on by 13 bolts which necessarily pass through from the wet side to the inside of … Continue reading →

“What’s a little wet to a water-rat?” asks Ratty when Mole apologises for upsetting their rowing boat in Kenneth Graham’s Wind in the Willows. What’s a little wet for a wooden boat, for that matter? Well, it depends on where it … Continue reading →

We had reached Hardewijk (3) , moving along the coast of the old Zuider Zee between the mainland and the recently reclaimed province of Flevoland. At the northern entrance to this passage, the water is part of the Ijsselmeer; but, … Continue reading →

This article combines information, intuition and speculation in equal parts. I wrote it in order to straighten out some ideas that I had concerning the smoke that would issue from the exhaust as revolutions rose through the 2000’s- was my … Continue reading →

Amongst the paperwork that came with Lady Christina was the following piece, written by her 4th owner, Ian Peak. For most of her life she was a northern girl. Now she is in Friesland, where (thanks to Brexit import rules … Continue reading →

When Arjen Schipmolder began to investigate the condition of the decks on Tig (F24), he found widespread degradation. Eventually, the entire deck was replaced, together with some deck beams and a section of the top of the starboard sheer strake. … Continue reading →

The experiences of Nick Ardley and F24 ‘Whimbrel’. This article is for remedial action which can be taken with Finesse decks. If you have areas of irreparably damaged plywood, then a more drastic course of action will be needed. See … Continue reading →

The experiences of David Parsons and F24 ‘Gypsy’. I am writing this article to pass on experiences and tips that I have learned from maintaining the decks of Gypsy, my Finesse 24. I do not profess to be any sort … Continue reading →