Putting Beta III back in the water means that there are quite a few jobs that we’ve been putting off for some time that are now urgent. The good news is that she has weathered the last couple of years in Ipswich remarkably well. There was some water in the bilge but this was dispatched by the pumps very quickly, also there is some water damage inside from leaks from the deck which happened before we got the cover (more on the cover at some other time!). But generally nothing that isn’t fixable fairly quickly.

The list as it stands.

Things we’ve done (always very motivated to start lists with completed items)

– BLACKING ON THE HULL: the last coat had deteriorated a fair bit due to UV and had become chalky. Tom has already done this and made remarkably quick work if it, particularly when I think what slow progress it was massaging all that jotamatic on to the hull.

– WINDOWS: there were two rogue windows that were never sealed and screwed in properly. I finally got another bunch of brass screws (although forgot to get the domed nuts) and they are in.

Things to do:

– ANODES: we have worked out what we need, got them on order and lined up a welder to attached them to the hull.

– DOOR: being out of the boatyard means upping the security and Ian has almost finished making a beautiful iroko door from the offcuts of the counter in our shop (which were originally science lab benches).

– THE LIFT: travel lift all taken care of by Fox’s Marina. And in a fit of sanity, I’ve opted to do the lift in one day, and the tow round the coast the next. Very sensible for my stress levels (should also comment that at 5 months pregnant, my involvement will be from the sidelines).

– THE TOW: got a chap lined up for this who assures me that it “might bounce about a bit” but is no problem. As ever, weather could prove a problem, so fingers crossed the wind plays ball.

– GENERAL CLEAN UP: once it’s moved, there’s absolutely no reason not to use it, so it needs to become less worksite and more gin palace. Nothing a deep clean can’t sort.

Cracking on before the 5 October deadline!