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Iron Heart Fall/Winter 2025 Collection Preview - Now Live

Giles and Paula's Great Retirement Adventure

Iron Heart Meet Ups & Travel
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  • G
    Giles
    IHUK Crew
    Joined: 22 Sept 2009

    We can swap anodes and clean the hull, when she is in the water. But stripping, grinding, painting, putting in or modifying through-hull fittings etc etc , she needs to be out.

    "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

    last edited by 13 Mar 2025, 17:22 T 1 Reply Last reply 13 Mar 2025, 19:42 Reply Quote 0
    • T
      tody
      啓蒙家
      @Giles
      Joined: 24 Feb 2021

      @Giles what are you using to clean that up? flap disc on an angle grinder?

      last edited by 13 Mar 2025, 19:42 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • G
        Giles
        IHUK Crew
        Joined: 22 Sept 2009

        Loads of shit....

        Most of the flat faces I can do with a flap disc on an angle grinder. Then the difficult bit to get to, various steel and brass wire brushes, manual and cordless drill.

        The shaft I did with long lengths of #120 sand paper roll wrapped around the shaft and back and forthed....

        "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

        last edited by 13 Mar 2025, 21:13 B 1 Reply Last reply 13 Mar 2025, 21:18 Reply Quote 2
        • B
          Bridger
          Raw and Unwashed
          @Giles
          Joined: 3 Mar 2021

          @Giles said in Giles and Paula's Great Retirement Adventure:

          The shaft I did with long lengths of #120 sand paper roll wrapped around the shaft and back and forthed....

          Sounds like a different version of Karate Kid. It would make Mr Miyagi blush.

          last edited by 13 Mar 2025, 21:18 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • G
            Giles
            IHUK Crew
            Joined: 22 Sept 2009

            Before and after. I decided to do the P brackets after all. I also added an anode to each shaft,, better safe than sorry....

            IMG_2829.JPG

            IMG_2847.JPG

            "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

            last edited by 20 Mar 2025, 17:19 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
            • G
              Giles
              IHUK Crew
              Joined: 22 Sept 2009

              And back into the water she goes....

              IMG_2854.JPG

              "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

              last edited by 20 Mar 2025, 17:22 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 7
              • J
                jordanscollected
                啓蒙家
                Joined: 13 Nov 2018

                do most boat owners just pay to have this done @Giles? or do they do it themselves less frequently? Does the marina require boats to be taken out and maintained a number of times per year? or do you simply not have a choice if you want your boat operational?

                maybe it's like getting a vehicle serviced. every 6 months you have to take her out and give it a once over?

                world tours:
                888 Fat guy chocolate WT
                Mad Red x2
                Wabidashery

                last edited by 20 Mar 2025, 21:20 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • G
                  Giles
                  IHUK Crew
                  Joined: 22 Sept 2009

                  I think that it is very variable. Most people who own boats I know take them out of the water once every 6 months or year (but then I'm in an echo chamber). At the very least you should check the anodes and jet wash the hull. You can do a "lift and hold" to do that, but this time I wanted to cut, wax and polish, check and top up anti-foul and sort out a warranty issue with one of the trim tabs, which required replacing a "hull-thru". I've taken the decision to pull her out again in October, because I want to check how my new anode regime is working, probably re anti-foul her and see how my bare metal running gear is holding up. I will get all sorts of deals on the lift out and trades in October, so I'm thinking of making that my annual pull-out. The yard was horrendously busy this time and there were only 2 slots all week for them to put us back in the water.

                  Having said all that, there are some extremely sad boats in the Marinas and on swinging moorings. People have fallen out of love with sailing, run out of money, inherited a boat, but aren't interested, bought. one and scared themselves shitless the first and only time they have taken her out etc etc.

                  Brighton Marina is a graveyard of rotting boats, the mooring fee's are very low, so you get loads of people who cant afford to live in a house living on a boat, but clearly money is still a struggle. The same too in Gibraltar, but that is more about broken dreams, people who wanted to sail the Med, round the world, across the Atlantic, but got as far as Gibraltar and then gave up, the Marinas are full of basically floating wrecks. I call it the Sea of Broken Dreams....

                  "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                  last edited by Giles 21 Mar 2025, 06:39 N 1 Reply Last reply 21 Mar 2025, 07:01 Reply Quote 5
                  • N
                    Nik
                    Raw and Unwashed
                    @Giles
                    Joined: 12 Nov 2020

                    @Giles That is a great read

                    last edited by Nik 21 Mar 2025, 07:01 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • G
                      Giles
                      IHUK Crew
                      Joined: 22 Sept 2009

                      Oh sorry, I only partially answered the question. Many owners pay to get all this shit done, but then many owners struggle to put 50 hours a year on the hull (Paula and I are at 610 in 21 months), and treat them as floating cottages/gin palaces.......Not that I am meaning to be judgmental. But, it is important to me that I understand as much as possible about how the boat works and what to do when it breaks. Every time we do something like this I know that I know the boat better, and I think that makes me a better sailor, certainly a better owner.

                      We have found a number of issues with the boat (all warranty stuff) that probably exist on every one of these made. But we are pushing the boat probably more than any other owner, so we are finding stuff that no one else has found, changes have been made to the production line as a result.

                      "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                      last edited by 21 Mar 2025, 09:15 A A 2 Replies Last reply 21 Mar 2025, 12:51 Reply Quote 3
                      • A
                        ARNC
                        啓蒙家
                        @Giles
                        Joined: 13 Dec 2020

                        @Giles so it might be worthwhile for the boat people to send you new models to play with (like IH do with samples)?

                        “Every day that you survive you get a free sunset“

                        last edited by 21 Mar 2025, 12:51 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • G
                          Giles
                          IHUK Crew
                          Joined: 22 Sept 2009

                          I did tell them they should be paying me for all the trouble-shooting I was doing.......

                          "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                          last edited by 21 Mar 2025, 12:59 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                          • T
                            Tago Mago
                            Mod Squad
                            Joined: 16 Jan 2021

                            I'm sure you'll get a nice discount on your next boat

                            last edited by 21 Mar 2025, 13:02 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • G
                              Giles
                              IHUK Crew
                              Joined: 22 Sept 2009

                              The next boat I want is not the same brand. And about 3 times more expensive, so it wont be happening 🙂

                              "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                              last edited by 21 Mar 2025, 13:03 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • J
                                jordanscollected
                                啓蒙家
                                Joined: 13 Nov 2018

                                @Giles That was a fantastic read. The folks at the Marina must see you as a model boat owner. I had this elevated view of your marina being full of active and engaged sailors I failed to see what's in front of my face. someone in my family has a boat in the marina on the river here in town and the shape of fellow boats and actions of fellow sailors sounds very similar. There's plenty of rotting boats, boats that never get launched in the first place when the ice is out, and many boats that are used as a weekend getaway but never leave port. So many people come down to the dock just to hang out and drink visit with other boat owners. Gas is so damn expensive a 3 hour cruise up and down the river can cost $300 in gas. plenty of people can't swallow that every weekend for reasons you stated. They inherited the boat, or bought it cheapish only to realize that boat ownership cost doesn't end at the purchase. It begins there.

                                world tours:
                                888 Fat guy chocolate WT
                                Mad Red x2
                                Wabidashery

                                last edited by 21 Mar 2025, 13:43 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • G
                                  Giles
                                  IHUK Crew
                                  Joined: 22 Sept 2009

                                  Yep. Before Paula and I decided that we wanted to do this, we put together a very padded budget and projection of costs for the next 10 years. It was doing that which made us realise we could actually do this crazy thing, but also not fret too much about spending money on fuel, marina fee's, maintenance etc. Because we padded the costs, I know we have wiggle room and as long as we come in under what the spreadsheet predicts per month, I don't care how much we spend. That way we can enjoy ourselves with no sorries about costs.

                                  "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                                  last edited by 21 Mar 2025, 14:01 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 4
                                  • A
                                    Aetas
                                    見習いボス
                                    @Giles
                                    Joined: 19 Jun 2013

                                    @Giles said in Giles and Paula's Great Retirement Adventure:

                                    … But we are pushing the boat probably more than any other owner, so we are finding stuff that no one else has found, changes have been made to the production line as a result.

                                    Exactly this doesn’t sound like retirement.
                                    More like ‘shift and changes’ as a life motto.
                                    Wasn’t there a plan of the Menorcan builders to sell in the UK based on your boat @Giles ?

                                    last edited by Aetas 23 Mar 2025, 08:09 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • G
                                      Giles
                                      IHUK Crew
                                      Joined: 22 Sept 2009

                                      There is a UK agent, and has been for a few years. But, we are still the only Brits to have bought one so far 🙂

                                      "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                                      last edited by 24 Mar 2025, 13:02 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • G
                                        Giles
                                        IHUK Crew
                                        Joined: 22 Sept 2009

                                        We are currently fitting a new awning. It is amazing......

                                        IMG_2868.JPG

                                        IMG_2869.JPG

                                        "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                                        last edited by 24 Mar 2025, 13:03 G 1 Reply Last reply 24 Mar 2025, 21:03 Reply Quote 7
                                        • G
                                          Giles
                                          IHUK Crew
                                          Joined: 22 Sept 2009

                                          @jordanscollected Case in point…..

                                          IMG_2872.jpeg

                                          "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                                          last edited by 24 Mar 2025, 16:58 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
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