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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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    • GilesG
      Giles
      IHUK Crew
      Joined:

      One of my fishing mates was out on his boat as we came into Portsmouth last night, and grabbed a few photos....

      370715411_1269217840460350_6832739852104494005_n.jpeg

      371470377_1294369881185404_5421369600409071414_n.jpeg

      371517349_271371355672143_6442828044504120765_n.jpeg

      371924366_997377924637671_4476670931269266105_n.jpeg

      371950638_6750487631661612_3432238420548161509_n.jpeg

      Which reminded me that I had not taken down the Jersey courtesy flag....

      "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 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 5
      • GilesG
        Giles
        IHUK Crew
        Joined:

        And if you want to know what the Ecrohous look like....The Thompson family hut, which is where we went is in the top middle of the pic(stock photo).....
        ecrehous.webp

        And a photo from it at mid-tide.....

        WhatsApp Image 2023-09-02 at 11.54.17.jpeg

        And low tide (stock photo)...
        importedImage257090_5.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 Giles goosehdG 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 6
        • goosehdG
          goosehd
          Mod Squad
          @Giles
          Joined:

          @Giles That’s rough and I don’t think anyone could live like that…/s

          "I don't give a shit what anyone else is doing, we will do what is best for us and our customers" - Giles P. :)

          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • GilesG
            Giles
            IHUK Crew
            Joined:

            On the way to the island for lunch with @Madame-Buttonfly ....

            WhatsApp Image 2023-10-10 at 17.24.56.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 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 14
            • NikN
              Nik
              Raw and Unwashed
              Joined:

              Looks pretty blissful

              last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • GilesG
                Giles
                IHUK Crew
                Joined:

                We knew that we would need cleats on the swim platform of SAKURA. In the Med, they are not really needed because most mooring is done stern-to. But in northern Europe where we have actual tides, stern-to is not common, and we will normally moor side-to a floating pontoon. So to get access to the boat without tripping over mooring warps, we need them. I had spec'd them to be added on during the build, but for some unfathomable reason, I deleted them.
                So we had to get some made, and boy are they things of beauty.

                They are going to take ages to fit because we have to add access panels and that creates a series of further complications. Anyway, today, I got the big bolts that will fix the cleats onto the swim-platform deck. They are 316 (or A4) stainless steel and came unpolished, so I have spent an "enjoyable" (actually, sad to say, I do quite enjoy it) hour or two polishing the bit that can be seen (was going to say head, but thought better of it)....

                IMG_9886.JPG

                IMG_9885.JPG

                Backing plate I had made out of 316 plate by a local engineering firm.

                IMG_9883.JPG

                IMG_9884.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 todyT 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 7
                • todyT
                  tody
                  啓蒙家
                  @Giles
                  Joined:

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

                  They are 316 (or A4) stainless steel and came unpolished, so I have spent an "enjoyable" (actually, sad to say, I do quite enjoy it) hour or two polishing the bit that can be seen (was going to say head, but thought better of it)....

                  Any fingers that got hurt in the process?

                  last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • GilesG
                    Giles
                    IHUK Crew
                    Joined:

                    Not this time. Surprisingly, I learned my lesson......

                    "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 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • motojoboboM
                      motojobobo
                      啓蒙家
                      Joined:

                      Your gorgeous splice-jobs will look their utmost best on those mirror-finish cleats!!

                      The journey is the objective.

                      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • GilesG
                        Giles
                        IHUK Crew
                        Joined:

                        Thank you 🙂

                        "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 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • ROmanR
                          ROman
                          Haraki san Prodigy
                          Joined:

                          Nice polish job.

                          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • GilesG
                            Giles
                            IHUK Crew
                            Joined:

                            Nerd mode enabled....

                            7,000 drawings, 3,800 knots 🤯🤯🤯🤯

                            IMG_9978.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 todyT goosehdG 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 8
                            • todyT
                              tody
                              啓蒙家
                              @Giles
                              Joined:

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

                              Nerd mode enabled....

                              7,000 drawings, 3,800 knots 🤯🤯🤯🤯

                              Gordian Knot, too?

                              last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                              • goosehdG
                                goosehd
                                Mod Squad
                                @Giles
                                Joined:

                                @Giles Practicing Shibari??

                                "I don't give a shit what anyone else is doing, we will do what is best for us and our customers" - Giles P. :)

                                last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                                • MattM
                                  Matt
                                  見習いボス
                                  Joined:

                                  I love knot tying. I just can’t ever remember them.

                                  last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • GilesG
                                    Giles
                                    IHUK Crew
                                    Joined:

                                    So, for any of you who are remotely interested in the fuel tank issue, today we got to try some shit out.

                                    Basically, I was told that I needed to get the port engine to fail (which historically has occurred when the port tank gets to 30% full). I told them to get fucked, I was not going to knowingly take SAKURA out and force a situation where I lost an engine), so I came up with an alternative (and much safer plan). It relied on my getting both tanks to about 40% full. Over the last few weeks, I have got us to that point. Today we pumped fuel from the port tank outlet via a transfer pump and pipe, into the starboard tank - we could do that tied up to the dock, putting no one or nothing at risk. The theory was that when the port tank registered approx 30%, the transfer pump would start sucking air, and hey presto, we had proved that it was a tank issue.

                                    Of course that did not happen. At approx 30% fule left in the port tank, it started sucking a bit of air, but still transferred fuel. This continued until the tank was registering 22%, at which point I got bored and said that we should hook up everything as it should be for normal running, and try and start the engine. That we did, and the engine ran for a few minutes and then shut down.

                                    So we think that the fuel somehow gets throttled back at 30%, the transfer pump does not give a shit because it is unintelligent, but the engine management system senses a slower flow rate and shuts the engine down before any damage is done.

                                    Next step, Volvo Penta guys come in next Tuesday to measure fuel flow rates on both engines at different fuel levels....

                                    "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 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 5
                                    • MattM
                                      Matt
                                      見習いボス
                                      Joined:

                                      Forgive my ignorance but isn’t there a warranty or some kind of lemon law. For a boat that nice I’d expect them to be flying a replacement engine to you and installing it.

                                      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                                      • GilesG
                                        Giles
                                        IHUK Crew
                                        Joined:

                                        Yes, there is, and all the work we are doing is under warranty, and I don't mind getting involved because it increases my sum of knowledge. But we have to work out what the problem is before we can fix it. Fuck all use replacing the engine and it turns out to be a tank issue or vice versa.....

                                        "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 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                                        • goosehdG
                                          goosehd
                                          Mod Squad
                                          Joined:

                                          Congratulations on figuring it out and being able to replicate the problem. Hopefully the Volvo guys can take it from there and you can sail with peace of mind.

                                          "I don't give a shit what anyone else is doing, we will do what is best for us and our customers" - Giles P. :)

                                          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • MattM
                                            Matt
                                            見習いボス
                                            Joined:

                                            Understood. I’m sure your knowledge of fuel systems is a hair more extensive than before. And I’d imagine a course in marine mechanics and fuel systs wouldn’t be cheap if the boat mfctr weren’t paying for it. Carry on.

                                            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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