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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:

      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
                                          • GilesG
                                            Giles
                                            IHUK Crew
                                            Joined:

                                            Thank you cap'n.....

                                            "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 1
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