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    Iron Heart Update 2026

    Giles and Paula's Great Retirement Adventure

    Iron Heart Meet Ups & Travel
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    • GilesG
      Giles
      IHUK Crew
      Joined:

      I woke up to fierce winds and a lot of rain. Impossible to apply primer in those conditions. Got to the boat to fix all the internal mechanicals, and there was a respite, so I managed to get the first coat of (thinned down) primer applied. Then is pissed down again, luckily the paint was touch dry by then, so all good. Need to leave this coat for as long as possible before second coat, so hoping for better weather later. Tomorrow morning, 2 coats of anti foul, and then back in the water.......

      IMG_3907.JPG

      IMG_3908.JPG

      Mechanicals all fixed and secure (and working)....

      image.png

      "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 seawolfS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 4
      • seawolfS
        seawolf
        Mod Squad
        @Giles
        Joined:

        @Giles What a project! You must be so glad to be getting it wrapped up.

        “Good design is actually a lot harder to notice than poor design, in part because good designs fit our needs so well that the design is invisible” - Don Norman

        @zeebeeleather

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

          I am, because I fly to Morocco first thing Friday, so tomorrow is a sort of hard deadline.

          But, on a positive note....I now understand a lot more about the boat, the hull construction, the steering mech etc, so in a masochistic sort of way, this cloud had a silver lining....

          "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 4
          • GilesG
            Giles
            IHUK Crew
            Joined:

            I was just checking the weather for later today, so took a look at wind speeds this morning. Gusting 42 knots, yeah, it was windy....

            "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
            • GilesG
              Giles
              IHUK Crew
              Joined:

              Waiting for the rain to stop…….

              IMG_3910.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 5
              • GilesG
                Giles
                IHUK Crew
                Joined:

                And it did....
                IMG_3924.JPG

                Next stop, water....
                IMG_3925.JPG

                And she floats...
                IMG_3926.JPG

                IMG_3927.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 endoE 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 10
                • KarolK
                  Karol
                  啓蒙家
                  Joined:

                  👍👍👍

                  Favorite:
                  IH-888S-21 | IH-888-XHSib | IH-805 | IH-729-PUR | IH-555-SST-BLK | IH-555S-25MB
                  IHSH-339-SAX | IHSH-293-OD | IHSH-362-BLK | IHSH-409-IB | IHSH-336-OD | IHSB-BIGBUCK-BLK | IHSB-PR-NAT
                  IHV-44-BLK | IHV-02-BLK
                  IHJ-75-BLK | IHJ-79-BLK | IHM-37-ODG

                  last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • endoE
                    endo
                    見習いボス
                    @Giles
                    Joined:

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

                    And she floats...

                    nice, always a hand's breadth of water under the keel (as we say in german) 🤟

                    si tacuisses

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

                      It’s an extremely windy day in Cowes, just on the chain ferry from East to West Cowes (and Smoking Lobster)

                      IMG_4076.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 1
                      • louisboscoL
                        louisbosco
                        啓蒙家
                        Joined:

                        was that the one we went past after lunch and had to be careful of the depth of water?

                        "Loyalty is a two way street. If i'm asking for it from you, then you're getting it from me."

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

                          SAKURA, Duver Marina, Bembridge Harbour, Isle of Wight...

                          image.png

                          "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 11
                          • GilesG
                            Giles
                            IHUK Crew
                            Joined:

                            My little sister is having a party in Paris in July (she lives there, so it's not as pretentious as it sounds). Paula and I are working out if we can sail SAKURA there. Well, of course we can, but we are looking into the how we actually do it and how long it will take....

                            5073d216-b967-4770-9a76-62d400681a64-image.png

                            "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 J ROmanR 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 10
                            • MattM
                              Matt
                              見習いボス
                              Joined:

                              That would be pretty amazing.

                              last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • J
                                Jett129
                                見習いボス
                                @Giles
                                Joined:

                                @Giles I’ll be in Paris in May,that would’ve really been amazing. If you were also going to be there then.

                                last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • ROmanR
                                  ROman
                                  Haraki san Prodigy
                                  @Giles
                                  Joined:

                                  @Giles This does sound amazing......

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

                                    About a year ago, Paula and started to discuss life after SAKURA. Unless we buy second hand, anything that we would want, would be a 1-3 year delivery. We think that by then, we'll want something a little smaller, with just 2 cabins (we have 3 on SAKURA) and possible an outside helm as well as an inside one.

                                    In September, I happened across a tiny little boat builder on Wales, who make the most sublime boats I have ever seen, functional, fast, seaworthiness off the scale etc etc. We went to see them and do a sea trial.

                                    This the one we trialled (not me at the helm 🙂 )

                                    84ce7778-567f-453c-853d-8b78751f8ded-image.png

                                    It was gobsmackingly accomplished in seas that I thought the trial would have to be called off for. We got very excited, started speccing one for delivery in late 2027 (they make just one or two in total across all models) per year. The following morning we woke up and reality had kicked in, we simply could not afford one. Bugger.

                                    On Tuesday, I was contacted by Dale. The very one we had trialled was coming onto the market (owner moving to Australia), and Paula and I were the first people to be approached. It was launched in February and has 90 hours on the engines. It's basically new. It is massively specced, and we were offered it for 40% off list.

                                    Initiate cat-amongst-the pigeons mode. I met with the Sasga rep on SAKURA this morning, and he believes we can net ($'s) what we need, to buy the Dale.

                                    So basically it's a stonkingly good deal, we think we can afford it, but we may run out of time waiting to get an offer on SAKURA.

                                    Initiate what-will-happen-will-happen mode.

                                    It's a wait and see.

                                    For those of you who would like to see more, click below....

                                    "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 ROmanR louisboscoL 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 15
                                    • Daniel SanD
                                      Daniel San
                                      見習いボス
                                      Joined:

                                      keep my fingers crossed!

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

                                        And it made Aquaholics top 10 of 2035

                                        @13:52

                                        "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 gazza61G 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 6
                                        • gazza61G
                                          gazza61
                                          Raw and Unwashed
                                          @Giles
                                          Joined:

                                          @Giles I love watching that channel .good luck with the yacht.

                                          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                          • KarolK
                                            Karol
                                            啓蒙家
                                            Joined:

                                            @Giles & @Madame-Buttonfly I can't wait to witness the next chapter. Seems like all stars have aligned.

                                            Favorite:
                                            IH-888S-21 | IH-888-XHSib | IH-805 | IH-729-PUR | IH-555-SST-BLK | IH-555S-25MB
                                            IHSH-339-SAX | IHSH-293-OD | IHSH-362-BLK | IHSH-409-IB | IHSH-336-OD | IHSB-BIGBUCK-BLK | IHSB-PR-NAT
                                            IHV-44-BLK | IHV-02-BLK
                                            IHJ-75-BLK | IHJ-79-BLK | IHM-37-ODG

                                            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
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