Engine

Raising the Mast, Raising Myself

NeilH,

Up until recently, everything I’ve done on Sólmara has been easy — routine work, well within my comfort zone. I’ve been in safe waters, sticking to what I know. But these last few days have been different. I’ve had to venture into the unknown, push myself harder than I have in years…

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Mast

A Big Weekend

NeilH,

I’m not going to write much today. I’m shattered. The pictures tell the story. For the first time in 5 years Sólmara looks like a sailboat. There’s still work to do, but it’s safe and secure.

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Rigging

Back Among Boats

NeilH,

With Sólmara in the boatyard all my focus is now on getting the mast up. Sólmara’s mast is not your standard aluminium yacht mast. It’s far simpler. The major difference is that it is unstayed. On most yachts the mast is held upright by a variety of stainless steel wires….

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Electrics

I Messed Up

NeilH,

I’d hoped to make solid progress with the electrics before moving Sólmara to the marina—but that’s not happening. A couple of days ago, I wired up the battery monitor. It showed the correct voltage for fully charged batteries (13.2V), but the low voltage alarm was flashing, and the capacity gauge…

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Journal

My Boat Sails On – And So Do I

NeilH,

Maybe it’s because I’m getting close to launching Sólmara that my thoughts keep drifting back to 2014 — a different time, a different life. For nearly a decade, I’d poured everything I had — time, money, energy — into building a Wharram Tiki 38 in an old barn in rural…

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Cabin

Grease, Grit and Gravity

NeilH,

Trailer Trauma Yesterday, the weather gods granted me a brief reprieve from the recent ridiculously heavy rain, so I knuckled down and got the trailer serviced. By “serviced,” I mean stripped the hubs and brakes down completely to check, clean, and grease everything—something I probably should have done before towing the boat…

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