Owens L'ill Slice of the Web

We sailed Coppelia for the first time in 20 years! A couple of lengths of the Gaasperplas and a big smile on my face…

I finally got the mast on Coppelia up yesterday, and the sails raised, really pleased!

Still a way to go before first trip on the water:

• Sail repairs: cleats on foresails, rip in spinnaker.
• Mainsail outhaul (clew) needs strengthening.
• Halyards need fittings splicing to the line.
• Toestraps to be purchased and fitted.
• Deck fittings need sealing in place, keel bolt needs sealing.
• Rear lockers need lockable catches fitting.
• Sort out the forestay bottom fitting, it’s a mess at the moment.

The list is growing shorter every day

Coppelia being lifted

I lifted Coppelia  yesterday and removed the keel. A hundred kilos of cast iron, pretty awkward to handle but lifting the boat was actually quite easy once I’d worked out the correct way of securing her.

The keel will now be renovated, it’s the last really big job before I can sail her for the first time in many years.

More photos in my gallery; here.

Recreatienoordholland.nl; is a good site to see all the major outdoor areas in the Amsterdam region (Noord Holland). I just discovered that my local area, Gaasperplas, is really just part of a much bigger area, the Groengebied Amstelland.

So far it’s Owen 0 – Pigeon 1
I’m loosing a battle of wills with a pea-brain. Arrgh. Can’t persuade her to leave my balcony.

Update: I’d have preferred to solve this problem some other way than having her die on me, obviously exhausted or sick. Now I feel really bad.

The carillion in Gaasperplas is now working again! Not everybody round here likes it, but I have always thought it was a really nice feature of the area.