I had at last finished my wee job that keeps me busy during the winter, so it was time to buckle down and help Beverley complete all the jobs that need doing before we can venture out on our adventures.

Departure day - 8

All our ropes were dirty so they needed cleaning before we could set off. I decided that we would treat ourselves to a new backstay so the first thing that needed doing was for the rope to be measured. We also wanted the backstay to be longer, because once or twice it has fallen off the boat, because the rope is too short to coil correctly on the back rail. Some of the ropes that we remove need a mousing line to be put in its place, for example, the reefing car lines. There are just a few blocks that the line needs to go through, so we attach a piece of string as the mousing line. For longer lengths where you need a mousing line then string is not strong enough, but for the little bit that we needed for the travellers, it is fine. There are a lot of lines that can be removed, for example,

• the sheets on the Genoa - when we remove these lines we use a dog rope to keep the line furled
• The main sheet - We just have to remember how to run the line afterwards which is centre, front then back
• the kicker - For this the lines are small then large
• the Genoa car lines - We use string to go around the pulleys, so that it is easier to put them back afterwards
• the back stay - If you remove this line then use a dog rope in it's place while it gets washed. We are going for new this year

Once, all the lines were removed, then we simply use a slip knot to start then we just pull the lines through the loop and continue as if you are casting on for knitting. Once, we have reduced the lines in this way, then we attach the two ends together with cable ties. This way the lines do not tangle in the wash.

Departure day - 7

It was a really windy day, so we couldn't do anything out side so we started passage planning. We are only thinking about our initial plans and looking at how the tides are in this area, so the tide starts to run south at low tide and low tide is in the morning for the second week of April. This will suit us as Beverley's Mum wants us to go over to Carrickfergus for a few days. I've also booked a clean for Wednesday, so hanging out in Ballyholme bay, will be a great place to start. We will get our shake down done while we are close to a marina, so if we need something we can get sorted out. We also discussed the huge list of jobs that we still need to do like

• Sail - Currently on our side deck, so that needs to be raised
• Anchor Service - This is really a good clean, but this year we might turn the chain around so that the current top is at the bottom and the current bottom is at the top. In addition to the chain being sorted out, our plate below the anchor is wobbly so needs fixing
• Engine Service - Every year the engine needs a service
• Door Project - As we have no time left for a proper project, we will only be having slats. I am worried that the door will crack down the middle, so I want a back-up plan

Departure day - 6

We had to do some shopping, so we had to go to a number of stalls, so we bought

• New line for our backstay
• Wood so that we can make washboards
• New sailing jacket

I decided to buy a new jacket as my wee treat for all the work I have done during the winter