Winter Work 6

 

In a blaze of pied wingbeats, an Avocet alights. Casting its long shadow upon the glutinous bank of the rill. Which shelters the new arrival from a piercing arctic breeze. The bird surveys the shimmering waters, as they drain swiftly between its slender grey legs. Its scimitar beak and bold plumage mirrored sharp and clear.

As the tide recedes, so the land advances. Whilst the salt tolerant sedge stands its ground. Stoically watching this twice daily dance of the elements. A Redshank emerges from within intertwined stems. Enticed by a freshly formed pool.

Busily, the Redshank scurries about the mudflats. Like its surroundings, perpetually in motion. Like the Avocet, its eyes intent and beak poised, searching for the stirrings of a subsurface meal.

Teal too are down, this morning. They favour south facing slopes. Basking in the low winter sun, between languid dips.

The Avocet paces methodically seaward. Scything the silt, with its long black beak, sifting for a snack. Once beyond the lee of the earth ramparts, the keen wind shatters the stealthy hunter’s snowy reflection.

On the sea wall, red berried branches sway. Beyond them stretches the limitless horizon of the salt marsh. The air is laden with the cries of wildfowl and with saline scents. Which belong neither to shore nor sea, but are unique to these enigmatic wetlands.

Winter Work 5

 

It is New Year's Eve, in Chatham's historic dockyard. Where Nelson's Victory was built, during the great age of sail. A silhouetted crane, memento of the shipbuilding days, throws a sharp naval salute skyward.

 Christmas lights sparkle, above the decks of meticulously preserved steam tugs. Once they guided warships through the Medway's meanders. Now they are cosseted, by their erstwhile stokers and ship's boys, turned volunteer caretakers. The seafaring tugs and their crews grow old companionably. Keeping one another young at heart.

Around the three basins, with their river locks, cobbled quays and dry docks, lights glow in the windows of houses and hostelries  Which have sprung up where industrious naval workshops once stood.

The Greenpeace patrol boat Witness alights, beside Stargazer, in Basin Number One. Her sailors resting. As the brisk tempo of our bustling world is temporarily suspended. In a contemplative stillness, becalmed between the festive crescendos of Christmas and New Year.

Winter Work 4

 

If there is a chink, in Stargazer’s passage-making armour, it is her skipper. Not because of his piratical alter ego, Long John Silver. But due to the fragility of his back . Which may list, unexpectedly to port, before locking up. Occurrences can be reduced through support, by night, and exercise, by day. Life aboard reliably supplies the latter, but not always the former.

Five years ago, Stargazer's original twin 'V' berth cushions were replaced. By design, they had sported an inherently unsupportive centreline split, from new. Over their ten year life, their dual density foam filling became compressed beyond recovery. 

Their successor was a, single-piece, memory-foam mattress. It rewarded nightly, providing even support across its full width. In the mornings, my back emerged supple and refreshed, rather than stiff and injury prone.

But, over successive summer cruises, the foam has remembered my body shape all too well. Initially it 'forgot' again, during the winter lay up. But, latterly, idelibly etched furrows have formed. Which, trigger my temperamental back. Despite migrating around the mattress, in search of a supportive spot.

For the 2026 season, I have turned to motorhome specialists, Jonic. For a hybrid (pocket sprung below, foam above), single piece mattress. On the basis that a similar construction has stood the test of time at home. 

Hopes are high, that this latest upgrade will provide sweet dreams and memorable cruises in seasons to come.

Next, on the work list, is a task which must be completed before Christmas. The hanging of a stocking, at the head of Stargazer's ‘V’ berth. With which to summon Santa in from the sea, bearing a sack of boat treats (I hope!). 

May your Christmas be all that you wish for!

Picture Credits

Piratical enhancements to 'Stargazer's Skipper' and creation of 'Surfing Santa:' courtesy of Adobe AI.

Standard V berth cushions brochure shot: courtesy of Hallberg Rassy VarvsAB

Winter Work 3

 

Stargazer's domestic battery bank died, off the Cap de la Hague, as we emerged from the Alderney Race at dusk.

Fortunately, the engine start battery remained live. Enabling us to sail into Cherbourg, with Stargazer's navigation lights, chart plotter and autopilot powered directly off the alternator, with the Yanmar on tickover.

There, Stargazer's skipper was able to source direct replacements. It was only once we arrived home, to Kent, with access to the receipts file, that it became clear that the failed batteries were almost ten years old. One iteration, of our five yearly battery replacement cycle, had clearly been missed. During the disruptions of the pandemic lockdowns.

In order to increase Stargazer's off-grid independence, her domestic bank has long been expanded, from two to three batteries, through the inclusion of the original engine start battery. The Yanmar is started using an Odyssey Extreme, originally designed to fire up high-compression race cars. Although of compact dimensions, it delivers unusually high cranking power. 

It is however a specialist item. I was unable to track down a French supplier. Whilst Brexit border buffoonery prevented shipment by a UK supplier. The completion of Stargazer's belated battery replacement cycle had, therefore, to wait until our return home. Each battery indelibly marked with its installation date, this time around.

Winter Work 2

Stargazer sailed, for most of the 2025 season, with an improvised dyneema backstay. Plus its redundant predecessor, which I was loath to cut away, loosely lashed to the pushpit beside it.’Just in case.’

Stargazer's sails and spars are supported by stays and halyards made from stainless steel wire rope. Eyes are formed, in their ends, by means of crimped copper ferrules. 

These can create a point of failure, if an oblique load is applied. Acting as an anvil, which cuts the strands of the wire rope.

On the first day of the Zen Again cruise, Stargazer's rousing beat out to the North Foreland was abruptly cutailed.

When her jib tumbled to the deck, due to halyard failure. The new jib was slightly longer, in the luff, than its predecessor. Which caused an oblique pull, at the furrule, on the (also new) halyard.

With Stargazer's weather window closing fast, Alan and Sarah (aka Wilkinson Sails) pulled out all the stops. Replacing the halyard and modifying the sail, in time for us to catch our tide.

However, sobered by the jib halyard failure, Stargazer's skipper sailed south with a closer eye than usual upon her rig. And noticed that the backstay tensioner had an eye, with an obliquely loaded ferrule, where it entered its turning block.

Whilst waiting for wind, in Le Havre, a plan is hatched for a DIY solution to Stargazer's latent backstay problem. Prevention is better than cure, where the security of the rig is concerned.

A (longer) temporary backstay tensioner is fashioned from dyneema. A fibre both stronger and lighter than wire rope. But less resistant to chafe and ultraviolet degradation. 

This temporary fix sees Stargazer through the season. Albeit with signs of chafe evident, by the time we return to Chatham. Caused by the soft dyneema running on a sheave which has been roughened by abrasive wire rope. 

A November visit, to Wilkinson Sails' Faversham Creek loft, secures Stargazer a replacement backstay tensioner. It is made from wire rope and the same length as the DIY dyneema stopgap. To keep the copper ferrule well clear of the turning block.

 

Winter Work 1

"You cannot make an omelette without breaking some eggs. " It is nonetheless never wracking, to be taking a saw to Stargazer's fuel tank.

Beneath the comfortable cushions of Stargazer's starboard settee. . . . .

. . . . . lie both a food locker and the diesel tank. The latter had developed a leak, around the filler inlet, early on in the Zen Again cruise. Which was managed by a combination of keeping the tank level low; winding, frequently changed, rags around the leak point; and storing only tinned food, impervious to taint, in the locker.

All attempts at a DIY fix, by dismantling and resealing the threads on the fuel inlet pipework, failed to resolve the fault.

On our return home, I called Simon French, diesel mechanic extraordinaire. He made short work of removing the tank completely. Its contents temporarily decanted into a blue drum stood, on the cabin sole, up forward.

A pressure test, in Simon's Brighlingsea workshop, revealed that the leak was not coming from within the threaded joint. Instead, the thermal bond, between the threaded metal insert and the plastic of the tank top, had failed. Allowing diesel to escape around the outside.

It was time for some French Marine magic: 

The leaking insert was skilfully cut away, without enlarging the hole in the tank (top picture). A modified insert was fabricated - longer and threaded both externally and internally. The internal threads to accomodate the original inlet pipework. The external threads to take two large additional nuts. One inside the tank, the other on top. These clamping down on nitrile-cork washers to create a seal.(Above picture.) Overnight, the 5 psi pressure test was repeated. Successfully this time.

Zen Again 166

 Stargazer makes her stately way home. Slipping west, past the open East Coast horizons of the Swale, toward the Medway.  Borne by the flood tide and the dying embers of ‘our’ breeze.

The previous day, a Yorkshireman, a Dutchman (out of shot) and Stargazer's skipper, from Kent, assembled in the five o'clock Sovereign Harbour lock. Three thirty footers with their eyes set upon a home run. With a forty eight hour weather window before them. Bound for Hull, Hansweert and Chatham respectively.

Soon, the sun pulls aside grey curtains, of cloud, to dispel the darkness and peer out at a new day.

Stargazer lopes over a long low swell, twelve knots of breeze on the beam. The three little ships forge their way steadily east across Pevensey Bay. Fanning out, as each skipper follows their own version of the rhumb line.

We are drawn onward by a glinting crock of gold on the horizon. 

The Dutchman is hampered, by a need to use his jib halyard to hold up his mast. Instead of to hoist his genoa. His inner forestay having failed, during the hectic conditions of his arrival, in Eastbourne. Leaving him with the unenviable choice of either limping, under main only, or motor-sailing. Which he alternates. True sailor at heart.

The Yorkshireman's Jeanneau proves a tougher nut to crack. Until the breeze backs south easterly and rises to sixteen knots. When Stargazer's low slung lead keel comes into its own.

Stargazer strides off across Ryde Bay, leaving the Jeanneau dwindling astern.

Stargazer seeks the first signs, of the distinctive square Dungeness turbine towers, on the skyline. Whilst her skipper enjoys a hot crossed bun elevenses, in the cockpit. To celebrate the tide turning in our favour. Stargazer now making better than six knots. Spray licking her leeward decks.

Wind and tide whistle us past the tip of the great shingle spur.

Where we bear off for Dover. The white cliffs already visible. Stargazer’s kite is hoisted, to hasten progress. For, as the tide strengthens the wind (as forecast) is weakening.

Stargazer dives down toward the Dover docks. Where the Dutchman, later (as seen on AIS), diverts for the night. Slowed by his crippled rig; and too late on this tide to gainfully continue.

Whereas Stargazer still has three hours of fair tide before her. We ride it, past the South Foreland, Deal and Pegwell Bay.

Stargazer puts into Ramsgate for the night. By dusk, the Jeanneau joins us. Showing true Yorkshire grit, her skipper takes a short nap. Before a two o'clock departure, with the next Channel tide north. Stargazer has an easier time of it. The Thames tide turns at ten tomorrow. Affording her softer southern skipper a full night's sleep. Much needed.

Stargazer follows the morning dogwalkers, along the under cliff. Cheating the Channel tide, which flows against us.

We stay in close, up to Broadstairs. Hugging the beach, off which Ted Heath (the man who brought Britain into Europe) once sailed his Fireball dinghy. Before graduating to Morning Cloud glory.

Off the North Foreland, merchantmen begin to swing at their anchors. Indicating that the tide is about to turn in Stargazer's favour.

We shall need its assistance. Today's breeze is fair, but fitfull and light. And too far forward for the kite to draw. Stargazer ambles west, into the Thames estuary.

Gradually, the chalk cliffs and shingle beaches, of Margate, give way to. . . . .

. . . . . rolling green Kentish countryside, at Reculver.

Out to starboard, beyond the Whitstable windfarm, the London River bustles about its cargo carrying business.

Cindy the sailmaker, heading for the Swale aboard her cat-ketch, welcomes Stargazer back to home waters. Snapping our portrait as she passes. A gift for which we thank her!