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| CLASS | Atalanta |
| BUILT | November 1966 |
| HULL No. | 196 |
| Condition | Restoring |
| Location | Aberdeenshire |
Bluster Boat Blog Posts
 | Cockpit Corner Reinforcement and Repairs to Aft Bulkhead 2021 August - Bluster has guard rail stanchions at the aft end of the cockpit. These were bolted through the stringer and the deck with a block beneath and above. Unfortunately, after being pushed around a bit, the water had got in and rotted the deck, so the plan was to insert a more substantial block to take ... Comments: |
 | Repairing the Split in the Topsides 2021 July - As reported in Bluster’s last blog post, there was a worrying split in the topsides at the starboard aft end of the cockpit where the aft deck moulding is joined to the one at the side of the cockpit. To repair it, the laminates were stripped back to good wood, leaving approximately one inch overlaps ... Comments: |
 | Repairs around the rubbing strake 2021 June - The hot sunny weather we are having in Scotland at the moment is ideal for wood repairs as the exposed laminates are nice and dry before being sealed in with epoxy.
Water collecting behind the rubbing strake where it was not well glued to the hull had got into the hull and deck laminates and caused ... Comments: |
 | Bluster Progress – Removing Rusty Iron and Making Good 2021 May - Work on Bluster has continued in April and early May. Much of April was spent removing rusty bolts from the engine bay area and rudder skeg. The keel stops were removed without difficulty, the bolt heads and nuts just fell off when hit with a spanner. Only one of the eight bolts securing them had ... Comments: |
 | Bluster’s Keels and Steelwork Removed 2021 March - After much prevaricating, Bluster’s trailer was removed and the keels lowered to the ground. The supporting steelwork was then also removed for inspection.
Before removing the trailer, I cut off most of the keel band. This was rusty, but still had quire a bit of steel left. However, some of the securing screws were broken and ... Comments: |
 | Steering Gear Wear and Corrosion 2021 February - With the snow melting and the weather warmed up (relatively), work on Bluster has resumed with the stripping out of the steering mechanism.
The whipstaff bearing had a bit of play, but I wanted to take it out to inspect it. This was easier said than done because the square bushing on the cockpit side had ... Comments: |
 | Engine Bearers and Thrust Bearing 2021 February - The weather continues to be very cold this winter in Aberdeenshire, and now we also have 20 cm of snow. Consequently, not so much work has been done on Bluster.
After much work with angle grinder, lump hammer, punches, spanners and pipe wrench , the engine bearers, and the bolts supporting them, have all been removed. ... Comments: |
 | Bluster’s 1GM10 Serviced and painted 2021 January - Bluster’s engine was winterised, but otherwise in reasonable working order. It was badly rusted in places, the fuel and oil pipes were beginning to rust, and the paint was peeling off much of the lower half, so it needed a partial strip-down, clean up and repaint. Most of the bits that could be removed without ... Comments: |
 | Getting Bluster’s Engine Out 2020 December - Bluster currently has a Yanmar 1GM10 diesel engine, a replacement for the Volvo Penta that she previously had. It has been fairly reliable, but the paint was peeling off the lower half due to excessive amounts of bilge water at times, one of the rubber mounts needed replacing, and the water pump needed rebuilding. The ... Comments: |
 | Repairs to Bluster’s Bow 2020 November - Work has continued on repairing the bow area of Bluster. The deck area had some rot wherever it had been penetrated by a screw or bolt, allowing water to get into the end grain of the laminates. The king plank was full of holes from alterations to the stem fitting, but was not rotten, so ... Comments: |
 | Bluster’s Foredeck Repairs 2020 September - The foredeck from the cockpit to the forehatch has now been repaired and just needs fairing and some longitudinal slats replacing.
The top laminate repairs on the bubble have now been faired and a start made to placing an additional lamination on top of it to replace thickness lost due to sanding in the past sometime. ... Comments: |
 | Cockpit Restoration 2020 July - I am now restoring Bluster’s cockpit at deck level. Getting the jib sheet tracks off (all four of them) was a struggle as many of the brass bolts were corroded into the wood, sheared off, and had to be drilled out.
The curved pieces of deck at the aft end of the cockpit are also in ... Comments: |
 | Bluster Refit Progress 2020 July - Making the most of the warm weather and Covid19 lockdown to work on repairing the deck laminations and replace the rotten frame tops. Progress is slow, but steady.
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 | Side Deck Strengthening 2020 June - On Bluster, between the companionway bulkhead and the main bulkhead the side deck and blister were joined without any reinforcement other than the quarter round on the outside. This led to separation, water ingress, rot, and my son putting his foot through the deck, It was patched up and reinforced with a steel bar under ... Comments: |
 | Diesel Bug in Fuel Tank 2019 July - Why you should always add a biocide to your diesel fuel (see photographs)!
The algal gloop formed a mat lying on the bottom of the tank. As there was a 3 cm gap below the fuel pickup to the flat bottom of the tank, the fuel siphoned out of the tank was clean. Removing the tank ... Comments: |
 | Bluster in two big bits (and many small bits) 2019 June - Bluster is now under an all-weather cover so it is possible to work on her even when the weather is not as fine as it should be.
Many of the fittings have been stripped off, and today the coachroof was separated from the deck. This was quite a job, but needed doing as she had developed ... Comments: |
 | Refit of Bluster Started 2019 April - Work has started on Bluster’s major refit, now that the weather is warmer and dryer. I am starting to strip off the bits that have not been off for a long time, if ever, to expose what lies beneath and repair it if necessary, starting with the deck as many of the known soft and ... Comments: |
 | Bluster arrives in Scotland, from Suffolk 2018 August - After many years of being based at Ramsholt on the Deben and sailing the Thames Estuary with forays to Holland, France and Scotland (by trailer), Bluster has now moved to Scotland where she will undergo a refit before hopefully cruising the east, north and west coasts.
[EDITOR Note: See also the post from the AOA Forum ... Comments: |
 | The Best Laid Plans-A183 Bluster’s log-July/August 2012 2013 February - The best laid plans …… Or an enjoyable alternative“Where are you going for your summer cruise Jane?” ”Hopefully West, but if that
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