Zambra leaves the workshop

It’s exciting times in Kent, as Zambra is making the final stages of her long journey back to the sea. After ten long years of intermittent restoration, it was wonderful to see her out side again.

She was moved out of the workshop on some homemade skates, mostly due to the machinery skates not turning up on time. But with 10 ultra heavy duty castors on each skate, positioned under the keels, and two pallet trucks under the skeg out she came – with a bit of help from the forklift.

The lorry then took over, lifting her onto the bed was straightforward enough if a bit angst inducing for me, and then she was strapped down and taken round the corner to Conyer creek where the lifting cradle gently positioned her on the hard.

I was visiting friends in the marina on Saturday, so after an excellent Barbecue courtesy of Colin and Tom, I headed back to sleep on board Zambra for the first time in a decade.
The new cushions were comfy, but in the morning the lack of curtains did not play well with the whisky I had the night before. The cushions were made up by Wayne at Custom Covers in Tonge, very nicely.
The next step is the mast, which goes up (weather permitting) on Tuesday with new rigging from R&G marine in Sittingbourne, and new bottle screws. I was very conflicted on whether to stick with the beautiful bronze originals, but caution won out so there are 9 new stainless ones.
I have added a solar panel to the top of the aft cabin, connected to a Renology DC-DC charger, and two batteries which are now under the companionway steps. That has meant much shorter wiring runs to the starter and alternator than before, when they were under the step in the aft cabin.
This also was an opportunity to re-wire the keel lifting electric hydraulic pump, which now has an operating button in the cockpit, next to the ignition key. The wanton luxury of it all!

No running down below to frantically pump up the keels at a harbour entrance ( I hope!) but until it has been tried I am withholding judgement on this arrangement.

There are of course many small jobs to do still, but these will wait until we’re sitting on a quiet mooring, and there are none that are going to prevent her sailing.
Some of the more glamorous ones I have done are cleaning out the fuel tanks, and finding and fitting a new marine heads – after trying and failing to repair the corroded bottom casting of the original simpson lawrence unit. Luckily, eBay provided a replacement Simpson Lawrence in rather better condition with a very nice wooden seat, so more luxuries abound.

In theory, we will be sailing next weekend, round to her new mooring at Queenborough.

And, I hope to see some of you at Mersea week this year if not before. If anyone fancies having a look at her, please get in touch.

• Boat Name (if known): Zambra
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  Title: IMG_5424
  Caption: In we go
  Title: IMG_5369
  Caption: solar panel connected to a Renology DC-DC charger
  Title: cushions were made up by Wayne at Custom Covers in Tonge
  Title: IMG_4219
  Caption: Updated wiring
  Title: IMG_3021
  Caption: Rigging
  Title: IMG_3020
  Caption: Rigging
  Title: IMG_2993
  Caption: The new throne
  Title: IMG_0498
  Title: IMG_0483