6th August: Door curtain modification + U bolts

The (rather expensive) “Companionway Blackout Screen” which I had bought from Force 4 (see 5th June entry) has a mesh window designed to allow ventilation while keeping out mosquitos. For me keeping out rain seems more important! I’ve used the bit I cut off to shorten the curtain to make a flap to cover the window. This was something of an accomplishment since it meant getting my sewing machine (last used a few years ago for model boat sails) back into working order, and remembering how to use it!

I’ve also fitted two more U-bolts either side of the hatch (ringed in the photo). In rough weather these will provide somewhere easy to clip on to while moving forward from the cockpit. At other times they will provide somewhere to secure e.g. the fall of the spinnaker halyard. Because I have mainly got clutches for the various control lines there has been a lack of spare places to make ropes fast to! The new U-bolts are in the part of the cockpit roof which is mainly ply (rather than foam sandwich) so I didn’t put any extra reinforcement inside the cabin.