One of the downsides to sailing (and, as the owners agent would affirm, there are many) is that it is very easy to get cold or wet or both at the same time and, in a small boat surrounded by the wavy stuff, it is difficult to get hot and dry unless you go sailing in the Med or Caribbean. So I have decided to equip Vagabond with heating: not a traditional coke stove but gas fired Central Heating for a quick blast of hot air when shivering over the docking tot* after we are safely attached to the hard stuff at the end of a long day spent enjoying ourselves. This extravagance requires a gas supply to be stored somewhere so Will (in the boatyard) has created space in a compartment in the stern quarter for a gas bottle or two. The challenge was to work out how two bottles can be put in, stowed, used and then taken out of this space because anything going into it has to pass through a 210mm diameter hole in the top.
Fortunately it has been a long and sunny day. Eventually, much pencil chewing, measuring and sawing of plywood and foam sheet (ugh) achieved the rather inelegant result shown above. This 3D jigsaw should all fit in but the proof of the pudding will be when Vagabond is collected. Stand by for some rapid modification before the glue is be applied!
*Docking Tot: Stiff drink offered to skipper and crew after safe arrival at destination port.
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