December Progress and Rosalind on the Hard

We hauled Rosalind just in time as the creeks around the Bay started freezing and snowflakes started floating down, a gentle reminder that it was time to call it a season. Even though we had wanted to head south, we knew that we would use our winter effectively to get Rosalind ready for a spring launch. Early April, our planned launch time, is just around the corner and there is plenty of exciting and interesting work to be done.

First Signs of Winter

So in the mean time, we drive down to the boat, work onboard and drive back to the house at the end of the day. We have had one very cold spell so far, with windchills in the single digits (5 F, -15C) and we stayed home for that; otherwise, even when the nights are in the 20s (-1 to -5C), we still drive down to Rosalind. The cabin heater is making work onboard much more pleasant, even if it takes a little time to warm up the cabin from sub-freezing temperatures.

Since Rosalind went on the hard we have built (out of inexpensive plywood) two wooden boxes to house electrical switches - the boxes will be made out of teak at home this winter when it is too cold to work onboard. One will house switches at the helm and the other will cover the wiring coming down from the mast. Additionally we have installed the new battery charger with its remote control panel and we are very pleased with it. The charger replaced the one that "fell off" the bulkhead earlier in the season.

We are adding a new deck wash pump to help clean the anchor chain when we anchor in mud. On our previous boat we had an anchor locker and no windlass. I could haul the chain up by hand, deposit it in the anchor locker and clean it with buckets of sea water at my convenience. Rosalind has a chain locker below, forward of the V-berth, but no anchor locker. When we want to get going after being at anchor, the windlass hauls the chain and deposits it inside the boat in the chain locker. Because of this, the anchor chain needs to be washed as it comes up. On our shakedown to Saint Michaels it took over twenty buckets of water to clean up all that thick mud. After that, installing the deck wash moved up near the top of the to-do list! The new deck wash pump is installed in the V-berth, and is electrically connected.  The plumbing will be connected next. I am replumbing the head (toilet) intake so that the same through-hull seacock and strainer can be used to provide sea water to flush the head or the deck wash by simply turning a valve handle. The valve and pump switch are installed at the base of the V-berth on the port side. This is a very nice location as they can be reached even with the V-berth filler in place. Here are a few pictures of our work. We hope you enjoy them.

Thanks for following us,
Alex and Cheryl

Windshield Wiper Switches - plywood mock-up box being test-fitted at the helm

 Newly Installed Battery Charger Control Panel  (lower left)

Battery Charger Remote Display - 

Conditioning voltage may appear high but it is not. Batteries were at 30F (-1C)!

Deck wash Pump  - Sea Water Selector Valve (for Head or Pump) and Pump Electrical Panel

Happy Holidays

Our Current Plans

A lot has happened in the last month after we started heading South. After identifying the engine mount issue, we started working on it and all indications (to date) are that we should be fine on that front, and more sea trials will confirm this. We optimized our work to take advantage of warmer days to do epoxy work and we got the engine mount work done. Here are some pictures of our engine work.

Engine suspended in engine room

Epoxy and fiberglass work on the starboard stringer (under the engine)

Additionally, we relocated the engine exhaust vented loop from the port lazarette to the aft cabin.  Here is a picture of it in its new spot.

Engine exhaust vented loop in aft cabin (looking forward)

We were getting ready to head South but good old winter caught up with us. The first flurries, short days, and subfreezing temperatures hinted that maybe it was just too late this season to get to the warm South. We knew that this was a possibility back in February when we started the restoration/rebuild and while we prioritized the work, we knew it was going to be tight. So we made the decision to stay put for the winter and to haul Rosalind. The weather gurus are forecasting a very cold winter and we did not want to take any chances with getting frozen in and having problems.

We will continue our work over the winter - the built-in heater will come in very handy for that - and will resume our shakedowns in early April. The to-do list will keep us very busy through the winter and we will keep you posted on our progress. In the meantime, we will also post some thoughts on boat size and voyaging preparations.

Here is a sketch of Rosalind on the hard waiting to get shrink wrapped for the winter.

Thanks for following our blog,

Alex and Cheryl

A Tour of ROSALIND

ROSALIND is a Neptunian 33, built in the UK in 1974. She was moulded by Tyler Boat Company (aka Tyler Mouldings) and finished by two companies:  Johnson Sons and Jago and J.W. Shuttlewood and Son. She is a center-cockpit ketch, 33 ft on deck (10 m).

Rosalind at her mooring in Galesville, Maryland, USA

Looking forward from the companionway:

Salon to port, galley to starboard, and V-berth forward of the head

We had in our minds what would make the ideal boat for the voyage. The wish list included protection from the elements for the person at the helm, good water and diesel tankage, full standing headroom in the salon and a manageable sail plan. We also wanted the boat to be in the low thirty feet range, or around 15,000 lbs (7 tonnes).  Larger and she would be difficult to handle by one of us and shorter she would not have the storage capacity and room to make a comfortable long-term voyager.

Over the years, I have spent countless hours online and in person looking a different boats. To provide some stability, we had developed the 7-day boat buying rule. The rule was simple: no action could be taken until seven days after the decision to buy was made. After having looked at probably thousands of boats online and many others at different marinas in the US and overseas, the Neptunian 33 had eluded us. Maybe it was that only 56 were made, or maybe it had fallen though the cracks of the different searches.  After seeing her online, I called the broker and inquired. ROSALIND was in a small marina, tucked in the Rhode River, a stone's throw away from where we have had our previous boat, AISLING, for a dozen years. We arranged a meeting with the broker and went to see ROSALIND. After a thorough walkthrough, we were hooked. An offer was made on the spot. The 7-day rule could not be enforced here!

From the bow going aft (front to back), she has a chain locker (accessible from the fore cabin), a V-berth and a head (W.C. with shower). Across from the head is a sink and vanity. The main cabin has a dinette to port and a galley to starboard. The dinette converts to a double bed and a large companionway connects the main cabin to the cockpit.

Galley to Starboard

Dinette to Port (looking aft)

There's a wheel on centerline at the forward end of the cockpit and a chart table to port. There are cockpit seats with under seat storage (lazarettes) on both sides of the cockpit, and a swinging seat that can be used by the person at the helm if they do not want to stand. The seat is removable and the swinging peristall stores against the forward part of the cockpit, under the chart table, when not in use. The forward half of the cockpit is covered by a hardtop. This hardtop is one of the main features that attracted us to ROSALIND.  It provides protection from the elements and a moonroof above the wheel allows the person at the helm to see the main sail and the masthead of the main mast. In addition to the hardtop, there is a removable enclosure with clear plastic sides that can be used to completely close off the cockpit. There is storage throughout the boat, under the berths and outboard in lockers and bins. Water capacity is over 100 US Gallons (400 L) and fuel is about 85 US Gallons (350 L).

Cockpit (looking to starboard) - main cabin companionway with hardtop above

Cockpit (looking to port) - Swivel seat, engine instrument panel, autopilot and chart table

Helm and Alarms Panel

Under the cockpit is the engine room that is accessible through a large hatch. The new engine instruments are to port and the panel from the previous engine has been repurposed and now houses the ships alarms, windlass switch and ampmeter  and diesel system monitoring gages.

Engine Room with new Beta 30 Diesel (hot water heater not connected)

ROSALIND is our first center cockpit sailboat and we very quickly saw the multiple benefits of having an aft cabin.  The aft cabin has two very nice sea-berths, one on each side, which are only a couple of steps away from the cockpit so the off-watch person can very readily provide assistance if necessary.  The aft cabin, being away from the V-berth, offers some privacy for guests. This is not easy to do in 33 ft! Lastly, the aft cabin enabled the designer to create a wonderful aft deck, that together with the two custom stern-rail seats, makes for wonderful seating at anchor or when sailing in fine weather. The other great advantage of the aft deck is that it, together with the swinging swim ladder, makes boarding very easy. When boarding from the dinghy, the large area provides plenty of space to put down bags and groceries. Lastly, the aft cabin has a tool locker to port and a hanging locker to starboard.

Aft Cabin (looking aft)