Bev realised she’d forgotten to book a survey on receipt of the insurance renewal this month. A condition is for an out of the water survey every seven years – it really is that long since the launch in 2017!

Luckily a) the boat hadn’t already been lifted out this year and b) Joe Kershaw, Marine Surveyor, was available on 22 July. After taking ‘Cachalette’ to the OGA Southwold Rally at the end of June, we returned home to Derbyshire for a week, driving back to Suffolk on 14 July. The weather’s still not a perfect summer, but at least there’s slightly less rain, wind and chill in the air! There were quite a few jobs to finish before Joe arrived for the survey. Steve finished the sliding panels started last year for a double berth and put the last few coats of varnish on the bowsprit. He cut a new groove on its base as part of the improved method for retracting it. There’s now a pulley system, new leathered bolt and retaining bar between the bits to make the whole job easier – he hopes. 

We agreed a fee for lift out with Richard at the Tidemill and Joe arrived at the appointed time on 22 July to do the survey whilst ‘Cachalot’ was in the slings. Steve had purchased a tin of antifoul ‘just in case’ as well as a new sacrificial anode. On trying to leave the berth to motor round to the lift, it was clear something was wrong as the boat would hardly move through the water. Once in the slings, it was very clear that the ‘polish and wax’ method used on the prop. last year, instead of antifoul, had resulted in a huge cluster of barnacles almost stopping the prop. from moving.

After much hammering, listening and positive comments, Joe presented us with an excellent survey report so she went back in the water with just a newly anti-fouled prop., no need for the hull to be done and the old anode still had another year’s life in it. At last, it’s time to bend on the sails and hopefully get out of the marina.