And so to bed, or, how to lay up a boat near the Equator.

July 2015

Unfortunately needs must , and a return to work is required.

Part of the deal about working part time, is that it does actually mean I need to return to work.
Perhaps I should have scrutinized the fine print a little more!
Seriously , it had  to happen and K'Gari will be left at the beautiful and secure Sutera Harbour Marina until November.

All that stands between then and now, is learning experience number? Goodness knows what number its up to now, - 'how to lay a boat up for several months', when it's sitting at only 6 degrees from the equator.

One of the initial  reasons that Kota Kinabalu was a favoured destination for K'Gari, is that Sabah is known as the 'land below wind' . This refers to the fact that, although the nearby South China Sea does have typhoons passing through it, the northern hemisphere equivalent of our cyclones, they generally don't find the coast of Sabah an enticing place to play.
More technically cyclones/typhoons, generally can't form up in the latitudes close to the equator, as the spin of the earth, the sea temperatures etc, are really not what they need to get going. Thus as a place to safely leave K'Gari, apart from the actual security afforded at the marina, Sutera rates very highly.

So what's involved in laying her up for a few months?

Not just walking away and locking the door , if you want to be able to walk back on board, in a few months, to as a few issues as possible.
One piece of information continuously given, gratis, by other cruisers in a marina is,  "a boat needs to be used , all your problems start when they sit idle for months"
O goody, as options are limited, let's try to make this as painless as possible.

As luck would have it, the knowledge base in a marina is vast. One merely needs to assess which bits and from whom, one accepts 'the knowledge'.

Falling on my feet again, I had the immense good fortune and  pleasure of meeting a lovely couple , who have had a Seawind for years, and what a repository of useful knowledge they were. Luckily again, not only did he have the knowledge, he was willing to share with me all the tricks he has learnt over the years. Far more in fact  than just  share, but took the time out to come on board and physically show me how to do "that which is required".

So what is on the list?

Lesson One :Fresh water flushing the engines. Makes heaps of sense when thought about.The engines are cooled by salt water, when in use, but why leave saltwater sitting in the pipes when its not going to be used for months?
 Easy when you know how.

Lesson two: Flushing the outboard with fresh water. Yep, seen people doing it at marina ramps or in their backyard , but had never had real cause to consider why it was necessary. Same reason as the main engine.Salt water sitting, is corrosive, so why  not get rid of it.

Lesson 3: Bag the propellers. Much more fun on a hot day, than being in the engine compartments. Literally, as it sounds.Hop in the water, submerge yourself with a handy black garbage bag and casually place and secure this over the propeller and saildrive leg, whilst holding your breath and dealing with buoyancy issues.... twice in my case, as there are two props!
Mental note- get a weight belt, and either a hooka set or dive bottle, all of which will be useful for clearing stuff from under hull, round the props, or even a fouled anchor etc, at anytime.
The reason for bagging the props, is to prevent growth on the prop blades and saildrive leg. Works a treat!

They were the main tricks that  my wonderfully helpful, and magnificently generous natured  tutors, who took time out of their own lives, to show me exactly how to do, what needed to be done.

The rest I could deal with myself , with the exception of removing the jib from the forestay. It could be done solo under normal circumstances , but circumstances were of course, not completely normal this first time round.

There had been  discovered on deck , luckily, some tiny wee screws, 3 in total, appearing on different occasions, when day sailing around KK. Being exceptionally quick on the uptake , it was assumed they were coming from somewhere above and were probably of some use and importance.

Grub screws-in unfamiliar surrounds!

So after family had departed ,  the question was asked of the builder, via email and with an attached photograph, as to what the mystery screws were likely to be.
Quick and easy answer and solution.
"Grub screws. Just go aloft and put them back in and apply a little loctite".

Ah well... immediate problem. How to go aloft, up the forestay, when 'home alone', as I'm not spiderwoman ? Simple solution , add to the 'to be done next time' list of things, when  not, home alone.

However the jib still needed to come down, as there is no point in leaving it exposed to UV for months unnecessarily, despite it being uv protected to an extent,  when furled.
Preparing to remove  the jib for the next few months, a quick inspection revealed a further issue. A wee grub screw, which was protruding just enough to prevent  being able to lower the halyard swivel mechanism , without it possibly ( probably ,with the existence of Murphy and his law) becoming jammed after only 2m of lowering.

Beautifully folded ready to be stowed.

Resolution: ask my handily nearby marina neighbour if he would assist. So early one morning , I found myself, armed with allen keys , camera and a natural trepidation, being hoisted aloft up the forestay, by a relative stranger.
At each set of grub screws, the regal process of going aloft paused for long enough for them to be checked and tightened if necessary. The previous escapee grub screws were returned to their rightful homes and the offending protruding  grubscrew likewise re-seated. "Ok I called out, lower away"," are you sure?"comes from the deck. Well although I'm sitting in a 'secure' bosuns chair about 17m up in the air, enjoying a perfect view of the glassy South China Sea, and the marina from above, yep, I'm pretty sure its time to get back on the deck. Once back on the deck, it dawns I never took any photos- completely slipped my mind, in the thrill of "hanging about",taking in the view.
Once the grub screw is re-seated , the rest is a doddle,simply lower the jib halyard , disconnect the jib , fold and stow.
Another job done.
,
Now the rest of the list is really purely domestic, cleaning down every internal surface, I'm going with the dilute oil of cloves trick. Stowing inside anything that is easily removable , like the cockpit seat cushions, lifebuoys. Securing everything outside, removing the shade tarps from the boom. Disconnecting the electronic navigation  equipment in case of lightning strikes. Double checking the moorings and fenders.
Fuel tanks topped up to prevent condensation and greeblies from growing. Watermaker flushed through again and power ON, water tank not refilled excessively, just enough for what I need, until I go.
Dehumidifier set to operate a couple of hours a day to beat the mould, which everyone fears so much, from getting a grip.
All secure. Up, up and away, to another life.

With absolutely no apologies to Mr Denver, whilst sitting at Kota Kinabalu airport this was my post:
My props are bagged
The jib is stowed
Engines flushed through,
the outboard to.
Every surface wiped down clean,dehumidifier set to go...
Oh I really hope that will fight the mould...

I'm leavin' on a jet plane.
But I know exactly when I will be back again.
I really, really, don't want to go.

A  sure sign of how easily this adventure had got under my skin.