Brilliant goes couture!

[Polly]

After wise advice, thank you JM, Brilliant will be laid up in a skirt.  We have perfectly adequate topsides cover for Brilliant, but the hull sides  will be open to the drying effects of wind. After a careful and tight-fisted trawl of eBay I have ordered some breathable rip stop fabric for her first ever (I suspect) skirt. I am not saying she's fat, but it will take 25m to go round her waist.  Adding 50m of bungee for top and bottom edges will be probably the longest hems I have ever sewn! There were dayglo pink options, but to save her blushes, and hide a winter's worth of dirt, this elegant garment will be in green camouflage. Wish me  luck!

[MauriceMynah]

Brilliant will be laid up in a skirt.

Well, we have to get our jollies how and where we can.

[ChrisB]

Better weight those hems! Don't want her to lose her modesty to a gust up the skirt!

Edited October 28, 2015 by ChrisB
Insert pic

[Polly]

Hmmmm change her name to 'Marilyn'? I think the bungeed lower hem will save her blushes.

[JennyMorgan]

Polly and I had a natter the other day regarding winter storage. First option, leaving an old boat in the water, not one that I would recommend. During WII a number of Broads boats were stored ashore, dried out, structurally damaged and subsequently lost. On the other hand boats, such as my daughter's boat Spray, were sunk in order to prevent sea-planes landing, Spray survived the war and sails to this day, now well over a hundred years old. However, when my Hannah bought her she had been stored afloat for several years and gone soft. We had to replace all her ribs and floors, When we relaunched her she floated several inches higher! All about finding a happy medium, too much soaking results in a boat going soft. Too much wind results in a boat drying out excessively. There is a sweet little sailing cruiser ashore at Outlon Broad after several years afloat when she really suffered, not something that I want for Brilliant or Spray. Frost is another enemy of wooden boats, topside and cockpit varnish especially, how we store our boats is important. So a skirt it is, very sensible precaution in my opinion. No way would I recommend storing afloat. Even fiberglass sops up water if left afloat. I know of keen racing types who drill holes along the keel of their boats in order to drain water out of the structure as a means of keeping the hull weight down. Not saying that that water is detrimental to the health of a synthetic boat but it is a fact that capillary action is a factor, even with GRP.

[Guest]

Interesting thread this. We'll be taking our wooden half-decker out of the water in a couple of weeks at the end of our first season of ownership. She'll be stored ashore but outside, under a winter cover. Any advice on things to do (or not to do) would be much appreciated!

[Polly]

 Make sure she is well ventilated, a flow of air, as opposed to wind, is needed to avoid humid conditions and so to keep rot at bay. 

[Polly]

Well I made the skirt yesterday, we are going up to the boat on Sunday and will try a fitting. :D

[Bound2Please]

i'm hoping your boat isnt male unless its a  jock then that will be fine Polly...........