Solar panels

Nothing on a boat is standard. There’s nothing you can go and buy and just fit, it all needs some sort of custom fabrication because nothing on a boat is standard.

Take my solar panels, for example, I’ve just spent ALL day looking for bits to fit them to the pushpit (the rails on the back of my boat). I finally came up with a plan and bought some aluminum strips from B&Q, I intended to bolt those to the existing mounting holes on the solar cell, and then through the middle of the ali strip, use two U bolts to clamp it to the pushpit. This will work, and almost did. I’ve spent the evening cutting and drilling, and messing about with very fiddley little screws and nuts. I had to cut down the U bolts, which cost me £14.50 each (!!!!). I cut the thread with the nuts on, then undid them to straighten out the thread. When I went to attach it all, I discovered that the nuts won’t go back on. No amount of trying will get them on since the thread is munged. That’s £29 down the toilet so far.

Engine

That’s not my only worry though. Yet again the diabolical service I’ve been getting from Mailspeed marine is prevailing. Having given them my engine in FEBRUARY for a warranty job after the big end bearings went within two days use (that was in september last year), they have yet to fix it. I have to constantly ring them since they never ever ring me, and the latest news is that it might be done by Thursday. I have to ring them up to find out if indeed it has been. If not. I’m absolutely screwed because I can’t move my boat and I’m booked ot lock out of St Kat’s on saturday.

On the bright side, I’ve adopted a suggestion from Dylan Winter to get my genoa sheets working. I’ve used a pulley system and cam cleat, in the temporary absence of winches. The boat can now sail… although I can’t get it out of the Thames without an engine.

I’m quite upset about those U bolts though. I can’t afford to throw away £30 like that, and I still have no idea how I’m going to get these bastard solar cells attached to the push pit. And Mailspeed!! God dammit, they have THE worst customer service I have ever encountered. They did the same to me with an order at the boat show. Took three weeks of phone calls with them not once returning a promised call to tell me where my order was. In the end they told me the order had been sent, only to ring me up a few days later to confirm the postal address!!!

Right, Ralph Vaughn Williams and a bottle of wine time, before I blow up.