Did you see the follow up to Patrick’s video? He put a cheap inline filter before the main ones. Guess that would be my suggestion. Get 3-4 of the cheap ones and then install one and replace as needed. But as far as the actual polishing rig... looks good
I don't see a real reason to keep a polishing rig on the boat,considering your design is so simple and could be recreated on demand. The unit would be better served if it was passed around the marina for use by people that have stale fuel onboard. Use it once every few years if your using your boat as a boat VS a condo.
Forget about fuel polishing, you're getting married!!! Flipping fantastic news young people, super happy for you both, been following you from day one, wish you decades & decades of a wonderful life together 😄💥🙏🏻👍🏼
To anyone recovering cousins and the like save time and trouble by ripping your old covers seams and it gives you a perfect template for the new fabric. No measuring needed. Love the way yours turned out what a great look and feel it gives the boat.
You’re a lovely couple so congratulations on agreeing to tie the knot and make it permanent. Love the work you are doing on Skua to bring her back to her former glory. And I look forward to you calling her by name as she truely becomes your new home ❤️
Congratulations!!! In the last few days, since I've discovered your videos, you two have suddenly become among my very favorite people in the world! So happy to hear you will be married - you are so good together!!!
Well done on the proposal Ryan, good on you mate, made chuckle how the video switched from Elena gushing about the news to you being strictly business about the roof, hahahaha, love that, congratulations to you both, Skua is looking lovely so far, cant wait to see her when she is ready to sail. Well done on the name stencil, I would have got that unlevel for sure.
Hi Ryan , good choice! Re the diesel polisher , a nice move but once you are moving remember Diesel engines automatically polish the fuel as the pump always draws about 40% excess fuel so the injector pump is not starved of fuel , the extra fuel returns to the tank. In really cold weather this return fuel will be warm and help keep the fuel warmer and not gel. (Arctic weather). Congratulations to you both! Cheers Warren
Thanks a lot Warren. What we're trying to avoid is what happened to Patrick Laine (a great youtuber if you've not seen) on the way to the Azores. The crud in the bottom of his fuel tank, below the pick up line, got shaken up into the fuel in bouncy seas - this probably wouldn't get polished out by the engine's filters in it's usual operation.
Sailing Kittiwake Ryan, oh I agree , the fuel polishing on a tank that's been sitting a while is a good idea, the hard part is getting the crud up of the bottom into the polishing system pick up. Once you are moving regularly it should be less of a problem. Yes Patrick has some great video/advice. Cheers Warren
You are defenatelly my favorite sailing channel, you are so industrious and caring, not only with the great new boat, but with each other. A very promising future.
Oh .... and I gotta add how amazingly much the white cushion covers bright up that old cavy English mahogany Club atmosphere down below. Well done. And extra well done with an El Cheapo -sewer- sewing machine. Doing things like that with the notorious Sailrite is ok, doing it with the cheapest machine You could possibly find is awesome. Just like motorcycle racing is much more fun on old iron sporting drum brakes and horrible framework and suspension - more of an edgy achievement. Or crossing oceans with a fourty year old 36 footer, if You know what I mean ...
Haha! Thanks Manfred. Yes, we like the cushions. There were many moments once I started working on the canvas where I wished I could afford a better machine, but it all somehow worked out OK in the end 😊 We hope crossing the Atlantic will be more fun though 😂
@@SailingKittiwake Life in motion, in every aspect, is all an amplitude to BOTH directions. Giving people anti-depressants does inhibit their ability to experience joy also: everything swings narrowly around a zero-line with a "good" anti-depressant. So, the more You gotta "work" for it with a shitty machine, the deeper You sink into profane swearing and the more blood and tears You shed wrestling with less-than-ideal basics, the exponentially better You will feel sitting on the finished cushions. Same with transatlantic crossings (or any crossing or rounding ever): The ones told even decades later are the frightening ones, the not-so-smooth ones You had to put in more than You thought You will in the first place, which caused bloody blisters from changing sails or shitting Your pants while bailing for Your life. Would he have had a smooth rounding of the Horn, we wouldn't turn pages reading Slocum's three-month experience including white breakers in the cockpit and houwling gusts in his creaking rigging while being blown back as far in a night as what he had gained westward in over a month or so .... Lots of lots of my own adventures were just mere stupidity in the eyes of my family or other know-alls, but I have to add I more often than not came out alive and happy on the other side which shows I wasn't even ill-prepared, just slightly unlucky weatherwise, or a knucklehead in chosing the time or route of the journey - which often was done wisely and on purpose to avoid all the annoying know-alls on the beaten track. Have a ball!
Congratulations to you Both, and you are doing a fantastic job with your new vessel ,it's starting to look magnificent ,older boats have a charm that you don't get with newer models , well done .May you share a long ,fruitful and happy life together sailing the Oceans
Congrats to you two, yep refit two boats, you'll stick together! So there was so much fungus gunk in the bottom of my new to me 33 year old boat's diesel tank, i had to drain the tank and install 5" access panels to properly clean It out. My fuel was beyond polishing. It was alot of work, but was well worth it. For my Sunbrella and interior fabric jobs I purchased a knock off Sail Rite, walking foot sewing machine called the REX from Ebay. It seems to be the exact machine for 1/3 the price and so far so good. I've read that sail rite makes them in China, or China is VERY good at reverse engineering this machine, it has the exact same parts. Anyway great job on the cabin top and your "fun with sewing projects".... cheers, Dan
Congratulations! And such a thoughtful ring 💍 the cushions looks lovely! This is one of the things we need to do on our boat, probably next winter 🙂 thanks for sharing - lovely boat coming along nicely ⛵
Well kids first off, CONGRATS on your engagement !!!! You are right about making it through two boat refits. If you have survived that then you should be able to handle married life for sure! BTW, loving the longer hair young lady! The boat projects seem to be coming along nicely, especially redoing the cabin top! Nine days to strip that old deck coating! Did the heat gun last for the whole project? Good get on the less expensive sewing machine. The cushion job looked to be a huge project and I'm not sure going with a white color gives you the service life you hope for. They look great with the throw. So looking forward to your wedding! Hope we will know where you will register for your gifts so we can get you the things you really need for your next adventures!
Such wonderful news. Congratulations to you both! May your lives together be long, free of squalls, crosscurrents and lee shores. Skua is looking better and better with each episode, can't wait to see you out on the big blue. As always fw&fs💍🍾🍾🍾🍾⛵️
Congratulations - followed you both from very early on and still remember the Scilly Isles episode! Love the values and the simplicity of approach - not surprised you follow Patrick Lane. I know he follows you from earlier posts. Just returned to UK after 5 memorable years in the Med and the a number of places you are visiting.
Ha! What memories, Geoff. Our first ever storm. Thanks a lot 😊 5 years in the Med? Wow, sounds great. What boat did you do it on? Did you sail her back?
Brought back my Najad 400 back to UK after 12 years ownership and sold it in Lymington fairly quickly. I was a commuter and over wintered in Lagos, Cartagena, Alcudia and Cagliari and Ragusa. Follow Patrick, Ruby Rose, Tally Ho and Sail Life. Still sailing and booked a trip to the Scilly Isles on a traditional build Falmouth pilot cutter😊👍⛵️
I have just realised that refits are more interesting to watch then sailing. Hopefully you will be refitting your boat for years to come 😄😂👍 I am so motivated I will hop on my boat now and start doing some work...ps congrats on the ring, although the amount of work you do it could have been a bigger rock 💎 😀
Sailing Kittiwake yes I know sailing sailing sailing...,but it is so much more interesting watching you guys fixing things. Ps I have just broke my yacht, maybe if you are ever sailing around PERTH WA you can stop over and fix it😄
Beautiful upgrade on your SV choice!...most of all Perfect choice for a Wife!... Congratulation on your engagement!.... Smooth sailing and happy trails!😀😀😀😀
Congratulations on your momentous news - you are already a great team.👍 great job on the decks and the cushions - you are making a massive difference already.👍 On the diesel bug front: As you quite rightly state the most important factor in avoiding diesel bug is minimising water in the fuel in the first place and the most common source of water contamination is a leaky deck fill connection (so check/replace the deck cap seals). You rig is an OK design and good to have the water separator first. I would say though that you probably need to upscale everything with much larger capacity filters and to have 2 in series one of day 5-10 micron rating and the other 2-3 micron. Better with fixed pipework too on the rig itself. If you see evidence of ‘diesel bug’ you will however need to clean the tank manually and all of the pipework. Fuel polishing once you have the bug is a forlorn exercise and is ineffective and expensive. Not essential but nice to have would be a much higher flow rate pump even a 240volt one as you could run when plugged in or from an inverter.😀
Thanks so much Norman - always nice to read your comments. I'll do some investigating, what brand of filters would you recommend for the fine (2-3 micron) filters? Good point on the deck filler - I'll look into it.
No real recommends as such other than RACOR make the best units and they are not cheap. www.asap-supplies.com/fuel-systems/boat-fuel-polishing/parker-racor-500fg-diesel-fuel-filter
Coming from a person that does not remember a day in my life that I have never been with out a sewing machine... Good machine oil and regular cleaning and service will keep a machine running indefinitely. Some are built to handle the torque of heavy materials and cost a small fortune. The key thing id the needles. Buy the best that you can. Needles are designed for specific materials and functions. another tip that my mother bestowed upon me was bees wax... ( an inexpensive toilet bowl ring works great) wax your needle frequently, wax your fingers and go slow. For heavy gauge thread the waxed fingers ( have used an scented oil warmer for large projects to soften the wax) can apply the wax as it reaches the needle POST tensioners. A shot of WD40 on the bobbin thread works wonders too.
Next time you have to stuff cushions use a trash bag. Place the cushion foam in the bag, fold the Big end over tear a small hole big enough to put a vacuum nozzle and run the vacuum. It will shrink the foam and make it really easy to put the cover over. Cheers!
Firstly, many congratulations on your engagement, great news and best of luck on your future adventures. I’m just catching up as I had my boat out of the water for just over a week with lots of jobs to do, seacocks, cutlass bearing, aft seal, Coppercoat patch up, topside polish, capping rail refurb and I went with Woodskin after your video and very pleased so far. Great job on the cushions, mine has red which I don’t like and I have been looking out for a machine so that is next on the list. That non slip was awful, good job getting that off. I also like the inter deck as I think Kiwigrip is a bit severe. Safe travels and I’m now on to your next video. Andy UK. Ps. Patrick Lane is great and I have started building the same fuel polisher.
Nice choice of boat. I am a catamaran lover but unless you can get a 38 ft or bigger it is pretty tight for living full-time on a cat. Looks a lot more comfy for your height requirement to stand tall. Liked your cuddling at end, sweet. Ron
Thanks Steven :) We just learn as we go, make mistakes, swear a little, start again, and after a lot of effort something decent somehow comes out :D No special talent required, but you do need some perseverance. How to get hold of some perseverance? Look at your bank account. Can you afford to pay someone to do it for you? Nope? Perseverance it is :D
Congrats on the engagement. Also getting all that old deck anti-skid off manually and the wrestling match with the cushions. :) I just watched an episode of Rigging Doctor that used volcanic rock that locals use in the Azores for anti-skid, they didn't like it and had to remove it! On fuel polishing, you only need to get the water and larger particles out that build up and block fuel valves and connections before the main filters, especially if you install pressure sensors before and after the main fuel filters to see their health. I could have sworn Patrick Laine traced his problem to the valve in the fuel line near the tank that blocked before his filters did. I think it was a needle valve and he replaced it with a petcock valve, but I can't find that video so might be imagining it. :) Also, get a fuel filter funnel that separates water from the fuel *before* it goes in the tank, and always use that when filling, and make sure the filler cap seals to reduce the chance of water getting in the tank and then diesel bug in the first place.
Thanks a lot for the tips Craig, good advice. I can't recall Patrick mentioning the valve, but you may be right. I thought his polishing rig looked like a great idea though, at least you get an idea of the level of crud in the tank.
Congratulations!! Very low-key announcement - you are becoming more English as the days progress =;-)). Deck work was very impressive - man's a machine to scrape all of that accumulated crud off - chapeau, sir. And as to not having much experience sewing? Mate, they looked fantastic .... so chapeau to you too. Great episode, thanks. Keep safe, seabird swabs. Once again, many congratulations.
I love the white, it also makes the salon look cooler inside (temp). In case this helps anyone my mom's best friend was a boat upolster for wellcraft (super nice lady) and she showed me if you turn the material inside out and then pull it over the cushsion (pillow cases) it is much easier to get on. Instead of pushing the cushion thru your pulling the material down. I know right. : )peace
@@SailingKittiwake Oh I was hoping you still had more to do to make this easier. After your first washing don't forget and dry them inside out that helps also. :) Peace
@@SailingKittiwake What is also cool is her husband did built fiberglass boats and he made framing for our kitchen lighting using teak. The kitchen ligts redone, but I kept all the teak. : ) peace
Big congrats to you both. Bit late now but watch that heat gun on gel coat, I used same when removing the gel coat for osmosis treatment, it did not take much before the gel coat could be scraped off inch by inch.
FYI Unless you are going to strain your paint after mixing don't touch the bottom of the can because it stirs up particle crap that could mess up your paint job. The boat is looking so good. Congratulations to the both of you. May all days be without struggle and if you struggle may those days be short. :) Peace
Parabens e felicidades on your engagement guys. Great to see the boat work coming along nicely too. Small tip, try to use the blue decorators tape for masking off. It doesn’t risk whatever it’s fixed to and doesn’t leave a residue. Unlike masking tape. Fair winds 😎
Congratulations, aquamarine looks fabulous! good job on the cushions, I just made my 10 interior saloon cushions, had to learn to sew in the process. Fuel polishing...good system....however one change I would make, or ensure you include if you haven't....is using the same fuel/ water separator system (racor?) for your bottom filter. The initial crud separator is good, but the final filter is critical. This ensures you have a spare system should your engine system go bad (mine did) and the filter elements are the same you use on your engine (30 or 10 micron, maybe 5) and available anywhere. boat is looking great!
Thanks for the tip, the fuel filtration system on our boat actually has dual separating filters which are plumbed in separately so turning two stopcocks switches filter so if one gets clogged then a quick change to the other filter might sort it... at least that's the idea, who know what will happen when the engine dies on a windless day going into a small harbour
You have a good system, it will work well....trick is to catch the "clogging up" filter (or check valve ball in the racor itself) before the engine coughs and you have to run below to turn a valve! Childress installed a guage that shows pressure across the filter (needle dropping indicates sludge buildup) and when the psi drops to a known level the filter is clogged and he changes over to the second filter before engine issues. All good fun! Thanks@@SailingKittiwake
Fuel fuel tank stripping has been the norm in commercial and military diesel tanks. Stripping lines pull fuel/water/crud from below the fuel pick-up line in the tank. Water/fuel mix from the stripping line is stored in a oily water tank for later disposal. Fuel polishing is required for modern engines working at higher fuel pump pressures since the injector nozzles have smaller orifices at higher pressures. Polishing can be accomplished by circulating fuel through a separator, or a coalesce, or a series of filters of decreasing micron values and returning the fuel back to a service tank versus a storage tank. Depending on the age of your engine and the IMO / EPA compliance level will help to determine the final filtering requirement. A modern Tier II or Tier III engine will need significant fuel polishing with a final filter of 10 microns. Some cautions, be sure your engine fuel pump is capable of pulling fuel through the filter(s) and noted that fuel returned from the engine has effectively already been polished. Also treat your fuel on delivery for bugs.
Congratulations 🍾🎊🎉 the white looks nice good luck though I would ruin it to fast I do like it and what about a hard dodger fiberglass top wood frame windows I think would really look good on that boat anyway your doing a awesome job👍👍
Hi Chad, we think hard dodgers are great, SV Prism have one and I think Atticus built one, but we're happy with the soft top for now - we think the advantage is to be able to remove it and get breeze through the cockpit when it's really hot.
Oh for what it's worth those awesome skills you have with that sewing machine is very valuable to your fellow cruisers and carry bags and flags sewn up from your old sails would make great items for your patrons 😎hint hint
Another videoblog worth watching....(Patrick Lane's are great!) is "Patrick Childress Sailing". He has a Valiant 40, a style not unlike the Tayana 40, currently in South Africa but circumnavigating...and each of his episodes has an element of instruction on boat systems or handling in a subtle way. Nice couple also...Thanks, Andrew
I agree, Patrick Childress and his wife are awesome folks, his YT channel is extremely informative. They are not of the "Click Bait" variety sail channels.
Try chucking some marbles into your fuel tank to knock any crud off the bottom. Use non metallic marbles. You will need to use the polishing machine all the time then , for a while anyway. If you have a lot of crud in your tank, try adding more of the separating glass vessels in parallel. (not series) This will slow down the fuel flow and enable more settling. If you have a shutoff valve before and after each of the settling vessels you can clean each one without shutting off the pump.If you have the money, put a couple more filters (in parallel) with the first one. Each filter (in parallel, not series) will lessen the strain on your pump. If you put them in series, the strain will be additive, like resistors in electricity. Again, you will have to have a shutoff valve before and after each filter so you can service them individually while your pump is running.
Congratulations on your engagement. I like your small catamaran but I see from your video of Ryan moving about how it is a problem. I'm betting that non slip,was beach sand embedded in paint that was the old school way but it was effective. I'm a firm believer in 2part epoxy paint it would make a good investment because of its longevity, just my 2cents,you guys are doing well fair winds and calm seas till next time
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![40] What’s INSIDE 10-YEAR-OLD RIGGING? + Replacing Our Sampson Posts - DIY Sailboat REFIT](/img/tr.png)
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Let's talk fuel polishing! How many of you guys have a fuel polishing rig? Is there any improvements you'd make to ours?
You mastered the sewing machine, and there wasnt even any swear words! Well done!👍
Haha not yet... you’ll see me working on the canvas soonish... 😁
Thank you 😊
Did you see the follow up to Patrick’s video? He put a cheap inline filter before the main ones. Guess that would be my suggestion. Get 3-4 of the cheap ones and then install one and replace as needed. But as far as the actual polishing rig... looks good
Oh and congrats 👍🏽🌎 on the engagement!
I don't see a real reason to keep a polishing rig on the boat,considering your design is so simple and could be recreated on demand. The unit would be better served if it was passed around the marina for use by people that have stale fuel onboard. Use it once every few years if your using your boat as a boat VS a condo.
Forget about fuel polishing, you're getting married!!! Flipping fantastic news young people, super happy for you both, been following you from day one, wish you decades & decades of a wonderful life together 😄💥🙏🏻👍🏼
And Elena you've lost quite a bit of weight, must be getting ready for that slinky wedding dress 😄💥👍🏼
Awww thank you! You’re too nice 😊
To anyone recovering cousins and the like save time and trouble by ripping your old covers seams and it gives you a perfect template for the new fabric. No measuring needed. Love the way yours turned out what a great look and feel it gives the boat.
Your hard work is paying off. She looks great, and the cushions look new. A labor of love.
Cheers William 😊 refitting a boat is indeed a labor of love 😊
I miss you two,always enjoyed watching your videos.
Congrats to you both from both of us!
Thanks so much guys 😊
You’re a lovely couple so congratulations on agreeing to tie the knot and make it permanent. Love the work you are doing on Skua to bring her back to her former glory. And I look forward to you calling her by name as she truely becomes your new home ❤️
Aw thank you Bruce ❤️ She does feel like home.
WOW. Nice cushion covers. Well done.
Cheers! I didn’t hope anyone would like them 😂
The cushions look wonderful! The white fits perfectly.
Thanks a lot Terry 😊
Congratulations!!! In the last few days, since I've discovered your videos, you two have suddenly become among my very favorite people in the world! So happy to hear you will be married - you are so good together!!!
Awwww thanks ever so much ☺️ You’re too kind.
Well done on the proposal Ryan, good on you mate, made chuckle how the video switched from Elena gushing about the news to you being strictly business about the roof, hahahaha, love that, congratulations to you both, Skua is looking lovely so far, cant wait to see her when she is ready to sail. Well done on the name stencil, I would have got that unlevel for sure.
Haha! Thanks so much. We hope you’ll like her as much as Kittiwake 🤞
Hi Ryan , good choice! Re the diesel polisher , a nice move but once you are moving remember Diesel engines automatically polish the fuel as the pump always draws about 40% excess fuel so the injector pump is not starved of fuel , the extra fuel returns to the tank. In really cold weather this return fuel will be warm and help keep the fuel warmer and not gel. (Arctic weather).
Congratulations to you both! Cheers Warren
Thanks a lot Warren. What we're trying to avoid is what happened to Patrick Laine (a great youtuber if you've not seen) on the way to the Azores. The crud in the bottom of his fuel tank, below the pick up line, got shaken up into the fuel in bouncy seas - this probably wouldn't get polished out by the engine's filters in it's usual operation.
Sailing Kittiwake Ryan, oh I agree , the fuel polishing on a tank that's been sitting a while is a good idea, the hard part is getting the crud up of the bottom into the polishing system pick up. Once you are moving regularly it should be less of a problem.
Yes Patrick has some great video/advice. Cheers Warren
Ryan, there is another great Patrick with some great advise 'Patrick Childress Sailing' recently now on YT but been writing for a while.
Cheers Warren
Congratulations on the Engagement to both of you!
You are defenatelly my favorite sailing channel, you are so industrious and caring, not only with the great new boat, but with each other. A very promising future.
Aw 😍 Thank you, Os. It’s hard to convey how much we care in the videos, but you picked it up 😊🤗 Thanks so much.
Paticent and determination pays off in the end Looking great thanks
Cheers!
Oh .... and I gotta add how amazingly much the white cushion covers bright up that old cavy English mahogany Club atmosphere down below. Well done. And extra well done with an El Cheapo -sewer- sewing machine. Doing things like that with the notorious Sailrite is ok, doing it with the cheapest machine You could possibly find is awesome. Just like motorcycle racing is much more fun on old iron sporting drum brakes and horrible framework and suspension - more of an edgy achievement. Or crossing oceans with a fourty year old 36 footer, if You know what I mean ...
Haha! Thanks Manfred. Yes, we like the cushions. There were many moments once I started working on the canvas where I wished I could afford a better machine, but it all somehow worked out OK in the end 😊 We hope crossing the Atlantic will be more fun though 😂
@@SailingKittiwake Life in motion, in every aspect, is all an amplitude to BOTH directions. Giving people anti-depressants does inhibit their ability to experience joy also: everything swings narrowly around a zero-line with a "good" anti-depressant. So, the more You gotta "work" for it with a shitty machine, the deeper You sink into profane swearing and the more blood and tears You shed wrestling with less-than-ideal basics, the exponentially better You will feel sitting on the finished cushions.
Same with transatlantic crossings (or any crossing or rounding ever): The ones told even decades later are the frightening ones, the not-so-smooth ones You had to put in more than You thought You will in the first place, which caused bloody blisters from changing sails or shitting Your pants while bailing for Your life.
Would he have had a smooth rounding of the Horn, we wouldn't turn pages reading Slocum's three-month experience including white breakers in the cockpit and houwling gusts in his creaking rigging while being blown back as far in a night as what he had gained westward in over a month or so ....
Lots of lots of my own adventures were just mere stupidity in the eyes of my family or other know-alls, but I have to add I more often than not came out alive and happy on the other side which shows I wasn't even ill-prepared, just slightly unlucky weatherwise, or a knucklehead in chosing the time or route of the journey - which often was done wisely and on purpose to avoid all the annoying know-alls on the beaten track.
Have a ball!
Congratulations on your engagement. A great video, very helpful. Thank you.
Thanks so much!
Congratulations you two on your engagement! Skua is looking great!
Thanks Warren :) She's coming along, isn't she?
Congratulations to you Both, and you are doing a fantastic job with your new vessel ,it's starting to look magnificent ,older boats have a charm that you don't get with newer models , well done .May you share a long ,fruitful and happy life together sailing the Oceans
What a lovely comment, thank you Howard! 😊 We find Skua very charming ourselves 😍
Congrats to you two, yep refit two boats, you'll stick together! So there was so much fungus gunk in the bottom of my new to me 33 year old boat's diesel tank, i had to drain the tank and install 5" access panels to properly clean It out. My fuel was beyond polishing. It was alot of work, but was well worth it.
For my Sunbrella and interior fabric jobs I purchased a knock off Sail Rite, walking foot sewing machine called the REX from Ebay. It seems to be the exact machine for 1/3 the price and so far so good. I've read that sail rite makes them in China, or China is VERY good at reverse engineering this machine, it has the exact same parts. Anyway great job on the cabin top and your "fun with sewing projects".... cheers, Dan
Cheers Daniel! Ah, that sounds like a great deal.
Congratulations! And such a thoughtful ring 💍 the cushions looks lovely! This is one of the things we need to do on our boat, probably next winter 🙂 thanks for sharing - lovely boat coming along nicely ⛵
Congratulations...May you have calm Seas and fair winds as you sail together
Thanks Dave! Very thoughtful of you.
Looks like you got perfect weather for outside work. I never saw a cloud in the sky.
Yes, we picked our painting days carefully. It rarely rained but we had quite a few windstorms (winds 50-75 knots).
But the wind is good for sanding.
I'm not sure our dock neighbours would agree
The Lord giveth. The Lord taketh away.
Congratulations! What a fab couple of people.
Such beautiful lines to your boat....
Thanks! We love them 😍
Congrats on the news. Well done and good luck to you both. Al.
Thank you, Al :)
Congratulations to you both.... much love
Thank you Roberta 😍
Congratulations you two
Cheers Paul :)
Well kids first off, CONGRATS on your engagement !!!! You are right about making it through two boat refits. If you have survived that then you should be able to handle married life for sure! BTW, loving the longer hair young lady! The boat projects seem to be coming along nicely, especially redoing the cabin top! Nine days to strip that old deck coating! Did the heat gun last for the whole project? Good get on the less expensive sewing machine. The cushion job looked to be a huge project and I'm not sure going with a white color gives you the service life you hope for. They look great with the throw. So looking forward to your wedding! Hope we will know where you will register for your gifts so we can get you the things you really need for your next adventures!
Congratulations!!! Excited for the both of you!
Thanks Robert 😊
Congrats. That is so exciting!
Thank you! 😊
Congratulations guys xx
Thanks Albert :) x
Congratulations to you both. You are carrying out great work, hope you have many happy years aboard Skua.
Thanks a lot Thomas, it's certainly hard work but satisfying.
Such wonderful news. Congratulations to you both! May your lives together be long, free of squalls, crosscurrents and lee shores. Skua is looking better and better with each episode, can't wait to see you out on the big blue. As always fw&fs💍🍾🍾🍾🍾⛵️
Aaaaaw thank you, Michael! What lovely wishes. She's slowly coming together :)
Pretty respectable sewing!
Cheers Nick :)
You two are cute and perfect for each other x..... your work ethics and attitude and results are awesome x well done x
Aw ❤️ thank you David 😊
Congratulations - followed you both from very early on and still remember the Scilly Isles episode! Love the values and the simplicity of approach - not surprised you follow Patrick Lane. I know he follows you from earlier posts. Just returned to UK after 5 memorable years in the Med and the a number of places you are visiting.
Ha! What memories, Geoff. Our first ever storm.
Thanks a lot 😊
5 years in the Med? Wow, sounds great. What boat did you do it on? Did you sail her back?
Brought back my Najad 400 back to UK after 12 years ownership and sold it in Lymington fairly quickly. I was a commuter and over wintered in Lagos, Cartagena, Alcudia and Cagliari and Ragusa. Follow Patrick, Ruby Rose, Tally Ho and Sail Life. Still sailing and booked a trip to the Scilly Isles on a traditional build Falmouth pilot cutter😊👍⛵️
Awesome boat! We’ve been aboard one and were very impressed 😊👍 Great stuff, you’ll love it 😊
I have just realised that refits are more interesting to watch then sailing. Hopefully you will be refitting your boat for years to come 😄😂👍 I am so motivated I will hop on my boat now and start doing some work...ps congrats on the ring, although the amount of work you do it could have been a bigger rock 💎 😀
Haha! Thanks Martin. Thankfully we won't be refitting the boat for years :D We prefer to sail ;)
Sailing Kittiwake yes I know sailing sailing sailing...,but it is so much more interesting watching you guys fixing things. Ps I have just broke my yacht, maybe if you are ever sailing around PERTH WA you can stop over and fix it😄
Beautiful upgrade on your SV choice!...most of all Perfect choice for a Wife!... Congratulation on your engagement!.... Smooth sailing and happy trails!😀😀😀😀
Haha! Thanks JB ❤️
Wow you are talented, your measurements came out great, be proud. :) peace
Thank you ☺️ It took many mistakes to get to that point 😅
Congratulations on your engagement! Skua is looking great.
Cheers Roy! 😊
congratulations to the both of you. and yes, after 5yrs and 2 boat refits, i think you are pretty much bomb proof :-))
Thank you Iain 😊 We hope so 😊🤞
Well, A new boat and a an engagement!
Congratulations!!!
I love your channel and thank you so much for sharing ~
Thank you Randy and thanks for watching 😊
Congratulations to you both... hope you have a blessed union and continued success with your adventures!
Thanks so much David 😊
Congratulations and good luck for your future together. And good sailing with your new boat
Thanks very much Pauline 😊
Congratulations you two. That is awesome.
Thanks Ken 😊
Congratulations on the engagement guys!
Thanks so much! 😊
Congrats on your engagement - great couple!
Thanks Joe 😊
Congratulations to you both! Nice job on those cushions as well, Skua looks to be coming along quite nicely.
Thanks Michael! We love the new look.
Congratulations on your momentous news - you are already a great team.👍 great job on the decks and the cushions - you are making a massive difference already.👍 On the diesel bug front: As you quite rightly state the most important factor in avoiding diesel bug is minimising water in the fuel in the first place and the most common source of water contamination is a leaky deck fill connection (so check/replace the deck cap seals). You rig is an OK design and good to have the water separator first. I would say though that you probably need to upscale everything with much larger capacity filters and to have 2 in series one of day 5-10 micron rating and the other 2-3 micron. Better with fixed pipework too on the rig itself.
If you see evidence of ‘diesel bug’ you will however need to clean the tank manually and all of the pipework. Fuel polishing once you have the bug is a forlorn exercise and is ineffective and expensive. Not essential but nice to have would be a much higher flow rate pump even a 240volt one as you could run when plugged in or from an inverter.😀
Thanks so much Norman - always nice to read your comments. I'll do some investigating, what brand of filters would you recommend for the fine (2-3 micron) filters? Good point on the deck filler - I'll look into it.
No real recommends as such other than RACOR make the best units and they are not cheap. www.asap-supplies.com/fuel-systems/boat-fuel-polishing/parker-racor-500fg-diesel-fuel-filter
Coming from a person that does not remember a day in my life that I have never been with out a sewing machine...
Good machine oil and regular cleaning and service will keep a machine running indefinitely. Some are built to handle the torque of heavy materials and cost a small fortune. The key thing id the needles. Buy the best that you can. Needles are designed for specific materials and functions. another tip that my mother bestowed upon me was bees wax... ( an inexpensive toilet bowl ring works great) wax your needle frequently, wax your fingers and go slow. For heavy gauge thread the waxed fingers ( have used an scented oil warmer for large projects to soften the wax) can apply the wax as it reaches the needle POST tensioners. A shot of WD40 on the bobbin thread works wonders too.
Congratulations on your engagement. Nice boat and great video as always.
Cheers! :)
Congrats on the engagement. Great re-upholstering job, I wish I could do that good of a job at it.
Thanks a lot Grant - certainly took a lot of effort and learning new skills!
nicely done project with fuel filter
Congratulations! You seem to be be cracking through the to do list. Sail safe. Ant & Cid xx
Isn’t it funny how everything looks easy and gets done quickly in the videos? 😁
@@SailingKittiwake Certainly does! :-)
Great job! Very well done. I am impressed.
Thanks 😊
Next time you have to stuff cushions use a trash bag. Place the cushion foam in the bag, fold the Big end over tear a small hole big enough to put a vacuum nozzle and run the vacuum. It will shrink the foam and make it really easy to put the cover over. Cheers!
Great going guys! Lots of hard work! Best wishes, Graham, Sheffield
Cheers Graham! Have a great week.
Excellent news on the engagement.
😊 We’re very happy 😊
Woohoo! Congrats!!!!!
Thanks so much Mark :)
Congratulations !!!
Cheers Peter.
Congratulations on your engagement. Smart man.
Cheers John 😊
Firstly, many congratulations on your engagement, great news and best of luck on your future adventures. I’m just catching up as I had my boat out of the water for just over a week with lots of jobs to do, seacocks, cutlass bearing, aft seal, Coppercoat patch up, topside polish, capping rail refurb and I went with Woodskin after your video and very pleased so far. Great job on the cushions, mine has red which I don’t like and I have been looking out for a machine so that is next on the list. That non slip was awful, good job getting that off. I also like the inter deck as I think Kiwigrip is a bit severe. Safe travels and I’m now on to your next video. Andy UK. Ps. Patrick Lane is great and I have started building the same fuel polisher.
Thanks a bunch, Andy. Sounds like you’ve been busy doing boat work yourself! Enjoy the season now 🤗
Congratulations!
Thank you, Adam.
Great news. Congratulations.
Thanks Greg!
Lovely cushions, well done I know how difficult the project of making them can be.
Thanks Pauline! I thought they were difficult until I started sewing a new sprayhood 😰😂
FELICIDADES!!! So happy for u both, gl & best wishes!
Thanks a lot, best wishes to you too!
Gratz on the engagement. And the new ("to you") boat.
Cheers! 🍻
A newbe here ... love the refit guy's you both are doing a great job ! .. oh and ...Congratulations you on your engagement too !!!! :)
Thanks very much Shaun! 😊
Shoutout to Patrick Laine. Great sailor!
He is indeed, a great sailor and an inspiration!
Nice choice of boat. I am a catamaran lover but unless you can get a 38 ft or bigger it is pretty tight for living full-time on a cat. Looks a lot more comfy for your height requirement to stand tall. Liked your cuddling at end, sweet. Ron
Yep, totally.
Congratulations you two on your engagement!
Thanks Bud 😊
Congrats on the engagement
Thanks Tom!
Just discovered your channel remarkable what you have accomplished. Well done, and congratulations on your engagement 👏
Thanks Glyn! Hope you enjoy the videos 🙂
You guys have some very special talents! I would like to get my order in line for cushions!! Great job!
Thanks Steven :)
We just learn as we go, make mistakes, swear a little, start again, and after a lot of effort something decent somehow comes out :D No special talent required, but you do need some perseverance. How to get hold of some perseverance? Look at your bank account. Can you afford to pay someone to do it for you? Nope? Perseverance it is :D
Many thanks again.
Congratulations on your engagement! :)
Thanks a lot Jon! 😊
Congrats on the engagement. Also getting all that old deck anti-skid off manually and the wrestling match with the cushions. :) I just watched an episode of Rigging Doctor that used volcanic rock that locals use in the Azores for anti-skid, they didn't like it and had to remove it! On fuel polishing, you only need to get the water and larger particles out that build up and block fuel valves and connections before the main filters, especially if you install pressure sensors before and after the main fuel filters to see their health.
I could have sworn Patrick Laine traced his problem to the valve in the fuel line near the tank that blocked before his filters did. I think it was a needle valve and he replaced it with a petcock valve, but I can't find that video so might be imagining it. :) Also, get a fuel filter funnel that separates water from the fuel *before* it goes in the tank, and always use that when filling, and make sure the filler cap seals to reduce the chance of water getting in the tank and then diesel bug in the first place.
Thanks a lot for the tips Craig, good advice. I can't recall Patrick mentioning the valve, but you may be right. I thought his polishing rig looked like a great idea though, at least you get an idea of the level of crud in the tank.
Absolutely fascinating keep up the good work
These DIY videos are excellent. Just replaced my cabin cushions. I’d recommend using wonder clips instead of pins.
Cheers! We’ll look them up 😊👍
Congratulations!! Very low-key announcement - you are becoming more English as the days progress =;-)). Deck work was very impressive - man's a machine to scrape all of that accumulated crud off - chapeau, sir. And as to not having much experience sewing? Mate, they looked fantastic .... so chapeau to you too. Great episode, thanks. Keep safe, seabird swabs. Once again, many congratulations.
Thanks a lot Chris! 😊 You’re too kind.
Good job sewing!!
Cheers Garry!
awww congratulations
Thank you, Darren 😊
I love the white, it also makes the salon look cooler inside (temp). In case this helps anyone my mom's best friend was a boat upolster for wellcraft (super nice lady) and she showed me if you turn the material inside out and then pull it over the cushsion (pillow cases) it is much easier to get on. Instead of pushing the cushion thru your pulling the material down. I know right. : )peace
Ha! If only I knew it then. Thanks a lot 😊
@@SailingKittiwake Oh I was hoping you still had more to do to make this easier. After your first washing don't forget and dry them inside out that helps also. :) Peace
@@SailingKittiwake What is also cool is her husband did built fiberglass boats and he made framing for our kitchen lighting using teak. The kitchen ligts redone, but I kept all the teak. : ) peace
Big congrats to you both. Bit late now but watch that heat gun on gel coat, I used same when removing the gel coat for osmosis treatment, it did not take much before the gel coat could be scraped off inch by inch.
Thanks Criky, luckily that heat gun attachment seemed pretty good at directing the heat where it was needed and not onto the underlying fibreglass
congratulations
Congrats 🎊🎈🎉
Cheers!
FYI Unless you are going to strain your paint after mixing don't touch the bottom of the can because it stirs up particle crap that could mess up your paint job. The boat is looking so good. Congratulations to the both of you. May all days be without struggle and if you struggle may those days be short. :) Peace
Parabens e felicidades on your engagement guys. Great to see the boat work coming along nicely too.
Small tip, try to use the blue decorators tape for masking off. It doesn’t risk whatever it’s fixed to and doesn’t leave a residue. Unlike masking tape. Fair winds 😎
Thanks Chris! We’ll look for that tape next time 😊👍
Congratulations, aquamarine looks fabulous! good job on the cushions, I just made my 10 interior saloon cushions, had to learn to sew in the process. Fuel polishing...good system....however one change I would make, or ensure you include if you haven't....is using the same fuel/ water separator system (racor?) for your bottom filter. The initial crud separator is good, but the final filter is critical. This ensures you have a spare system should your engine system go bad (mine did) and the filter elements are the same you use on your engine (30 or 10 micron, maybe 5) and available anywhere. boat is looking great!
Thanks for the tip, the fuel filtration system on our boat actually has dual separating filters which are plumbed in separately so turning two stopcocks switches filter so if one gets clogged then a quick change to the other filter might sort it... at least that's the idea, who know what will happen when the engine dies on a windless day going into a small harbour
You have a good system, it will work well....trick is to catch the "clogging up" filter (or check valve ball in the racor itself) before the engine coughs and you have to run below to turn a valve! Childress installed a guage that shows pressure across the filter (needle dropping indicates sludge buildup) and when the psi drops to a known level the filter is clogged and he changes over to the second filter before engine issues. All good fun! Thanks@@SailingKittiwake
Ah yes I've seen those - like a vacuum gauge, I'll see where I can get hold of one, probably eBay. Thanks!
Fuel fuel tank stripping has been the norm in commercial and military diesel tanks. Stripping lines pull fuel/water/crud from below the fuel pick-up line in the tank. Water/fuel mix from the stripping line is stored in a oily water tank for later disposal. Fuel polishing is required for modern engines working at higher fuel pump pressures since the injector nozzles have smaller orifices at higher pressures. Polishing can be accomplished by circulating fuel through a separator, or a coalesce, or a series of filters of decreasing micron values and returning the fuel back to a service tank versus a storage tank. Depending on the age of your engine and the IMO / EPA compliance level will help to determine the final filtering requirement. A modern Tier II or Tier III engine will need significant fuel polishing with a final filter of 10 microns. Some cautions, be sure your engine fuel pump is capable of pulling fuel through the filter(s) and noted that fuel returned from the engine has effectively already been polished. Also treat your fuel on delivery for bugs.
Congratulations 🍾🎊🎉 the white looks nice good luck though I would ruin it to fast I do like it and what about a hard dodger fiberglass top wood frame windows I think would really look good on that boat anyway your doing a awesome job👍👍
Hi Chad, we think hard dodgers are great, SV Prism have one and I think Atticus built one, but we're happy with the soft top for now - we think the advantage is to be able to remove it and get breeze through the cockpit when it's really hot.
Oh for what it's worth those awesome skills you have with that sewing machine is very valuable to your fellow cruisers and carry bags and flags sewn up from your old sails would make great items for your patrons 😎hint hint
Get your hands off our sails 😂 Joking. Hopefully we won’t have to change sails in a looong time.
Congratulations
Cheers George!
Congratulations you on your engagement!
Thank you!
Congratulations! :D
Thanks Ed!
Another videoblog worth watching....(Patrick Lane's are great!) is "Patrick Childress Sailing". He has a Valiant 40, a style not unlike the Tayana 40, currently in South Africa but circumnavigating...and each of his episodes has an element of instruction on boat systems or handling in a subtle way. Nice couple also...Thanks, Andrew
Thanks for the recommendation we'll check him out - we love the look of Valiants - Bob's designed some great boats!
I agree, Patrick Childress and his wife are awesome folks, his YT channel is extremely informative. They are not of the "Click Bait" variety sail channels.
Try chucking some marbles into your fuel tank to knock any crud off the bottom. Use non metallic marbles. You will need to use the polishing machine all the time then , for a while anyway. If you have a lot of crud in your tank, try adding more of the separating glass vessels in parallel. (not series) This will slow down the fuel flow and enable more settling. If you have a shutoff valve before and after each of the settling vessels you can clean each one without shutting off the pump.If you have the money, put a couple more filters (in parallel) with the first one. Each filter (in parallel, not series) will lessen the strain on your pump. If you put them in series, the strain will be additive, like resistors in electricity. Again, you will have to have a shutoff valve before and after each filter so you can service them individually while your pump is running.
Excellent tips, thanks! Hadn't even thought of putting in extras in parallel but it makes a lot of sense.
Congratulations on your engagement. I like your small catamaran but I see from your video of Ryan moving about how it is a problem. I'm betting that non slip,was beach sand embedded in paint that was the old school way but it was effective. I'm a firm believer in 2part epoxy paint it would make a good investment because of its longevity, just my 2cents,you guys are doing well fair winds and calm seas till next time
Thank you. It was much bigger than sand grains - probably gravel. Next time, I guess 😉 We has to stay on budget as so many things needed fixing up.
She: wedding!! He: grit, paint, heat gun. 😄
Here's to life aboard the beautiful Skua!
Haha you know us so well! To be fair, Elena's been doing some pretty tricky boatwork to be seen in an upcoming episode!