The great river city of Glasgow.
We had a "run ashore" while we waited for the agent to organise repairs to the engine Dock-and-Go system. We took the train to Glasgow on two occasions. Once for a general tourist type visit, then a second time to look at the incredible Botanical Gardens.
Some pictures:

 

 











Second visit to see the Botanical Gardens:

 

 

 

Our first cruise in 2014. 25th April
We bought an EPIRB (ACR Globalfix Pro), a new handheld VHF (Cobra HR500), and a new chart system called Navionics Plus. This chart system was a new version of the commonly available Navionics Gold but had the addition of user submitted data for depth contours. This would allow us to have a better view of depth in and around UK waters. The really big problem here is the under water dangers due to millions of rocks and reefs, and the existing paper charts don't show most of the critical depth in bays.
Then we took off on out first cruise for 2014. Up the Clyde estuary to the Kyles of Bute. First stop was the beautiful West Kyle off the town of Kames. Here we went walking and had lunch at the Kames Hotel on Sunday. Then we anchored in our favourite Loch called Loch Riddon off the Salthouse, an ideal place to watch wildlife and sunsets.

 

 

 

Installing the rigging 18th and 19th April 2014
For the winterising we had removed ALL the running rigging. This means all ropes that were not actually holding up the mast. I washed all ropes (warps, halyards, sheets, painters, shorelines and the rest..) in a washing machine on a gentle programme using Woolite soap and they came out looking good. Then we stowed the ropes for the winter so everything had to be installed again, including the sails.
Clambering up the mast allowed madam to get some harmless exercise winching me up three times in the bosuns chair. Some of the 'mouse' lines had broken and come out due to 100mph winds over winter. These mouse lines are installed in place of halyards so that they can be reinstalled without climbing the mast. So since they had broken I had to get up the mast to feed the ropes back into the pulley apertures etc.
Here are some pictures:

Launch.... 14th April 2014
Kwanza sat in the sling during the weekend to allow us to Antifoul the areas under the stanchion pads, and to allow a small gelcoat repair under the keel to dry and get painted. So on the morning of the 14th the marina crew carried her very carefully round the yard to the marina launch point. They eased her into the cold marina basin and motored her to the fuel pontoon. This was to allow some tests to be done on the Dock and Go system which was malfunctioning last season. I wanted the vendor to plug in the system to a computer and run some analysis.
Here are some pictures of the launch

SPRING CLEANING AND PAINTING WITH ANTIFOUL
Between the 5th and 11th April we set about cleaning Kwanza from top to bottom. The teak decks, spray hood, and cockpit. Then the top sides washed with shampoo. Finally the old anti foul rubbed off with scrubbing pads.
The wet weather was a bit of a holdup for the new paint, but we eventually got it done in one day on Thursday the 10th.
Meanwhile madam did a great job sorting out the interior putting cushions and mattresses back in place, cleaning all cupboards and their contents.
We also put the engine impeller back together and generally rebuilt the engine. The sea cocks and generator can be done when we are back in the water tomorrow.

Washing and scrubbing....

WASHED !!

Now the paint:

We even shined the propeller....

Small repair on the bottom of the keel while suspended in the cradle....

KWANZA LAUNCH FOR 2014 SEASON
We arrived in Ardrossan on the CV flight from Luxembourg on the 2nd April to continue our sailing adventure. Anxious due to further repairs to be done, but somewhat excited at the idea of just sailing away to where the wind, tide and inclination takes us.

The present plan is to move Kwanza from the display parking in front of the marina office, on the 4th April, and put her on the general 'hard' area to the South. This would enable us to clean her and apply the Antifoul paint without messing up the clean display area. (washing boats and applying paint has to be done in a controlled area.. not just anywhere,!)

The launch is scheduled for the 14th April and they will lift her into the sling on the 11th so that the lower keel can be painted with anti foul and also the areas normally covered by the stanchion pads. Hopefully by this time everything else will be complete.

Between now and the 11th we have to get busy with the exterior and interior preparation.
So far we have spent two days, out in the rain and wind, washing down the teak decks, the cockpit, transom etc, and of course cleaning the interior from top to bottom. Thankfully the bar heater and dehumidifier worked all through winter so the damp is minimal.
Then we will put the mechanical parts back together, such as the engine, generator, boiler etc.
Here below are some photos of the move:

Transitioning from her stand in the display park to the flat bed trolley

Turning and lining up to reverse onto the road

Moving onto the road

13 Tonnes on steel wheels rolling towards the main car park..