Preparing the boat

After a lifetime of working in software development, it's time to relax and start putting the retirement plans into action. For me, that has always meant buying a boat and sailing off into the sunset. Of course the reality is somewhat different, and my dream boat was always way beyond my budget. Instead, I opted for a 30-year-old Westerly Fulmar called "Two Seas" in very good basic condition but a little tired and in need of some TLC.

The original owner had made extensive modifications and had equipped her very well. You can see the windshield around the cockpit area which gives great protection against splashy seas. At the stern, there's a post with a radar scanner - a real boon in foggy conditions.

My main concern was with the state of the deck. It was originally painted with special non-slip paint, but over time this had discoloured and started to flake off. Not only was it unsightly but there was a real risk of slipping on it. There was no doubt - it had to come off and be re-painted.

In addition, the foredeck was covered in a non-slip matting which had been painted over. This too was peeling away and needed to be stripped off.

While sailing her around the local waters during the summer, I found it very difficult to operate the manual anchor windlass. A younger man might have fared better, but winding the anchor in against a strong current was back-breaking work. I decided to invest in an electric windlass so that raising and lowering the anchor could be done with the push of a button. Bliss!

All ready to go with new paint job and electric windlass fitted!