Video

Richard, my apology was to Bob Dylan. However, having said that, I once queued up for 24 hours to buy a ticket to his Earls Court show (1978?) - so I feel he owes me one. This motorbike is not really a project as it is actually a 'runner'. Although it needs a bit of work to make it safe - plus a service etc. But it will be the subject of the next video. I see a lot of similarities between motorcycling and sailing. Quite a few sailors seem to ride bikes. Cheers, Paul

@@verynearlyaboutsailing8114 I may be lambasted for this but I went to see Bob Dylan at the Docklands Arena in the early 2000’s…… I lasted 10 mins……. Sorry, but it was awful 😞 Yes a lot of the freedoms are associated with both bikes and boats, just don’t get ‘em confused 🫤 boats float…. bikes don’t ! Love your videos Paul, now stop reading this and get on with something useful 😉 All the best R. Ps: how’s the piano ?

I really should have practiced doing that before I hit record. Oh well. Yes, there will definitely be some looping going on in the Christmas special. I have tried it before on a different setup ... and its' not easy. Hats off to Ed. Cheers, Paul

I only recently in the last month or so discovered Ed and looping. A cruising friend showed me some.videos of him performing. I had no idea that your soundboard project had a looper included or even what that was before this. It looks impossible to me what Ed does with his looping. But then again I can't play guitar -or even sing. I cant even remember any lyrics other than a few words of most songs.

Ed is probably the best looper out there. His pedalboard rig is astonishing (and cost many 10s of thousands of pounds). He sells a couple of (very cut down) versions of his rig under his own brand. I need to do a lot of practice to learn how to use my feet as well as my hands. I think you will probably have to wait for the Christmas Special before any 'proper' looping happens.

Funnily enough, the CZcams copyright checking algorithm didn't recognise it at all. Either that, or Bob Dylan (famous Welsh poet) had a quick listen and decided he wanted nothing to do with it. Cheers, Paul

Yes, literally awful and completely unfit for purpose. Cheers, Paul

Have a look at the "VEVOR UK" website, under the Boat Launching Section. They have a lot of different sizes and options. There are also lots of diagrams with measurements.

Should do. Obviously sand isn't the easiest thing with small wheels. I haven't tried these on sand yet myself.

James, good idea. I could adapt it so that if you fold it out one way it becomes a double bass. And in a different configuration it becomes a yacht tender. What could possibly go wrong? I do sometimes wonder if I chose the right instrument. Trouble is, I'm a bit scared of Medusa, she's from Transylvania (no really) and quite a bit bigger than me. She might take it badly if I try and replace her. Cheers, Paul

Richard, it's really strange. I was very nervous about woodwork until I threw myself into it, and had a go. I also know a very good carpenter who was very nervous about fiberglass work - until he tried it. I guess the lesson is to simply try everything. Just start slowly and be as accurate as possible. And, what's that you say... I have a boat in the garden? Really? Let me just pop out and have a look. Blimey, you're right. How on earth did that get there? I guess I'd better do something with it then. Cheers, Paul

Wayne, I should have done. But my compression tester has gone missing. I probably lent it to someone, then forgot who. It would have been interesting to check which cylinder had the problem. I did the 'standard' head gasket blown test. I filled the coolant system up with water then started the car... violent bubbles blowing out through the filler cap everywhere. To be honest, the car is worth less than a tank of petrol. But I hate throwing things away that can be fixed. It will either work or it won't. Not a big job to be honest. But lots and lots of fiddly parts - old cars are so much easier. Cheers, Paul

Richard, Ha ha. Slow and steady is all I do. Yes, the small motorcycle should be interesting. It has a bit of a story having only been ridden for a few hundred miles since new in the 1960's, then lightly crashed in the 1970's, then locked away in a shed since then. Unfortunately a bit of rain damage because of a leaking roof. But should be a fun project. All will be revealed soon Cheers, Paul

Actually... Maybe I should contact them and see if they are willing to sponsor this channel. Mind you, that would really hit their profit margin. Cheers, Paul

Indeed. Although, what I omitted to point out is that there is a very comfortable fold up chair tucked in behind the compressor. I do quite often sit on that and enjoy a cup of tea in comfort whilst listening to the radio. Strange how a workshop can also be such a relaxing place - but it only feels relaxing when it's tidy :) Cheers, Paul

Yes, there is a rhyme - I don't know it. And there is also some weird thing I have seen people do by counting on their knuckles - how does that even work. As for me, I'm usually pretty happy if I can roughly guess what day of the week it is ;) Cheers, Paul

Very good point about the McLube. I have some and do use it. In fact, I've been using it as a dry lube for the piano restoration project I am doing. I don't know why it didn't occur to me to use it on the table saw. I keep meaning to get some thin penetrating epoxy to use as a coating. The stuff I normally use (West Systems) is a bit thick - also, mine seems to have 'gone off' as I mention in the video. Really not sure what happened there - I've never had that problem before. The washboards have a layer of epoxy. I do need to make some sort of cockpit table. I want one that will double up as an occasional table in the salon when the main one is not out. I knew someone who re-built his motorcycle on the back of his boat...it was quite a big boat. Cheers, Paul

Ken, thanks. Yes, I will definitely look at the dovetails option. I know that a lot of people fit metal tracks. But that looks too expensive and difficult to me. I have probably used the sled about 50 times since I made it. So useful. I will consider it to be Mk I - MK II will almost certainly have dovetails. I need to finish the Router Table which will make it easy to cut them. Cheers, Paul

Thanks. To be fair, my consultant did say that I would feel dreadful for 6 months. I sort of ignored that, but she was right. And Summer will be great - I think. Cheers, Paul

I like to think that my videos fit into that space left between The Cloud and the next nearest Alternative Reality. I used to work with computers about a million years ago. And the word "cloud" has never been old-fashioned in my book. Nor has "Card Reader" come to that. Cheers, Paul

Glitter is so tempting. The problem is that it gets everywhere. I suppose that I could put on a layer of glitter then a clear lacquer coat to keep it all under control. Although, actually, now you've raised this idea... I think what Serenity really needs is a disco style glitter ball in the salon. Excellent idea. Thanks, Paul

Could the glitter ball in the saloon be raised on a halyard to act as an anchor light at night? Just a thought...

@@jcfgh Yep. I'm going to do that. I've got the 75W Ghetto blaster. 24 hour party boat. Add a glitter ball and I'll be the most popular person in the anchorage.... Or the least. It could go either way to be honest.

No, it's not just you. I was taught to always put it on it's side during school woodwork lessons. Then I watched a few Paul Sellars videos. He discussed the issue on one of his livestreams. I can't remember all the reasoning, but he put forward a good case for placing it on it's sole plate. So, I decided to go the Paul Sellars route. The difference in practice? Almost nothing, except it is marginally easier to just pick up the plane rather than flip it by 90 degrees each time you use it. Plus, it's a nice feeling to do something 'naughty' and not get shouted at by your scary Scottish woodwork teacher. - I am such a rebel ;) Cheers, Paul

I was thinking Cesna for a second:-)

Yes, the wiring is a complete mess - everything just shoved into the frame. When I first put it up on the bench and it 'seemed' to work, I wasn't convinced because there wasn't any load. I have taken it on a few longish rides and it's going well. However, it went well for the first few years that I had it. So, maybe things just gradually worked loose. It is a good bike, but not a great one. But no reason to get rid of it - yet. Too many people simply throw things away when they stop working. Even when the bike does finally conk out completely, I will probably convert it to a non-electric bike and try and keep it going that way. Cheers, Paul

You've got the right attitude. I have picked up very cheaply or free out of the junk a lot of seemingly broken things that other people have given up on and subsequently fixed or at least comverted to something useful without spending much money. Often, the failure of these electronic boards and controllers is the result of loose wiring elsewhere in the circuit that stresses the controller and eventually fries them. If you have trouble in the future check all the wiring again straight away and get that sorted before it can do any damage to the hardware. Often it takes a lot of research to fix this stuff because of the lack of documentation and standardization with these pieces of Chinesium tech and mech as you have just.experienced. It seems that these electric bike and kit producers are all doing their own thing right now and just shipping the product without documentation or decent build quality of the wiring interconnections. Fixing this stuff requires a fair amount of engineering skills to reverse engineer it just to figure out how it works to find the fault. Maybe in the future things will become more standardized and by the time your bike fails again you can rebuild it more easily and cheaply with a new controller that has decent documentation and instructions to wire it in with your existing bike motor/battery/sensors.

Indeed, no one in my family dares throw anything away without checking if I can salvage it first. If I win the lottery I will buy a scrapyard and be happy for life ;)

Yes, we had total internet failure for a few days. We have a strange system here that is dependent on a few dishes sending signals over a few small 'hills'. One of them couldn't cope with the weather and broke. Quite nice to have no internet for a few days - remember how peaceful life used to be. Cheers, Paul

@@verynearlyaboutsailing8114 No worries, always happy when you post. I recently rediscovered off line music. No distractions like listening to music on CZcams. Highly recommend.

I can't find the video. Probably just me. Can you include a link - sounds interesting. Define interesting... Cheers, Paul

@@verynearlyaboutsailing8114 jarle Andhoy sails to Antarctica, hopefully this features the 27ft Albin vega he first did it in they are remarkable provided your 5 ft 7 1/2

Michael, I hope you are doing well. The stay-lock system makes a lot of sense to me. I always feel happier if I've done something myself. Optimism, plus a plan, always seems to win out in the end.... He said optimistically :) Ironically, the first computer programme I ever wrote for 'commercial' use was for the University of Edinburgh to help them save expensive computing power to do statistical analysis back in 1978. The University of Edinburgh is doing the number crunching for this research. I'm quite happy for them to throw as much power as they need at this one. Cheers, Paul

There is no guarantee that the holding tank will 'work' - but I really want to give it a try. I am hoping that my new found focus on accuracy is the key. I also intend to pressure test it before it gets used in 'anger'. Cheers, Paul

Very long time since I've sailed around Lymington - interesting place. Plymouth is also a very nice place to sail. I worked in Plymouth for a while, and have always had a big soft spot for the town/city. All the best with the new boat. Cheers, Paul

Thanks. Means a lot. Cheers, Paul

Ken, the 85 key thing is more to do with the age of the piano. 88 keys has been the standard since about the start of the 20th century. I think that Steinway went from 85 to 88 around the 1880's. It's the top three keys that are 'missing'. My piano is an Ernst Munck made in Gotha, Germany somewhere between 1867 and 1884. I know it isn't later than 1884 because they won a big prize at that point and started to put that information as part of the logo on the soundboard. It had been in the same family I bought it from since new. They believe it was bought in the early 1880's, but aren't sure. Yes, yes, yes. I need a cross cut sled. I will be making one soon. That and a router table are the two key things I need. When I have got those two things, I intend to make another stool (same design), and see how much easier, quicker and more accurate I can make it. This woodwork stuff is fun. Cheers, Paul

Ahh. Now you've said this...I think you might have a point. Oh well, best laid plans of mice and men etc. Cheers, Paul

The really positive thing is that I have started to enjoy woodworking and am actually looking forward to the interior work. I was dreading it before. I do like the combination of hand-tools and electric tools. The table saw is great, and once I get the router table sorted, that will be a real game changer. Fiona's book and videos have made a massive difference in the way I practice. Takes a bit of effort to make the changes needed - some of her ideas seem quite counter intuitive, but they are all based on solid science and experience, and they work. Bass is making far fewer strange buzzing noises nowadays. Cheers, Paul

I am very tempted to wear that jumper all year round. Maybe I will... Cheers, Paul

Quirky is a good description. I never quite know what is going to go into the next 'episode'. There will be a short series of piano restoration videos next year - absolutely nothing to do with sailing. But I want to put those out all at once, starting with a before and after video. Still very early days with the meds, but I am reasonably optimistic at the moment Cheers, Paul

Good to know that the hedgehog is popular all over the world. There is something really charming about them. The big surprise is that they are really loud. They don't try and disguise the fact that they are rummaging around in your back garden at all. I guess they feel well protected with their coat of spines. Good name for a dinghy. I would guess that Harbor Freight would have something similar. The Clarke brand in the UK is about the cheapest you can get and still be assured that the quality will be OK. Cheers, Paul

Love hedgehogs and saved a baby one which lived with my mother in law. Love the channel you’ve encouraged me to spend more on a yacht so I do less repairs. ❤️

Nothing lasts on a boat no matter how well built or high quality it was when new. I've replaced just about everything on mine before we left 6 years ago and many of those systems broke and needed adjustment, repair, or outright replacement already.

Thanks. Ill give that a go. Of course the real test is to fold it up on the (very) small foredeck whilst at sea - much more difficult! Cheers, Paul

Ken, Good to hear from you - it seems that you and I live in some weird parallel universe to each other with regard to our DIY pastimes. I am enjoying my woodworking attempts. I want to get some practice in, and get my skills up before really tacking the galley. I did do woodwork way back in my school days. It's surprising what I do remember from back then. I don't think much of it is about any sort of innate skill. But it does seem to be about patience and precision - and the willingness to get it wrong several times before it goes right. I haven't tried lock mitre joints yet. They are on my list I want to make a drawer for my workbench. I'm pretty much going to copy the Paul Sellers video where he does just this using half-lap dovetails (where you can't see the joint from the front), and a groove, as you suggest. I need to finish off my router table to make the groove. We shall see how that all works out. The picture is a photo that my sister took on Serenity when we were moored just outside Faversham Creek. The sunsets in this area are amazing. It's just a couple of miles from the place where Turner did a lot of his famous watercolour paintings (that was Margate). The colours in the photo are accurate to real life - amazing. Cheers, Paul

Yes, we seem to be in some sort of parallel projects. I bought a cheap router table just before seeing your video on building one. For my drawers, I used a dado blade set on the table saw rather than the router. It cuts faster, and with my setup is a simpler setup. Also, I already had the dado set. Spectacular colours in you photograph. Looking forward to seeing progress on Serenity, and soon your not-to-be-missed Christmas special. Ken

Oh, there's a lot more waffle left in me yet. Good to see you back. Can't promise anything substantive for a while. But who knows; one day something might actually happen in one of my videos. Cheers, Paul

Yes, Oxalic acid is magic. It does an amazing job on bleaching wood and really draws out the unsightly stains. It's also great for getting rid of those horrible 'rust' stains that you see on fibreglass sometimes. I actually used distilled white vinegar for the vice (vise in the USA), simply because I had a great big bottle of it that wasn't going to be used for anything else. I have another project coming up, which I may or may not video Won't say what it is, but it has chromed steel rims and a very small 4-stroke motor - and it is nearly as old as me. That will probably see its fair share of Oxalic Acid. Cheers, Paul

Yes, this was the cheapest of all possible pine. Very soft and very sappy. The nice wood will be saved for Serenity. I did sharpen all the tools (including the saw). My old woodwork teacher must have done a good job - I remembered stuff I didn't even realise I'd forgotten. Piano is at the stage of putting things back together. Made a few mistakes along the way - there will be a short video series. Cheers, Paul

@@verynearlyaboutsailing8114 Hi Paul, I’d be interested to see your sharpening method, you seem to have some very sharp tools there. All I ever do is succeed in making my chisels etc. ‘child friendly’ 🙄 I was thinking of getting the Tormek sharpening system……. but man, have you seen the price !!! All the best, Richard.

Richard, I basically follow the Paul Sellers method as closely as I can. He doesn't use a jig of any sort. So, I'm certainly not at an accurate 30%. However, it's probably close enough and seems to work for me. It does mean that you get a slight curve rather than a two part flat bevel. But it is very quick, and easier than you would think. I use a Faithfull diamond sharpening set. Three 'stones', 1000, 600 and 400, then a leather strop. I use window cleaner as lubricant. It's very quick. Have a look at Paul Sellers' channel he's got a few videos on sharpening. I also used his method to sharpen the saw. He uses a 'progressive' cut where the first couple of inches of the saw are done slightly differently so it is easier to start the cut. Sharpening the saw made a huge difference. Cheers, Paul

@@verynearlyaboutsailing8114 Thanks for the Paul Sellers tip, I’ve just made meself a brew and I’m about to settle down for an afternoons fettling in the shed…….. tough life eh !!

Fingers crossed. Might take a few months for things to take effect. I don't want to make any predictions, but next year would be nice. Cheers, Paul

That is exactly, 100% what I should have done. Looking back on it, I have no idea why I made it as complicated as I did. Weird, because I make templates for just about everything else. It worked, eventually - but f there is ever a next time, I will do it differently. Cheers, Paul

Hi, unfortunately I don't have any sea-going experience with the heater. Serenity is still on dry land. Health problems have meant that it is taking me ages to finish the refit and get back in the water. I did fit a small water trap at the lowest point in the exhaust. It is one of those ones with a loop of copper pipe that allows water to drip out, but won't let the gas out. It is really only for the condensation from the combustion process. One option I was thinking about was to find some way of sealing off the exhaust when the boat was sailing. That would mean that the heater couldn't be used under way. Not really a problem - but you would need a failsafe way of ensuring that the exhaust was clear when you did switch on the heater. I just looped the exhaust as high as I could to try and stop water getting in. As I say, unfortunately I haven't bee able to do a proper 'at sea' test. However, I do switch the heater on and it starts u fine every time. Good luck with it. Cheers, Paul

Hmmh. You may have a point. Maybe I should add some cross bracing ;) The one I used for inspiration was twice as big in each direction. It was just easier to stick to using 2x4's. The idea of this is to get to a point where I feel confident enough not to mess up the next few internal projects. It is many years (40+) when I last did any 'proper' woodworking, and that was all with hand tools. This is turning out to be quite enjoyable. I'm hoping to get Lucy more involved when she has the time. She is quite keen to get out and sail Serenity. Cheers, Paul

The more I do it, the better it gets. And as a bonus, I'm actually starting to enjoy it. I never really used to enjoy woodworking at all. Couple more projects and I should be ready for the galley. Cheers, Paul

Always happy to hear from the West Coat of BC. Cheers, Paul

Yes, I've seen people do that. Some can get away with a layer or two of duct tape. Big problem with the Rage 5 S is that there are actually two lots of tracks which are both loose. As well as the actual cross cut/mitre thing, that is mounted onto its own 'sled'' with two loose runners Weird. I might just get some Delrin (same as rudder bearing material) and cut a few new tracks once I get the router table up and running. It's a shame, because otherwise it's an excellent saw. Cheers, Paul

Yes, don't tell Lucy that it's all done in the editing. She thinks she's a wizard now as well as a mermaid. Cheers, Paul

To be honest, as you can see from the video, it's mostly guess work - plus lots of tape and cardboard mockups/templates. Using the magnets to figure out what was going on from both the inside and outside perspective was invaluable. My main two criteria were to get the new locker floor as low as possible so that I had 30cm above the chain 'heap', but not too low so it would be too low to the waterline. In retrospect, I could probably have gone lower. In terms of fitting the actual triangular piece for the floor itself, that is covered in a later video (October 2020). There wasn't any measurement involved. From memory, I taped where the new floor was going to be from the outside, then transferred that inside using the magnets. Then it was just a case of doing loads of cardboard mock-up templates until it looked right. Then cut and actual piece of wood - I laminated two very thick pieces of ply (again, covered in Oct 20220). Getting the right angles etc is covered in the October video. - However, I wasn't particularly accurate - and using a lot of thickened epoxy helped a lot. Pretty much all of it was trial and error. But it is a lot cheaper to make a mistake with a piece of cardboard than epoxying in a sheet of plywood then finding it doesn't fit. Good luck. Cheers, Paul

Yay! Bring on the butt puns. I like a good pun.. or even a bad one. Cheers, Paul

I saw the 'zigzag/chevron' thing ages ago and wanted to try it. It does take a few passes and glue ups. But to be honest, the table saw makes it really easy. I spent ages setting up the table saw. I didn't cover that aspect as there are loads of videos on CZcams. But once everything is really squared up properly it is amazing to be able to replicate cuts accurately. Cheers, Paul