Bosun's Locker and A Mediterranean Dream

Right at the pointy end of the boat there is a handy compartment where we can store ropes, spare anchors etc. and this is called the fo’c’sle, or Boatswain's Locker. The hatch here has had the combing (the bit that sticks up from the deck to stop water washing down into it) shot-blasted and galvanised and the lid has been re-fitted with new hinges, and with a super new handle so the skipper’s man-icure doesn’t get busted when opening it to get to ropes and things.

The main mast is now made and lying inside the boat shed, but won’t be stepped until the boat is launched - it is pretty tall. There are lots of sound-looking brackets for our navigation lights, and because of Heroine’s length we have to carry an extra light for “not under command”. The skipper says he’s also going to fit me with one of these. The mast also has nice welded-on alternating rungs for climbing, for locating coral shoals and sandy atolls. Although probably not in the North Sea, we’ll settle for shoals of herring.

Down below the mast is going to be the saloon, the main cabin and its huge bathroom; the Collingwood Suite. The cabin has its own hatch and the combing has been shot-blasted and galvanised to, so no more will flaky bits of salty paint will fall on our faces while we sleep and get in our open, snoring mouths.


Arthur the Engineer has built a new lid for the hatch, with a cunning stay and it looks as if we will be getting a beautiful brass porthole to set into it, to allow sun-light to flood into the cabin. This is the hatch to which we intend to fit a large wind-sock, so in a crystal Mediterranean bay a gentle offshore breeze will be funnelled into the boat, scenting it with pine, bougainvillea, barbecued lamb and Greek shepherd’s sweat. And here is another picture of Arthur at his bench of legend with the Skipper adopting a suitably reverent attitude towards the new hatch cover.