18 January Wanted: a small person to crawl into a small space

For a while our two forward sail lockers have smelt damp and, after our sail up from Grenada when we were hard on the wind going into a northerly swell and taking water over the bow, David said being in the marina with all the free fresh water would be a good time to get everything out and douse with fresh water.

He found a couple of issues; one that we were carrying far too much in the lockers and, two that the floor was saturated and sagging. In the port side locker we had two anchors, 60m of heavy nylon rode, 50m of heavier tow line, a bucket of rusting chain, a sail bag of every rope we've replaced in the past (he can't throw away any old rope), 7 fenders and all our mooring lines. In the starboard locker we had the headsail and mizzen ballooners, a complete set our old sails as back up 'just in case' and the 25m long protective sleeve for the headsail. No wonder the floors were beginning to buckle under the strain. Action was needed now.

We pulled everything out of the lockers onto the foredeck and it made a big pile. While I was working on a plan of what we could jettison from this pile David was assessing and formulating a plan to repair and strengthen the locker floors. Constructed of marine ply with a fibreglass coating for extra strength and waterproofing they sit above the chain locker so we are able to look at the underside from the inspection hatch in the forward cabin.

Our Chief Engineer came up with a cunning plan which requires 4 lengths of L shaped aluminium bars, some long bolts, careful measurement and a small person. The carefully measured and precisely cut lengths of aluminium will be fitted widthways under the floor and held by bolts fitted through the reinforced edges adjacent to the hull from inside the sail lockers above. This should lift the sagging floor back to its original level and give additional reinforcement like a joist under a conventional floorboard.

The key element required is someone small enough to access the chain locker through the inspection hatch in a cupboard in the forward cabin. Once inside, while lying on the anchor chain, they will measure the length of bar required which the chief engineer will cut, and then to hold the bars and washers and nuts in place for the bolts to be fitted and tightened from above. Wearing David's fireproof rally overalls, which are way too big for me, for protection it is hot and humid in there.

the first bar in place

Because I am in and out of that hatch many time over the four days it takes us to complete the job I perfect my technique for passing my body through cupboard and hatch to minimise hurting my metal hip and settling into a less uncomfortable position atop the chain. I lie on my back and go feet first as far as I can then rotate 90° to fit my hips and shoulders through and back onto my back to face the ceiling. I think deserve a bloody medal for going beyond the call of duty for this! Or a gin and tonic minimum at the end of the day.

seen from above, floor of the sail locker

I'm proud to say David and I worked our Team Jackster magic. His master plan worked with the sail lockers reinforced. The last job was a nasty, dirty one which David did and I helped with which was to add a seal of new fibreglass and resin coating to maintain the waterproofing. As they say in the trade, job's a good 'un.

While the fibreglass was hardening we reviewed what was going to go back in the lockers and what could be discarded to reduce weight. We trundled three old sails, a bucket of rusty chain and a sail bag of old lines; none of which we'd needed to use in at least 5 years, if ever, to the recycling skip in the boatyard hoping our trash might be someone else's treasure.