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Hi Phil, fortunately it didn't break into little pieces and then end up in the heat exchanger. It stayed in the pump and just went round and round. I guess if I hadn't noticed the lack of water, it could well have disintegrated and left the pump. Good observation on my part and a substantial dose of luck :-) Best Wishes .. Dave

I was a bit disappointed that there was so little wind but it was a really nice experience and I was buzzing for weeks after. Sadly they have run out of money and the ship is now wasting away in some port or other. It was built quite recently, specifically for opening up sailing to everybody, able and disabled. The talking compass meant that blind people could steer and there was wheelchair access throughout the ship with lifts between decks. If I had the money I would buy her, but I'm not that rich. Thinking about it not rich at all.

@ maybe we can do our part to promote donations.

Keep going down the list of videos Lily. There's more music and me singing sea songs further down. I'll look up that web site . I might just be able to join that shanty session..

It's an awe inspiring ship today, it must have seemed like a miracle when it was built.

Ah you found the songs -- Good ho.. Dave

There's thousands of us in the UK but the Northumbrian sessions take some beating as does the choice and variety of traditional tunes..

It was produced just for you by the sound of it. Good to have you along Lily ... Dave

Hi Graham, If it hasn't got one, then i would seriously consider fitting one. So much easier to clean a bit of weed out of the strainer than dismantling the saltwater pump and cleaning that out. It should be in the hose that runs from the seacock to the raw water pump on the engine. Find the seacock and follow the hose.. I hope you find it.. Best Wishes .. Dave

@ Thank you Dave☺️

It's not good news I think. Judging by stuff I've read on the internet I don't think there is a way of refilling them - though I am surprised . Check out www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f55/topping-up-fluid-in-a-plastimo-135-compass-149844.html And do some searching on google, there just might be a way. ... Sorry I'm not more optimistic .. Best Wishes .. Dave

Hi Rajpal, Good to have you along. Jason and I had a real good chat, he's an engaging character and it helped that I'd visited Canada. I hope you enjoy more of the videos - some of them, like when I sailed to Falmouth and back are brilliant on one of those murky cold days in the winter. Seeing the sunshine and the beautiful blue water gives me a real lift.. Take care - Best Wishes .. Dave

I think it's quite common for the edges to start lifting. Apparently if you lift it a bit so you can clean any dirt out, you can reactivate the glue with a hot air gun. Be careful not to overdo it, and stick it back down again. Thanks for watching and making the effort to comment. Best wishes Dave

Thanks for the info!

Hi Tony. It's pretty unique with so many youngsters but there is a strong tradition up there and it's not considered, "Uncool" like so many areas down south. I'm always torn between playing and filming - so many good tunes.... Best Wishes ... Dave

Yes it's really nice session with some really good players.. Dave

Hi Kim, I've never had to seal an edge because I've used the EVA Foam in a sunken area which butts up to the edge. I think that most of the problem with the edges coming unstuck is two fold. 1) water ingress at the edge causes the glue to let go and 2) the edge is susceptible to scuffing as you go over it with shoes. The edge sits proud of the area it is stuck to so it is vulnerable. In the video I made the suggestion of sealing the edges to prevent that happening. That was based on many reports by users that the edges had lifted up, mainly in hot conditions. There is another consideration though, the EVA foam is quite hard to stick to so you need something that is durable but ideally slightly flexible. The caulking material I suggest in my videos might work well but maybe a bead of epoxy might be better. Even if the epoxy didn't stick very well it would provide a support and protection to the side of the foam and stop it moving. I think it really depends where you are going to put the foam. If it was me I would try a small sample at home, which is what I did originally, before committing to it on the boat. You might get away with it by just sticking it down, leaving the edges exposed - lots of people have done that, I know. It really does depend on the foot traffic and wear and tear. Hope that helps .. Best Wishes ... Dave

You were mentioned and not in an unkind way :-)

Hi Colin, thanks for watching and making the effort to comment. So pleased to hear that you are enjoying the videos. I certainly enjoyed the sailing. Hopefully the weather will be a bit better this year and I can do a bit more.. Best Wishes ... Dave

Hey John, that's great. I'm sure you'll find it a bit of a challenge but hopefully lots of fun too. It's lovely to think that my little adventures have inspired you. Do let me know how you get on with the 3 day course. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you get nice weather. Best Wishes ... Dave

Glad you enjoyed it ... Dave

I could have just slapped more on, but once I pressure washed and saw how poorly the Kiwi Grip had been applied, I wanted to see what was underneath. As you can see from the video, when removing the original worn out teak deck, the workers had damaged the underlying deck in many many places. Also the remaining kiwi grip was not bonded well in lots of places. If I had just slapped another coat over it all there was a distinct possibility that the new layer would peel off too as it pulled the first layer off. So I did the best job I could for the future life of the boat. Thanks for your comment ... Best Wishes ... Dave

@davesailing yeah, its always a hard one knowing the best thing to do in those situations,maybe it didnt adhere very well due to teak oil . These days i just give my boat a scrape and put more paint on.

Hi Tony, Yes without Cliff and his expertise it would have been a much more (impossible) job for me. Happy Christmas to you too :-) Best .. Dave

Thanks Tony - you have a lovely Christmas too .... Dave

Hi Stephen, from memory it was £450, which seemed reasonable. A replacement would have been thousands. The unit has been in the boat for 30 years so that works out at £15 a year - not bad really.. Best Wishes .. Dave

@@davesailing thats a good price

@@cdurant2756 oh yes lots of tea Chris. You know what it's like removing doobry's, nearly as bad as shifting them thingamyjigs. Happy Christmas to you too. Best wishes.. Dave.

Hi Dan. It's funny, I was just thinking about the difference between a wheel and a tiller. I can jump on a boat with either and just steer it without really thinking about it. I guess like you I started with tiller steering, which seems to be what confuses beginners the most, and took to a wheel later. I hear your concerns about the mechanics involved with Wheel steering but Zephyr IV is 30 years old and I would expect that the refurbished pedestal will last another 30 years so I'm pretty relaxed about it - in any case I won't be sailing her then :-) I'm already looking forward to more sailing next season and happy to share it with you and all my other friends. Have a lovely Christmas . Best Wishes ... Dave

That's what I was doing when you called across from your boat and asked who I was talking to and I said, "The camera" :-) Hope you're getting better ? Best Wishes .. Dave

Oh yes you can never have too many "Dooberry's" as long as you get the correct ones, must be marine quality. The aviation "Dooberry's" don't really cut the mustard and as for the domestic variety, well a total waste of time :-)

Thank you Christopher, I do my best and appreciate your comment. Take Care ... Best Wishes ... Dave

Hi Mark, thank you - I'm getting better at it but I really should plan further ahead and get the camera on some sort of mount and not hand hold it. But like you I'm concentrating on the job in hand,especially when it's the first (and maybe the only) time I've done it. Miserable weather here, very envious of your sailing. Enjoy ! Best Wishes ... Dave

Hi Max, Yes well the video spans a few months. I should have done more research before I started - But, well you know how it is :-) Boats laid up really, sails off and at the sailmakers at the moment. A very Merry Christmas to you too and yes I am looking forward to next season. Zephyr IV will come out of the water in March I think. It will be good to see the results of the Ultra Sonic antifoul gadget and the new Prop. Take care yourself ... Best Wishes Dave

@ I will have applied 2 coats of antifoul by March. If you find the ultrasonic system works a treat, I’m gonna be mega jealous!

@@maxsothcott4484 My gut feeling is it is working but maybe not a complete success. The boat seems to grow a sort of "fuzz" around the waterline but a bit of motoring or sailing washes it, or most of it, away. However it's noticeable that the boat speed comes down. At the beginning of the season we seem to get 7 - 7.5 knots quite regularly. By the end of the season it's 6 knots so there must be some growth. I'll know more when the boat comes out. I'll be all over it with the camera before they jet wash it. 🙂

Max can you give me your email address - I have some news about an Ultra Sonic system which could be to your advantage .. Best Dave

Yes you're right. Some of the boats in Yarmouth cost millions, but I'm sure the owners don't get the fun out of them that we lesser mortals do. You can't slip out quietly with a mate in a 100ft superyacht. You need a crew of several and some real ability to manoeuvre a boat that size round small spaces like Yarmouth. Even if I had the money, I wouldn't want something that sort of size and expense.. Good to hear from you... Best Wishes Dave

Glad you're enjoying the videos, it makes all the effort worth while. Bill and I are well passed our sell by date and we sail for fun. We're retired and don't have to rush back for work so if conditions get too uncomfortable we're not proud and just turn back. Having said that we do enjoy a down wind ride in a bit of a blow but bashing to windward for long periods is hard on the boat and us. If it's too difficult to make TEA then maybe we should go somewhere else, is our philosophy. We still seem to be out there sometimes when everybody is tucked away in harbour. It's sensible to stay within your capabilities so tell the critics to bog off :-) Best Wishes ... Dave

Glad it was helpful! Best wishes.. Dave

Hi - My immediate reaction is to say, "replace the hull anode as soon as possible". If it is eroding away then it must be doing it's job, sacrificing itself instead of the prop. I normally change mine every couple of years. One they start eroding they become less effective as the surface corrosion acts as a resistance to the electrical connection through the water. If you hang an anode over the side then it should ideally be connected to where the contacts for the hull anode come into the hull. That way it will be helping the hull anode do its job. You must however check that the hull anode is electrically connected to the Propellor and also to any bronze seacocks you might have. Use you multimeter on the ohms range to check for continuity. The dangling anode should only be treated as a temporary fix. Get the Hull Anode replaced ASAP. I don't have any personal experience of electro eliminators but I suspect they need very careful setting up to ensue that you don't electro plate the sacrificial anode with copper from the Prop. I hope that helps - I thought the video explained the reason for the Anode(s) perhaps it would help you to watch it again ? .. Best Wishes ... Dave

@davesailing thank you! yes, as soon as we get the boat out of the water ill replace the hull anode ! thats exactly my feelings too! but might not lift the boat out for another couple months, so i bought a hanging anode so that i at least have something to wire up to the metals i want to protect. its a bit too cold to dive down and swap the anode whilst in the water at the moment so ill have to wait to replace it in the normal fashion. my thinking was to connect the hanging anode to the bolts where the normal hull anode was connected to but when i looked on the inside of the boat today i didnt see any obvious bolts at the position of the hull anode, so im a bit mystified. might the hull anode be connected directly to the keel and thus be out of sight inside the boat? or perhaps the ends of the bolts are covered up by a block of wood where the hull anodes connect to ? this is an idea i thought could be the case. its a 1950's wooden boat. and non of the sea cocks are connected to a bonding point, so this is a job i now realise i will have to undertake. and from the videps ive watched, an electro eliminator is device which has a set of brushes that contact the prop shaft and then the cable from the anode attaches to the terminals of it. im not sure if the hull anode was protecting the prop or not, what does a hull anode normally protect on a wooden hull boat? the boat has a mass of steel on the keel at the very bottom of the boat. ive been watching lots of videos on galvanic corrosion. thanks for your reply.

Well the EV Foam teak is wearing well, it is a bit soft so if you drop something hard and sharp on it it does make a small cut in the surface. It shows no sign of coming unstuck though. The only problem I have is with the caulking material, there are a couple of places where it's gone soft and scuffs. I can only think that I must have splashed some solvent on it that Sikaflex doesn't like and starts to dissolve it. If you read all the comments on here you'll see that some people have used it on the cabin sole without filling the gaps and are happy with the result. Maybe buy a bit and do a trial - it's quite cheap. Hope that helps .. Best Wishes ... Dave

Hi Karen, It rather depends on how much work the winch has done. Racing people might do it 2 or 3 times a season, I usually do it every other year. If I've had a particularly busy season then I'll probably do it before the next season. The jib sheet winches on my boat do most work - that's the 40's - so I'm more inclined to check those than the halliard winches, which don't work anywhere as hard. If the winches show any sign of reluctance to spin then they come to bits for a clean and re-lube. Hope that helps .. Best Wishes ... Dave

@@davesailing Thanks Dave! I bought a boat last year and the winches run smoothly but two of them are very noisy. All of the winches are bronze and the noisy ones are not self-tailing. Would it be a good idea ti take them apart and check? Cheers, Karen

Well it can't do any harm, as long as you can get them back together. Mobile pone photos help with that. A light smear of winch grease should quieten them down and help prevent wear in the future. Best wishes ..

@@davesailing Thanks! Will do in the spring.

Hi Michael, thanks for watching and commenting. I think I would have been a lot more careful if it had been windy :-) but it was calm and Zephyr IV is not prone to sudden movements. She's a it heavy :-) But it's a valid comment and when I service the winches next year I'll keep it in mind. You take care ... Best Wishes ... Dave

Hi Nick, well, though I managed to find a replacement second hand exchanger, I haven't needed to fit it. The gorilla tape and jubilee clip, though a bit unconventional, has worked and the outside of the heat exchanger is dry as dry. So I'm leaving it alone. I know all the passages are clear so it should be good for a few years. Good luck with your 2003. With the old engines it's always a bit of a lottery when something will wear out. Currently my raw water pump has developed a leak, not at the front where you replace the impeller, but at the back. I looked at refurbishing it, it's not an easy job and there might be wear that I can't see so after all the work it might still leak. SO I bought a new one. That's to be fitted early next year. Another video I guess. Take care .. Best Wishes ... Dave

Thanks Melvyn... Best Wishes .. Dave

Hi Nick, thanks for your comment. I guess you might have young children :-) I'm doing my best to forget the nappy stage. My daughter is in her 40's now :-) But it is a good idea. Thanks ... Best Wishes .. Dave

@davesailing it's just they very cheap and a great way to soak up spillages in the bilge of oil or contaminated water. I always keep a packet on the boat. They soak up a phenomenal amount of fluid too no matter how viscous. Definitely keep a packet on board.

@davesailing I don't have children lol. I don't believe supermarkets check when u buy them lol

@@nickspeller3372 I Might just brave the babies and infants isle and pick up a packet :-)

Thanks Melvyn, It was a lovely trip, helped enormously by some excellent weather. I'm hoping to do it again this next season. Best Wishes ... Dave

Hi Amanda, thanks for watching and making the effort to comment. What's even more interesting, than the video, is the comments and how many other people have had their share of problems in Chapmans Pool. Do you keep your boat in Portland Harbour ? Best Wishes .. Dave

Hi - thanks for watching and your comment :-). Two things, the shaft has a rope cutter so though a bit might initially cause problem it would quickly get shredded. The engine didn't slow down, it was just lacking in cooling water throughput. At the end of the video I explain why this is, sounds you got bored and didn't get to that bit :-) You take care ... Best Wishes ... Dave

Hi Simon, There's lots of people living on boats up the Medina. I don't know much about residential moorings. I live on board Zephyr IV most of the summer, but take trips, as you can see. It's not been a problem. for me. But the boat is ready to sail it doesn't look like it never will, like some of them with weed halfway up the topsides and plastic containers all down the decks covered in green algae. Good luck with it ... Dave

@@davesailing i lived there back in the 1970s on a house boat "sol y vent " got my driving licence which took me around the world several times 60 nations and my first employment was rolling barrels up the gang planks of the ryde queen discoteque which was so brilliant loading all the crates of beverages and small beers to baby chams i think i have to be near ryde to be "the mermaid gin merchant navy ! and will just have to move every 2 weeks buy a nice incubator 16 egg and breed ducks and quail and geese and all birds fleglings it would be brilliant to have a lobster pot crab pot on board and if i catch females with eggs breed in tanks from recycled glass gurnard luck to other areas newtown bembridge hamble and sail across from the rya to see my mum im paying water and electric in london about 1200 pounds a year which would be my mooring as i would have solar wind and free energy generators on board maybe even hydrogen innovation to be in deisel engines ??

Hi Sarah, Stuart is one of my commenters :-) I use a standard fibre glass cleaner and then a wax polish = nothing special and then a buff with a soft lambskin pad on a car polisher from Halfords. I hope that helps. Best Wishes ... Dave

@davesailing thanku Dave love the videos😁

I'll be on the boat in January, I'll try and remember to check out the actual products I used, Still got some left in the locker.. Glad you're enjoying the videos, make it all worth while.. Best Wishes .... Dave

Hi Simon, to be honest the last thing on my mind was fishing :-) Best ... Dave

Oh there you are again. Hello Simon. I don't use a GoPro, I have a Sony EV-1 and 90% of my video is from that. Best Wishes .. Dave