So, the 26th of July 2023 marks one year since Hejira was craned out and ‘blocked off’ ashore for her planned refit.
The extent of the work is/was substantial, but it would all have been completed in time for this sailing season, had it not been for a six-month delay in being lifted back onto the refurbished keel/grounding plate as detailed in previous blog posts. There have been other frustrations, but the loss of my sailing time has been predominantly because of the inefficiencies of Marina Developments Ltd. and their yard administration, causing the delay. All this while still charging over £10K a year for the privilege of being in their marina!
I have tried to itemise the extent of all the work undertaken during this period in the ‘Modifications and Improvements’ section (scroll down to 2022) of the website, suffice it to say that the scope has been substantial and the detail, meticulous.
Although this whole process has been enormously frustrating and I have effectively lost two sailing seasons, I take comfort in the fact that the timing could not have been better.
Although I supposedly retired from my company ten years ago, events conspired to necessitate something of a return and greater involvement. This last year has been demanding, engrossing, and somehow immensely fulfilling. My company, Atom has had to relocate, reorganise, and consolidate. This has necessitated a great deal of planning, substantial enabling work, and considerable expense. The mission has galvanised the excellent staff, most of whom have been retained through the difficulties of Covid and the other unnecessary trading complications – we know what this is – it begins with ‘B’, ends with a ‘t’ and has an x in it !
This BBC News article rather takes liberties with some of the detail but, for those that are unaware of the Atom story, it may be of interest:- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-65537382
So, I have decided that it would be a mistake to chase the remnants of this sailing season if it might compromise the excellence of the refit. Rather, remove the pressure and take the time to make sure that all the work is carried out as well as it could possibly be.
After all, any shortfalls due to haste, could have the most devastating impact given the adventures in gestation…
Nick, so sorry to hear you’ve lost so much time on the water, I can only imagine how painful and frustrating this has been for you. Hopefully the big relaunch day is not too far off now. And when it all happens, remember to steer clear of those Orcas!
Thanks for your comment, Steve.
We were made very ware of the Orca problem in Gib when we returned from the Med, a couple of years ago. Several boats that had recently passed through reported encounters. We had some basic plans in case, but, in the event, we had no contact. Our ‘non’ experience is recorded in the blog https://hejira-sailing.com/killer-whales/#more-4408