Lexia

After a month or two messing around on the river I got the mast up and rigged the boat

After a fair bit of work, sanding, filling in the through hulls etc it was time for launch!

She floats!

When I brought her the boat was called ‘Soloist’ this reminded me too much of <ahem> ‘solitary’ pursuits. So I decided to re-name her Lexia, which was the original name.

I was keen to create positive buoyancy in the boat, so following some quick calculations;

Personal 162kg x0.5 = 81kg (bike 10kg, clothes 35kg, food 55kg, water 30kg, torches 2kg, tat 30kg)

People 146kg

Anchor + batteries 40kg x0.92 = 100kg (Elecsol  125= 25kg 20m chain + 10m chain= 50kg (chain = 1.35kg/m) 20kg, Anchor (2x) = 24kg

Outboard x 2  17kg  + 38 kg x0.88 = 50.44kg

Fibreglass 1000kg  x0.33 = 330kg

Steel Keel 500kg   x0.92 = 460kg

= Total of 1167kg +25%

= 1458kg boyancy needed = 1458 litres air

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Main Cabin: Headroom . Locker Volume 16cu ft   453 litres   (400 rounded down)

Fore Cabin:  Locker Volume 16cu ft  453 litres  (400 rounded down)

Exterior Cockpit:  Volume of lockers under cockpit seats 18cu ft 509 litres   (250 rounded down)

+ barrels = 360kg/litre   (240 litre)

+ 2X under seat = 200kg/litre (200)

+ under floor 5cm x 150 x 100 = 75 litre (75)

=  1565kg actual

I started out using inflatable exercise balls for floatation

These are gradually being replaced with old 2ltr drinks bottles which are both more robust, and free.

I later added some 120 litre barrels to keep our possessions dry, and help keep her upright in the event of flooding

Pascal from Cardiff gave me a great deal on a new sail

The sail came from the Boat ‘Golden Dragon’  which completed the transatlantic Jester challenge. The boat then came to a sad end falling off a trailer on the M5

So I got the boat on the hard and started work..

When I brought her she had a rotten sail.

So on a whim I brought a old sail boat, She is a Junk rigged 22ft kingfisher.

A mate helped me collect her