Great news: with snow and ice on all sides, the refit team have managed to get us an extra week in the shed. So instead of John Laing going back into the water next Monday 7th March, it will be Monday 14th March instead. We can still get on with all the jobs, including putting the boat back together, but we’ll be able to do it in significantly more comfort and convenience. Jolie Brise, which used to be next to us in the shed, has already been moved outside, and her refit team offer a daily demonstration of the miserable fate we are so fortunate to have avoided.

Making the most of our luxury indoor refit, this week the team have finished painting the hull, plus the boot top, the rubbing strake and the portholes; the coachroof has been painted and the cockpit has been started; and the filling and fairing of the deck should be finished today, so that can be painted too. The lettering has gone on the hull, and the scaffolding has been removed. Craig has got all the bits for the seacocks, and Contact Marine are, as ever, bringing their invaluable skills to do some essential seacock-related work. Installation has started on the new crew heads. Trevor has fitted the new cookers. The saloon has been partly painted. All the floorboards are back (thanks to Fraser, Bruce and Pete). The cockpit gratings are back and looking good. Work has started in the bosun’s cabin.

This week’s stars were: Wolf, Craig, Irish Chris, Kat, Ceri and Special K (a new name which avoids confusion between Ceri and Kerry), Trevor Hewson, Di Francis, Wendy Dickerson, Matt le Page, Colin and Travis (not the usual Travis but another one), Joel, Ed Surridge, Neil Fairbrother, Fraser and Chris from Contact Marine.

Volunteers are now needed mainly for painting (deck, saloon, galley, nav area and maybe even the mates’ cabins!) followed by lots of working putting everything back together and getting all the kit back on board. If you haven’t been down to the refit yet, you have just TWO WEEKS left – don’t miss out! Call Wolf on 07771 771864 to let him know when you’re coming.

Crew bookings
Berths still available (all open to ages 12-25, except JL05-29, 30, 31 and 32, which are 15-25):

JL05-03: 1st-5th April, Southampton, £235 (2 berths available)
JL05-15: 16th-22nd May, Poole, £385 (12 berths)
JL05-16: 23rd-27th May, Poole, £235 (5 berths)
JL05-20: 6th-11th June, Poole, £300 (berths available tbc)
JL05-29: 8th-15th July, Waterford to Cherbourg, £560 (3 berths)
JL05-30: 16th-26th July, Cherbourg to Newcastle, £635 (8 berths)
JL05-31: 27th July – 5th August, Newcastle to Fredrikstad, £635 (9 berths)
JL05-32: 6th-10th Aug, Fredrikstad – Bremerhaven, £305 (11 berths)
JL05-34: 12th-17th Aug, Bremerhaven to Ipswich, £380 (10 berths)
Plus lots of options in the autumn – including a few full-boat bookings if there are any groups still looking for a trip.

There may be bursary funding on offer, particularly for some of the more expensive trips, for deserving candidates who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford to sail – please contact the office for more information, as well as for bookings and general enquiries: 0870 241 2252, email office@oytsouth.org.

Sea staff bookings
Email me or call me on 07986 354697 and tell me whether you are looking for first mate, second mate, third mate or an assessment berth, and I’ll send you a list of vacancies.

Early season gaps include quite a few first mate berths; and we need second mates for 25-29 April, 16-22 May, 23-27 May and 27-30 May and a third mate for 27-30 May. Any volunteers? I’ll advertise specific gaps for June onwards a bit nearer the time.

News and gossip section
Craig’s new car is working! (Thus confounding critics who couldn’t see how he would have time to do all the work it needed as well as refitting the boat).

And relief skipper Dave Carnson was 30 this week (hard to believe, I know), which involved a celebration evening much enjoyed by all involved.