esper

Esper Refit 23 – carpenters finish trim; teak-lid deck boxes

With the non-skid down the entire deck is now covered in 70s-pattered vinyl for protection. The remaining areas of Awlcraft have been buffed and polished, which means the painters have almost finished. Meanwhile, down below, three carpenters and two varnishers are cracking on with the cupboards, trim, floorboards and finally, the saloon table, which has a rather cool design feature. The swimming platform has to be sent to Hat Yai in order for it to be bent.

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Dang the varnisher with one piece of floorboard. Solid teak!

Esper Refit 16 – teak cockpit with grey caulking

In the week that Thailand falls under martial law we have a special news bulletin on how the locals are coping with the threat. Meanwhile, in the boatyard, the top coat is now being applied and the masts look like new. Goy’s paint team are working on various lids and covers too, leaving just the topsides and deck to paint. That won’t be until the toe-rail ‘cuts’ have been smoothed and the cockpit box finished though. Meanwhile the cockpit seats are complete and the varnishers are doing a fantastic job on the floor.

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The 7-ton crane preparing to hoist the two masts on Esper

Esper Refit 2 – removing the mizzen and main masts

Week Two of Esper’s refit moved as quickly as the first week. The crane was scheduled to arrive on Tuesday, which it did, and Un’s team duly removed both main and mizzen mast in two hours. We recorded the whole shebang, though you’ll be pleased to know we reduced to down to a short clip, complete with some explanatory commentary. If you’ve not seen this operation before, take a look and marvel at the ease in which both masts were removed.

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Our First Magazine Cover!

Sailing Today magazine is featuring our adventures from India to Malaysia in two editions. What’s even more exciting is that we are on the front cover! The first part, a seven-page spread, covers our time from India to the Maldives and the image features Esper at anchor at the beautiful Hideaway Resort.

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The Subwoofer Stories – Part 1

August was a quiet month aboard Esper. With Mum back in the UK and Dad festering away in a bar somewhere, I thought I’d dig up an old cartoon I put together a few years ago for your entertainment. With much help from my uncle Tim it depicts the story of when Dad installed his sound system whilst Mum left him to clean barnacles off the hull. I hope you like it – Millie xx

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Worse Things Happen At Sea

I’ve jumped out of aeroplanes, mountain-biked the world’s most dangerous roads, surfed following seas at 15 knots, and hit storms off Africa that had crew throwing up, but nothing could have prepared me for the four days of hell Liz and I just endured. You see it wasn’t the weather itself that terrified us, it was the situation we found ourselves in after the first squall hit. We entered the Twilight Zone, and for four days got trapped in an increasingly desperate situation.

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A Bad Case Of The Pox

A week in a boat yard is never much fun, and after hauling Esper our misery was compounded by the discovery of some serious osmosis (water ingress). The joy of sailing the idyllic Maldives went out the window, at least for a few hours, as we inspected the water blisters covering many parts of the hull. Experts reassure us that osmosis isn’t as bad as people believe, but when you see the pictures of our rudder you might think twice before agreeing with them.

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The Beaches of Uligamu (Photo Slideshow)

Having dropped anchor in Uligamu, after a frustrating four-day crossing from Cochin, India, we put our worries to one side with a wander along the desolate beach of the Maldive’s most northern (but one) island. This is a little photography slide-show for your entertainment. Just click on the image below to begin and don’t forget you can view it in full-screen mode to get that “I’m-really-there!” sensation!

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