Tag: Blue Opal

I’ve been planning to add solar power to Blue Opal for a year or more now, and I’ve finally got around to doing it. A combination of a Phaesun Mare Flex 55W panel (archive), and a Votronic MPP 250 solar regulator (archive) are pretty much all I needed to order from SVB to make it…

Blue Opal’s calorifier tank, until yesterday, was the one that was installed when she was built. A few months ago (actually, last year.. damn COVID time travel), it started producing brown water, and I figured that was a good reason to change it out – it’s not like I could get the interior of the…

I know that most people don’t get their boat hauled out and anti-fouled in May, but COVID has meant Blue Opal has had to sit in the water for quite a while with the consequence that the local marine flora and fauna had taken up residence. I took her up to Malahide Marina (and marine…

Blue Opal needs a good scrub and antifoul, so I booked her in at Malahide Marina to be lifted this morning. Was awake at 5:30, and outside of Dun Laoghaire harbour just around 7 after tea, porridge sourdough, and two scrambled eggs. Nice morning overall, but very unpleasant sea south of the Bailey Lighthouse –…

As happens every year, Blue Opal’s oil needed to be changed. The club doesn’t have the vacuum pump any more (a replacement is coming), but I was able to borrow a small brass pump (archive) that did the trick. Very simple to use, just had to get the depth into the sump correct; I ended…