The fit-out continues

While the boat is in the shed having some deck repairs carried out I am getting on with other items of the fit-out. You should have seen my little MG driving down the M8 with the bowsprit, gaff and boom all sticking out of the unzipped back window, I'm sure it looked like some kind of dodgem car. They are all now in my garage awaiting a coat or three of varnish.
Saturday I purchased some lovely Goldspar yacht varnish and a new zinc anode and fitting kit for the hull. A big thanks to the guys at the Bosun's Locker at Port Edgar for their generosity.

To accompany me on the journey I was thinking about taking my guitar in it's protective hard case to entertain myself as I venture out in the wilds, but it does take up an awful lot of room on a small yacht like mine and the damp salty air would not really be best for that fine instrument. Then I remembered a conversation with one of my good friends, musician Phil Baggaley, around Christmas time last year, I remember him mentioning about having a Ukulele and playing it just like a four stringed guitar. So following a short hunt around the t'internet I found a cheapish one with a hard case. I thought it would be nice and easy just tuning the four strings to the same tuning as the top four string of a guitar, then my vast array of (four'ish) chords would be an easy transition from guitar to Uke, using the same fingering and all that. Easy peasy!
NOT. After fighting the Uke, new strings going out of tune within seconds of being tuned, and still sounding rubbish, with me thinking ' well, it was really cheap'. I decided to have a go at tuning it to standard Ukulele tuning and, boy! The instrument was transformed! Now all I have to do is re-learn all my chords!!!
The good news is that after about a week the strings are settling down to stay in tune for about the duration of a song or two and I have just about enough chord shapes to match Status Quo.


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If you came to this blog from the website www.eventoftheyear.co.uk you will hopefully have had a look around the site and be aware of what I'm up to, both the adventure itself and the fact that I'm aiming to raise awareness of dementia in our society and to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society.
I'm doing this trip for fun and funding the trip myself, but while I'm on this venture you can do your bit to by supporting the Alzheimer's Society through the 'Charity' link on the website or by going direct to: http://www.justgiving.com/david-hippey/

Catch you next time.

Regards,
David H.