Balticus RTW5 a Setka round the world  -
and epoxy arrives this week

Arkadiusz Pawelek is busy sailing his slightly modified Setka to Plymouth UK for the start of his Balticus RTW5 - Solo, Non-Stop -  Round The World adventure. 

He departed Poland, Trzebieza  August 21 2023-  sailed through the Baltic, past Copenhagen, between Denmark and Sweden into Kattegat, , around Skagerrak, into the North sea, past the Netherlands and into the English channel to Plymouth UK, and after a short break he will set off on the Balticus  RTW5 adventure. 

Arkadiusz has previously completed the Setka Atlantic challenge, and has done some other amazing adventurous things and has recently been helping with delivering humanitarian aid to Ukraine. If you would like to follow him

https://www.facebook.com/ArekPawelek1968/

and can check his tracking 

https://share.garmin.com/T9NXY

AND BIG NEWS!

my order of epoxy and microballoons should be here this week -
THE BUILD CAN CONTINUE...

 August  - September 7th update

Sanding of the fairing compound is almost (bar a transom) complete,

unfortunately I have run out of microballoons and my epoxy is almost finished, and I tried to order more the day the supplier was due to go on summer vacation - forgetting that some businesses shut for summer vacation - final story is my epoxy order could only be fulfilled at the beginning of September  - so I have to wait while it gets shipped, by ship to me - there is a half a transom and the edges of chines that need fairing balloons

 - Meanwhile -  I am in the process of preparing the workshop for flipping the hull, and in the meantime, working out dimensions for the interior and also the interior layout, bulkhead cutouts, how the hatches will be built and how the companionway will be completed. I have also welded up some blocks to rotate the hull

 - the workshop beams are in progress of strengthening to take the weight of the boat, the rudder has had a layer of glass cloth added 

The garden has been tamed - Family and friends are visiting and the last of summer is being enjoyed,   my self imposed build time had not been met, but that is OK, the build is enjoyable and once the materials arrive the the build pace will continue.

Little Bea CG580 in Horta 

The slightly bigger sibling of the Setka stopped into Horta on his crossing from Halifax Canada to Portimao Portugal. We met Dan and spent an enjoyable time with him and Little Bea talking boats, building, what works, what doesnt and having a look at his great build, nice to compare size and get some ideas for what should be done and what not to do on Cagarro, including a strengthened transom and jib sheet lead idea

 While he was here he joined in on one of the Semana do Mar races, the singlehanded race, here are some pictures taken by my friend John.

 Once he departed Horta - it was interesting to chat with him and check his daily progress as he sailed from Horta to Portimao.