Been doing lots of jobs on Olive, all the stuff I should have done last year if I hadn't been abroad.

We're converting the aft cabin to a double. Started by taking out the water tank that caused all the problems on the delivery trip. We've replaced it with 2 flexible tanks under the berths. Gives us more room in the cabin and greater capacity.

I managed to get the generator going, its a single cylinder diesel, hellishly noisey and still a bit reluctant to start, hoping an oil change and a bit of work will sort it. Throw in a new cooker and we're well on the way.

We took Olive up to Amble last week,to Amble Boat Company, where she's having the nasty bit of wood in the back of the wheelhous replaced, together with some windows and also having a bowthruster fitted.

Over the winter we played about with the rigging, now Olive has 3 forestays and a pair of running backstays. The idea being to keep the topmast but do it without the bowsprit. We now need to see how all the headsails fit, probably mean a bit of recutting, but such is life.

It means she will stay as a ketch and not become a schooner, pity really, I always fancied a schooner.