Winter Blues

Those readers local to Leigh will have noticed that Endeavour was still afloat on her summer mooring, mast down and looking a little miserable, well into March. This is to explain why and how she will look spritely once again in time for the upcoming events. She had her mast lowered to go under the bridges above Tower Bridge for the A.D.L.S. Veteran’s Cruise last year– these do not open to allow clearance. 

Anne Hinton van't Hoff’s photograph graphically shows Endeavour on her mooring in choppy seas

 

It was planned to lift her out for the winter, and to raise the mast prior to putting on her winter covers, but the usual excellent service provided by Leigh Marina was hampered. Their special 'careful, careful' lifting system needed urgent servicing so rather than risk Endeavour on the less kind crane system she was still afloat, a bit unhappily but quite safe, until she could be lifted out.

Now she is out there is the usual preparation for her travels. All the sails, rigging and electrics need checking over and the reliable engine will have its pre-season check by our engineer, Tom Cox. She needs an annual repaint, and the protective covering below the waterline to prevent weed growth, to make it difficult for the worms that like to make little tunnels into the wood. After all of this work Endeavour will be A1 again, and a happy ship.