A STEEP LEARNING CURVE PART 3
As our first summer afloat in our new (to us) Nelson 38 drew to a close, we began to reflect on everything we’d learnt and enjoyed about our switch from sail to power. It had been a steep learning curve but a fabulous experience. We had clocked up over 120 engine hours and 800 to 900 miles pootling around the Solent, Poole and the Isle of Wight. We felt confident in our ability to handle Sea Hound and explore further afield but with the winter months approaching, our thoughts turned to the boat itself.
One problem we’d experienced over the summer was overheating – not the engines but us and our two hounds. We love raised aft deck, partly because it enjoys a great view and partly because we like being out in the open. However, with no cover from the sun or rain, there are times when it becomes unusable. On really hot days we felt like a couple of fried eggs sunny side up! We ended up buying garden umbrellas to use as temporary shades but they were only big enough for one person to sit under at a time,
