Eagle – Annual Update
I’m pleased to report that Eagle remains in excellent working order and continues to age very well. Aside from the items listed below, she has had another strong year, and I’m very much looking forward to the 2026 season.
Engine & Sail Drive Update
While Eagle was out of the water, JMP Marine serviced the sail drive. I’m happy to confirm that no issues were found, and everything is in excellent working condition.
Lift-Out & Working Parties
A huge thank you to everyone who volunteered their time and effort during the working parties. Your help made an enormous difference and allowed us to complete a significant amount of work in a short period.
Special thanks to:
- Peter Makin
- Richard Foulkes
- Vernon Bush
- Andy Morrill
- Sean Kelly
- David White
- David Hertzell
- And anyone else who lent a hand
Thanks to everyone’s efforts, we were able to complete the following:
- Antifouling
- Polishing
- Anode replacement
- Anchor chain repainting
- Swimming platform repair (broken parts re-welded as replacements are no longer available)
- Kicker gas strut replacement
- New hammer release fitted for the life raft
- Forepeak storage area removed and thoroughly cleaned
- Plus many, many other smaller jobs
MCA Coding
Julian Smith of Hamble Marine Surveys Ltd carried out the MCA recoding while Eagle was out of the water. This was completed slightly early so future coding aligns with lift-out schedules.
I’m very pleased to say that he reported Eagle is in great shape, and Julian was particularly impressed with the new engine and new cooker.
To complete certification, the following items were required:
- Fire extinguishers serviced – Completed by Uni-Guard Fire Protection Ltd
- Life jackets serviced – Completed by Suffolk Marine Safety
- Storm jib fitting instructions – Completed
- Rigging installation & mast inspection report – In hand
- Recommended repair to starboard aft stanchion base. Eagle will need to be out of the water for this repair. Please can I highlight to skippers – do not allow your crew to get on the boat using the stanchions. It weakens the base which causes the cracking and then the loosening of the posts.
Eagle is now starting a new 5-year MCA Coding cycle, which required a full hull inspection out of the water.
Sail Repair
The foresail was sent away for repair due to UV panel damage.
Many thanks to Richard for delivering the sail to Banks Sails and to David White for collecting and returning it to Eagle ready for refitting.
Other Updates
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The onboard tracker will be upgraded next year, as the current unit relies on the 2G network, which is being phased out. A 4G replacement (same make) has already been purchased.
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Trackers have also been fitted to all key fobs, making them much easier to locate if misplaced or taken home by mistake.
- The onboard binoculars have been replaced, as the previous pair were unusable. The new ones are Seago 7×50 Floating Waterproof Binoculars with Compass. These are high-quality, nitrogen-filled, rubber-armoured binoculars with excellent optics and a built-in illuminated compass. Please look after them skippers, they were expensive.
Key features: - Floating design
- Waterproof to JIS7 (1 metre depth for 30 minutes) – please don’t test this feature.
- Nitrogen filled to prevent condensation
- Tough rubber armouring
- Individual eye focus adjustment
- Retained front lens covers – please don’t loose them.
- Field of view: 132m at 1000m
Glenn Stevens
SESC Bosun