Saltwater&Diesel

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Saltwater&Diesel ⚓ Restoring Sophie-X, a 1979 Cox 22, and preparing for a voyage from the UK to the Philippines. Join the crew.

Honest boat restoration, diesel engines, seamanship, and life at sea—one step at a time.

⚓ Well, this is quite a find!We’ve managed to get hold of an original Cox 22 sales brochure, complete with the order for...
24/10/2026

⚓ Well, this is quite a find!

We’ve managed to get hold of an original Cox 22 sales brochure, complete with the order form.

And considering we’re currently preparing Sophie-X, our own 1979 Cox 22, for a journey halfway around the world, this is particularly interesting.

Looking through the old photographs, seeing how these boats were advertised, what equipment was available and what somebody could actually order back in the day.

It’s fascinating to compare all that with Sophie-X as she sits in the marina today.

Nearly 50 years ago, somebody would have been looking through a brochure just like this, deciding whether a little 22-foot diesel workboat was what they needed.

I doubt travelling from Britain to Southeast Asia was particularly high on the list of intended uses! 😂

But that’s exactly what we’re preparing Sophie-X to do.

And the more I learn about these boats, the more I appreciate the thinking behind them. Simple, practical little working boats, built to do a job.

That’s also why I want to keep as much of Sophie-X’s original character as possible while making her ready for what lies ahead.

There’s something quite satisfying about looking at a boat’s beginnings while you’re preparing to take one on a completely different adventure.

Anyway, I thought you’d enjoy seeing this little piece of Cox 22 history as much as I did.

23/10/2026

⚓ £1.99 A MONTH. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? 😂

One German. One 47-year-old diesel workboat. Plenty of mechanical experience, absolutely no organisational talent, and a rather ambitious plan to get from Europe to Asia.

And we haven’t even left the marina yet! 😂

Some people pay a fiver a month to watch celebrities pretend to have an exciting life.

For £1.99, you can watch me attempt to have one. And there’s a fair chance it’ll all go horribly wrong along the way.

We’ve opened up Instagram subscriptions for those who want to see the side of Saltwater & Diesel we don’t share publicly.

💷 The real costs and finances behind the journey.
⚙️ What we’re spending and why.
🧭 The planning, the decisions and the inevitable mistakes.

Nothing changes for our regular followers. The repairs, the adventures and the usual nonsense will always be free. #

⚓ ANOTHER DAY IN THE WORKSHOP. ANOTHER LITTLE JOB FOR SOPHIE-X.Today we’re putting together a small compressed-air testi...
22/10/2026

⚓ ANOTHER DAY IN THE WORKSHOP. ANOTHER LITTLE JOB FOR SOPHIE-X.

Today we’re putting together a small compressed-air testing setup.

Nothing complicated. An old compressor, a few fittings, a hose and an air gun.

The plan is to test the individual copper-nickel tubes in Sophie-X’s heat exchanger before putting everything back together.

A little regulated air pressure, some water and a careful look for bubbles. That’s all we’re after.

I’m not interested in replacing parts just because they’re old. If they’re still doing their job, they can stay. But I want to know they’re sound before we head out to sea.

Because finding a leaking tube on the workshop bench is one thing. Finding out about it when you’re miles offshore is another matter entirely.

Test it. Understand it. Fix what needs fixing. Leave the rest alone.

That’s how we’re getting this old boat ready for the journey ahead.

And knowing Sophie-X, there’ll be another job waiting for me tomorrow. 😂⚓

⚓ A LITTLE UPDATE ON OUR SALTWATER & DIESEL MUGS.Well, this isn’t quite the update I wanted to give you.When the printer...
21/10/2026

⚓ A LITTLE UPDATE ON OUR SALTWATER & DIESEL MUGS.

Well, this isn’t quite the update I wanted to give you.

When the printers produced the first batch of our enamel mugs, the printing didn’t turn out the way we’d hoped. The design looks lovely, but the finish isn’t quite right.

Thankfully, the printers spotted the problem before sending the mugs out to us, and they’ve already ordered a new batch to get things sorted.

It looks like the enamel surface hasn’t taken the print particularly well. Nobody’s to blame here. These things happen, and the printers have been absolutely brilliant in trying to put things right.

To everyone who’s ordered a mug or put their name down for one, I’m genuinely sorry for the delay. I know some of you have been waiting patiently, and I really appreciate it.

So here’s what we can do.

☕ If you’d prefer a regular ceramic mug, we can have those produced straight away.

⚓ If you’d rather wait for the original metal enamel mug, we’re more than happy to do that and get the finish right.

The choice is entirely yours, and nobody needs to change anything unless they want to.

Thank you for supporting our little adventure and for bearing with us while we sort this out.

Just like Sophie-X, not everything goes according to plan. But I’d rather take a little longer and get things right than send you something I’m not happy with.

Thanks again, everyone. It genuinely means a lot. ⚓❤️

⚓ TWO VHF RADIOS ON A 22-FOOT BOAT. WHY?I’ve spent enough nights at sea to know what lack of sleep does to you. After ho...
20/10/2026

⚓ TWO VHF RADIOS ON A 22-FOOT BOAT. WHY?

I’ve spent enough nights at sea to know what lack of sleep does to you. After hours of keeping watch, navigating and watching the weather, even the simplest tasks can become harder than they should be.

That’s why I believe in making things as straightforward as possible aboard Sophie-X.

One VHF stays on Channel 16 for distress and safety communications. The second is available for harbour masters, port control and local working channels.

When you’re approaching an unfamiliar harbour after a long passage, you’re already concentrating on navigation, traffic, tides and getting safely alongside.

The last thing I want is to be constantly fiddling with radio channels when my attention belongs outside the wheelhouse.

Good seamanship isn’t about making things complicated. It’s about preparation, proper watchkeeping and reducing unnecessary workload, especially when you’re tired.

A tired skipper needs fewer distractions, not more.

Sophie-X might only be 22 feet long, but that doesn’t mean we should compromise on good seamanship. ⚓🌊

19/10/2026

⚓ Sunday afternoon. A cup of tea, a bit of peace and quiet…

Yeah, right. 😂🔧

Back in the workshop rebuilding Sophie-X’s raw-water pump. A few seals, a bit of grease, some colourful language and hopefully something that pumps seawater instead of testing my patience.

Nothing glamorous. Just another little job bringing our old diesel boat one step closer to the open sea.

Forty seconds of engineering entertainment. Several hours of actual work. 😂

Happy Sunday from Saltwater&Diesel! ⚓🌊

18/10/2026

⚓ SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN — THE HISTORY BEHIND SOPHIE-X

1908: The German pre-dreadnought battleship SMS Schleswig-Holstein enters service.

1916: She fights in the Battle of Jutland.

1 September 1939, 04:47: The same battleship opens fire on Westerplatte, near Danzig, in one of the opening attacks of the Second World War. A dark chapter of history that must never be forgotten or glorified.

The battleship was affectionately known as Sophie-X, a nickname originating from her radio call sign SX.

1964: The German Navy destroyer D182 Schleswig-Holstein enters service, carrying on the old nickname.

I later had the privilege of serving aboard her. The friendships, adventures, foreign ports and long watches at sea made those some of the best years of my life.

1994: D182 is decommissioned.

2026: Our little 1979 Cox 22 motorboat carries the name Sophie-X into a new adventure.

Named to remember the friendships, seamanship and experiences that shaped my life.

Three very different ships. One name. More than a century of maritime history. ⚓🌊

17/10/2026

SHE’S OLD. SHE’S SMALL. BUT SHE’S GOT A WHOLE WORLD AHEAD OF HER. ⚓🌍

Turn the key. Hear that old diesel come to life. Watch the flag flying above her.

This is Sophie-X.

47 years old, 22 feet long, and soon to become our floating home.

There are thousands of miles of ocean ahead of us, countless coastlines to discover and a lifetime of memories still to be made.

She doesn’t need to be fast, fancy or perfect.

She just needs to keep taking us towards the next horizon.

And every time that engine fires up, the dream feels a little closer.

🌍 Want to see where this little boat takes us?

Follow Saltwater&Diesel on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok as we prepare Sophie-X, leave familiar shores behind and take you along for the adventure.

From the workshop to the open ocean, we’ll be sharing the successes, the breakdowns, the people we meet and everything in between.

One little boat. Our future home. A whole world waiting. 🌊❤️

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