Saturday, October 26, 2013

Mast Progress

After the boat show we sailed Tango over to Solomon's where we had the new (to us) mast shipped.  It was a long and not so fun sail.  What should have taken us 6hrs ended up taking 11hrs.  As usual, the weather was not what had been predicted.  NOTE: I am taking a meteorology class and hope that once I am done and we have our pactor modem all set up that I can do a better job of verifying/predicting weather.  Seems our weathermen lately are more weather guessers...  Anyway, I digress...  I was getting over a head cold and still had some head conjestion which unfortunatly messed with my equilibrium and caused me to be sick for the entire way (very green, didn't actually get sick).  Not fun!  Thankfully ASSWOP was ready to step in and take my place. She did awesome!!!  I have to admit she kept a course better than we do!  It is amazing technology!  We had winds over 20 knots and she loved it!  She'd fall off 5 or so degrees and then counter to get back on course.  Heavy gusts she'd get blown off maybe 10 degrees but would immediatley correct.  It was so cool to sit back and watch her work.  She will be awesome during those long offshore passages.  


Above: J making some minor adjustments to ASSWOP while she does all the "heavy lifting" :)  


We've been in Solomons for about two weeks now and as with any major project it never really feelsl ike your making progress becuase the list is just so long.  Add to that our work and personal lives are very busy right now with training, travel, events and we're BOTH taking classes.  I am taking two classes and J is taking three.  Life right now is wake up, go to work-work, come home change and report to the other work (mast), work until sunset, make a quick bite to eat, do 1.5-2hrs of school work, crash for the night...  Rinse, Repeat...  

This weekend we have a lot we want to accomplish on the mast as we hope to step the mast early this week.  We'll be out of town next weekend for a wedding and the following weekend we'll be in Port Townsend, WA for a sail repair seminar so we're running out of time.  I'll post some pictures of our progress but here's our list of things we needed to do on the mast and where we currently stand.  

MAST:

Remove sails from old mast (bring to local sail loft to be inspected and cleaned)
Wire anemometer and masthead light
Install trysail track
Fill radar holes and other holes not used
Touch up paint on mast
Treat/paint corrosion
Remove/install winches
Remove/install radar deflector
Replace masthead sheave pin
Replace masthead sheaves
Swap best lights
Measure/adjust standing rigging (shorten headstay)
Lubricate sail track and whisker pole track
Install whisker pole track fittings
Install reef lines
Check cleats/clutches for halyards (ensure sufficient)
Fill mast step holes
Install mast step
Silicone cotter pins
Swap over rigging
Silicone mast head holes/wiring
Safety wire shrounds to spreaders
Reinstall spreader boots
Install secondary VHF antenna and coaxial connector
Install/run halyards (splice all new halyards)
Install new cleat
Polish all stainless hardware


BOOM:  

Replace outhaul with messenger line
Remove outhaul track
Remove all fittings
Remove paint
Treat corrosion
Paint (Awlgrip Eggshell White to match the new mast)
Install lazy jack tie down points
Install reef points
Build up lazy jacks
Install clew reef line clutches
Replace boom sheave pin
Replace boom sheaves
Lubricate outhaul track
Replace spacers with sheaves at end of boom
Install jammers on boom
Polish all stainless hardware



Our girl, looking naked without her mast and boom.  






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