Thursday, October 31, 2013

Mast Update

Good news to report - the new mast is in!! It's been a long few weeks, filled with more moments of frustration than of joy; but it was a great feeling, yesterday, to come home and see the new mast stepped! Tango looks awesome with her new rig, or at least most of her new rig.  Icing on the cake is that all the rigging that J replaced two years ago fits!! We don't have to modify the rest of them (we know we have to do the headstay). Shortening the standing rigging beyond the capacity of the turnbuckles is NOT a fun, nor easy undertaking, so we're relieved everything fit as well as it did. 

So with one small (but major) victory, we move on to the next. The boom, which we treated for corrosion and repainted to match the new mast, is still curing. The mast and rigging will need a few days to settle in before we do a final tune and install the Spartite. In the meantime J and I have to build up the lazy jacks, splice the halyards (maybe, still debating that one), start reinstalling some hardware, and get our sails back on. We've decided to get our headsail (genoa) inspected and cleaned so we'll sail home with our new-to-us Yankee. We're anxious to try it out as it's been in the bag since we bought it from the M's last year. 

If all goes according to plan the boom will be installed early next week and then it will be time to work on the reefing system. We're trying to follow the example of the M's reefing, which runs through sheaves at the boom end to jammers internal to the boom, just aft of the gooseneck. J's phoned and emailed Forespar, the makers of the mast and boom, to find out if they still produce the jammers, but still no luck. If it doesn't work, we'll just run them through cheek blocks forward to external clutches on the boom. With any luck, we may be able to sail home late next week or, at the latest, the following week. Here's hoping! 

                                    


Here's an update of where we stand:

MAST:

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


BOOM:  

Replace outhaul with messenger line DONE
Remove outhaul track DONE
Remove all fittings DONE
Remove paint DONE
Treat corrosion DONE
Paint (Awlgrip Eggshell White to match the new mast) DONE
Install lazy jack tie down points
Install reef points
Build up lazy jacks
Install clew reef line clutches
Replace boom sheave pin NOT RQRD
Replace boom sheaves NOT RQRD
Lubricate outhaul track
Replace spacers with sheaves at end of boom NOT RQRD
Install jammers on boom
Polish all stainless 
Install outhaul track
Install all hardware 


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