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