Just in time

Thursday 2nd May was exceptionally busy. Following the disaster with the broken down truck Jeremy Freeland of Collars delivered the new bowsprit and repaired boom on top of his car before 0800. We carried them down to the pontoon. They looked very good.




I went aboard to do some essential admin. I heard the tramp of feet on the deck. I popped my head out. "It's Andy from Greenham Regis." The electricians had arrived. The wind indicator had not worked since the mast had been re-stepped. John, the regular electrician was going up to sort it out. There was only a fairly thin (but strong) cruising chute halyard, and an even thinner (but strong) topsail halyard going to the very top of the mast. "Are the shackles up there ok?" John asked. "They looked ok to me," I said, "But I'm not an expert." John peered at the top of the mast with binoculars. He looked a bit grim. He suddenly said, "Ok, we'll do it." He got his climbing harness out and attached two lines to it. Andy and I started hauling him up. 48 feet is quite a long way, but we got him up to working height. I tended the ropes, while Andy looked at the display panels.




Yes, that is an electrician up there.
John discovered the wind vane had not been properly reattached. However even when it was, it only showed wind direction, not speed. We sent up a new unit on a flag halyard. It worked! A little adjustment was required to the display readout. And then the job was done. We carefully lowered John to the deck. "Your shackles are alright," he observed. I was very grateful for his help in getting the problem sorted and ascending an unknown wooden mast on a breezy day.
Just as the electricians left the riggers arrived and we got straight into installing the bowsprit and boom. There is a lot of rope and wire on a gaffer, and we got confused more than once, but with the professional skills of the riggers and my knowledge of the individual peculiarities of Toucando's rig we got everything back on, including the mainsail in about three hours.




By this time it was mid afternoon, but exactly a month after her mast was unstepped Toucando was once again a fully functional sailing vessel - with less than 48 hours to the start of the circumnavigation.
There are still a few cosmetic jobs to be done but the important functional tasks are complete. Thanks to Ebbtide Marine Engineering, Greenham Regis Electronics, Collars Spars, Spencer Rigging, Force 4 Chandlery and helpful crew and friends: Colin, Jem, Kevin and Roger.
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