...but not without the usual bugger'ations and contusions...
Imagine if you will then, three old men on a boat, with an A frame, a plenitude of rope, and a willingness that only old men could have for an appointment with an erection* - or maybe it was the beer and pork pies afterwards...
*of the mast, clearly, what did you think I meant...?
Hottest day of the year so far, and the hottest spring day in almost 50 years (apparently), ideal lifting conditions as it was also breathless... the other two old men joined me on Sparrow, and the first of the days bugger'ations occurred... having got the boat ready for the lift I had removed the warps holding the mast and fork to the aft deck, cue Rod steadying himself as he stepped on board, hand on mast and mast drops out of the fork and and on to the board that runs along the the back of the boat - no damage done to mast, or Rod, it was only a foot drop and the mast was still tied to the front of the boat, but when the mast bounced, the plate the Windex was bolted through also bounced.. and cracked... cue Windex slowly sinking to the bottom of the harbour!! How I laughed.... like a drain... bugger... #firstworldproblem... 😁
After that small irritation it went surprisingly well - only two more bugger'ations which was to remember that, first, simple geometry doesn't allow for you attaching the rear lower stays before the mast is upright (they tighten as the mast is raised), and two, remember to put the foiler/roller (with forestay inside it) inside the A frame before raising, otherwise the same geometry means you have to take the A frame off before being able to fully attach the forestay.. happily these were all minor distractions, I may even do away with the A frame next year as most of the other guys don't bother, and with three people there's plenty of lifting power to get it beyond the 45'..
Having done that we attached stays, tightened them up, and then restored to the cockpit for reviv'ifiers.. Doom Bar beer, pork pies and Pringles (for those on diets..
) - it was a good afternoon, in good company..
When I got home, by the way, I ordered myself one of these..
...got to be worth a try, and I know where it dropped... more anon...
Sunday then saw me repair to the boat with sails and boom, and put the whole thing back together.. stays tightened up and balanced, sides, fore and aft, boom attached, topping lift, main sheet, mainsail bent on and then all secured under boom cover, kicker attached, forsail bent on and raised, roller sheets fed back to cockpit, and sail rolled... done!
That's it - we're ready to go - just as the "summer" reverts to being Spring again... typical.... buggeration..
Imagine if you will then, three old men on a boat, with an A frame, a plenitude of rope, and a willingness that only old men could have for an appointment with an erection* - or maybe it was the beer and pork pies afterwards...
*of the mast, clearly, what did you think I meant...?
Hottest day of the year so far, and the hottest spring day in almost 50 years (apparently), ideal lifting conditions as it was also breathless... the other two old men joined me on Sparrow, and the first of the days bugger'ations occurred... having got the boat ready for the lift I had removed the warps holding the mast and fork to the aft deck, cue Rod steadying himself as he stepped on board, hand on mast and mast drops out of the fork and and on to the board that runs along the the back of the boat - no damage done to mast, or Rod, it was only a foot drop and the mast was still tied to the front of the boat, but when the mast bounced, the plate the Windex was bolted through also bounced.. and cracked... cue Windex slowly sinking to the bottom of the harbour!! How I laughed.... like a drain... bugger... #firstworldproblem... 😁
 |
| Gone.. for now... but not forgotten... |
After that small irritation it went surprisingly well - only two more bugger'ations which was to remember that, first, simple geometry doesn't allow for you attaching the rear lower stays before the mast is upright (they tighten as the mast is raised), and two, remember to put the foiler/roller (with forestay inside it) inside the A frame before raising, otherwise the same geometry means you have to take the A frame off before being able to fully attach the forestay.. happily these were all minor distractions, I may even do away with the A frame next year as most of the other guys don't bother, and with three people there's plenty of lifting power to get it beyond the 45'..
Having done that we attached stays, tightened them up, and then restored to the cockpit for reviv'ifiers.. Doom Bar beer, pork pies and Pringles (for those on diets..
) - it was a good afternoon, in good company.. When I got home, by the way, I ordered myself one of these..
...got to be worth a try, and I know where it dropped... more anon...
Sunday then saw me repair to the boat with sails and boom, and put the whole thing back together.. stays tightened up and balanced, sides, fore and aft, boom attached, topping lift, main sheet, mainsail bent on and then all secured under boom cover, kicker attached, forsail bent on and raised, roller sheets fed back to cockpit, and sail rolled... done!
That's it - we're ready to go - just as the "summer" reverts to being Spring again... typical.... buggeration..
You don't have much luck with windexes.... :-(
ReplyDeleteI'm going to drop my mast for the first time ever in the next few weeks so I can make a start on my mast beam. I have a windex at the top of my mast... I think I'll stick the boat on the beach before I drop the mast so I can retrieve any bits.
Mark - bit of a #firstworldproblem really.. it gives us something to laugh about over a beer! I'd drop the mast anyway - gives you a chance to give it the once over??
DeleteBuggerations is an excellent word - I have just spent the morning standing on my head removing 'Mariners' diesel fuel tank - what a bloody ordeal - never mind I need to fix the leak and it will get fixed in due course - but Steve, you will be sailing before I am.
ReplyDeleteAlden - to be honest it describes the events to a tee... that's three windex's in three years.. someone's trying to tell me something.. I'm toying with the idea of just putting in a burgee halyard and be done with the damn idea...
DeleteAssuming the said submerged articles is receptive to the urging of your magnetic gizmo!!...Oh buggeration.
ReplyDeletePaul - not a stupid question at all and one I spent some time thinking about as well... ignoring the plastic bits it's possible that the mast bit is either stainless or alu, depending on what type stainless it may or may not be magnetic, as for the alu, it's a strong magnet and wiki and the like indicate stronger magnets can attract.. same for the base which I seem to remember looked like a different material.. my main hope is the vane arms which looked to be a different metal again - I think galvanised?? Either way at only £3 it's worth a gamble... separately, I'll be trying a large size, three pronged, fishing hook as well...
Delete