Slam Dunk

The main mast is in!

While both Rick and I were well puckered up, the whole thing actually went very smoothly. She now almost looks like a real yacht. We have another day of work setting up the rigging, then Rick will be on to the transom so hopefully we can go for a sail next week. Waiting on a few things like new lifelines, pumps, sails, etc but it should all be coming together in the next few days (as should all the invoices...).

She rises.

A big stick. 

Bling!

Drilling for oil.

Four men can move the boom a few feet and one hernia at a time, it is that heavy. A crane is much more civilised.

Almost looking like a real yacht again.

One Down, One to Go

Hooray! Finally have one of the sticks in. It's only the baby one, but at least we are on the way. Starting to look like a yacht again.

Up, up....

...and away.

Vertical at last.

Rick sorts the spreaders.

Half way to being a yacht again.

Update

Mizzen is going in this morning, finally. Can't express how stressful the slow rate of progress has been. Wayne, Jonathan and I are finishing off a few systems jobs but really it's now down to the rig and finishing the last layer of the transom, then we can take her sailing. Had one unexpected fail; the three 220V water pumps that provide feed water to the watermakers and refrigeration all failed, a result of many years of just sitting with salt water in the pump housings and galvanic corrosion occuring between the bronze pump housings and the 304 stainless steel shafts; the ends of the shafts simply dissolved. Getting them rebuilt and should be back early next week. We also managed to extract the broken window in the saloon after much head scratching and experimental disassembly of woodwork. In the end it just required a suction cup and for me to nearly herniate myself pulling on it.

We have lost two crew now and have not definitively replaced them yet, but we have a few irons in the fire and hopefully we will have a full compliment come sail day.

Lofting Sails

Took the sails up to the local sailmaker to be checked over. Many of the sails have clearly never been used, and all are in very good condition, with the only work being a few frozen hanks and some bolt-rope work that needed to be done on one sail. Have a couple of jibs that are still hank-on, have yet to decide if we will convert them to furling.

Lofting the storm staysail.This is the sail that required the most work, i.e.not much.

Found A Stowaway

We found a stowaway on board - an octopus!

The little blighter had come in through the centreboard case, climbed all the way up the piping enclosing the centreboard cable, popped out the top, and then wedged himself down in the corner of a locker. Been there a while though, rather mummified.

Getting There

Been in for 72 hours now and the hull has taken up nicely, with very little water coming into the bilges now. We have continued working on systems and Rick has been focussed entirely on readying the rig. At this stage the mizzen will be going in on Monday.

Have been checking all the pumps on the engines etc. All good except the engine-driven emergency bilge pump wasn't throwing any water. Opened it up and here's why:

Won't be moving much water with that. Fortunately this is the only bit of total neglect we have found with the major systems so far.

Nothing Beats Quality

So, we had these two old life rafts that were made in 1978, and were last serviced in 1994. Thought we would pull the pin on one and see what happened. Still works! Amazing really, but won't be relying on the other one - have a brand new unit for the trip.

Would you go to sea with these men?

Hallelujah!!!

We finally have a wet bottom! Lots of water pissing in, as expected, but quickly settling down as the boards swell and take up. We are now parked over at the Sea Spray yard on the other side of the harbour, readying to drop in the rig. Will be some seriously hard work for the next week or two, but at least we now see the light at the end of the tunnel. Jonathan and Wayne have been absolute troopers, working their butts off, I feel very privileged to have such awesome crew.

A fine arse.

Rick and Richard work to free the centreboard. Unfortunately an old section of cable is hanging it up, and the next time we haul we will have to pull the pin and drop the whole board out to free it properly.

In the sling. Below the waterline is sexy, above...not so much. A full topsides repaint required in NZ. 

On the move. Jimmy the operator is a top bloke.

And down she goes...

Bottom Paint Going On

Finally...

California's Not So Bad