Up the Mast - A Rigging Inspection

In preparation for our departure, David climbed up the mast to check out the rigging. It's second-nature to him now to climb 60+' (18m) straight up in the air on a rocking boat. For those of us with a fear of heights (like me, for instance), we prefer to stay below and take up the slack on the line as David hauls himself upwards in his bosun's chair with the help of his trusty ascenders.  

Not only was he checking the integrity of the rigging and the mast fittings, he was also checking that the anchor, running, steaming and spreader lights were operational, cleaning the mainsail track and repairing a courtesy flag halyard pulley that was damaged.

Additionally, he was doing a pre-inspection in anticipation of a professional rigger from Fremantle traveling down to Mandurah to do a formal rig inspection – a requirement by our insurance company prior to our heading offshore. This is a usual, and probably reasonable, request by the insurance company, but it's always a hassle and an added cost to the already high insurance premiums we pay. C'est la vie.

Edgar, the rigger, whom we thought would appear sometime in the morning, showed up around 3pm and got right to work. First, he checked each chainplate on deck and then took a close look at each shroud and stay and the associated turnbuckle and shackle that attaches it to the deck. If something goes wrong at sea, this is a vulnerable point and, if weak, could cause a sailboat to lose all its rigging and mast. Not a pleasant thought.

After checking the mast fittings, he proceeded to check out the boom and all of its fittings in turn then took a look at the traveler. He rigged himself up and ascended the mast in the same fashion that David does … with ascenders. Up he scampered to the top of the mast, stopping to check things along the way … the mast itself, the spreaders, the shroud and stay fixtures, hardware and attachments.

He came below to check the base of the mast below the floorboards. His inspection was efficient and comprehensive and Nine of Cups (and her captain) got all A's! She's ready to tackle the Indian.

Settling Aboard Nine of Cups

We slept fitfully, but felt delightfully at home when we awoke to the sound of gulls crying and the high- pitched cheep of the local welcome swallows as they darted from boat to boat. The day was thick with fog as we made our morning foray up the dock to the clubhouse toilets. Yes, this is one of the inconveniences of living aboard when you're in a marina. We don't want to fill up the holding tank so we take our business ashore.  

We wanted to finish up unpacking and stowing as quickly as possible, so we started early. As always, what comes aboard the boat must be counter-balanced with what goes off. We managed to get all the duffels and luggage unpacked and stowed before Noon. We made four trips to the dumpster with discards. Still, 200 lbs (92kg) on and probably only only 100 lbs (46kg) off is not quite enough. The waterline is suffering a bit. It's hard to part with stuff sometimes. Right now we still need some winter fleeces and warm clothes. Soon, we'll be in swimsuits and shorts. Gotta be prepared for everything … and it all takes up space.

The day warmed up and the weather was lovely and calm. We decided to hank on the sails and get them ready for departure. David purchased new jib sheets and they're all attached and ready to go now. We're attempting to be in fast mode, but with the jetlag, we're having a few problems. Naps during the day are not conducive to getting things done quickly. Hopefully, we'll be departing some time at the end of next week if a weather window opens up for heading north up the coast. Still several to-do's on the list, but we'll work hard to tick them off, so we can make tracks as soon as possible.

And They're Off...Leaving for Australia

 

We've been here for months and we've always known we were heading back. We've had our airline reservations made for a couple weeks. Why then, do you suppose, we're in such a dither when it's actually time to get ourselves and our belongings together and take off?

It's the packing. We've accumulated so much stuff over the past couple of months, just a little at a time. The boat parts came in and then we ordered a few more. Then I did a little thrift shopping and David got a few tools and some supplies. I wanted to pick up a few food items we can't buy in Australia like green chiles, for instance. Little odds and ends that seem to have taken on a life of their own. We're each allowed two 50 lb (23kg) bags plus our carry-on luggage. That's 200 lbs (96kg) of stuff we can check on the airline and now we're scurrying around trying to cram it all in.

We dragged everything out onto Mary's living room floor. David's a good packer although once the security folks at the airport go through everything, it's a toss-up as to whether any breakables will make it to Australia … three flights of loading and unloading and rough handling. He carefully packed the duffels, using my thrift shop purchases for padding and wrapping. We hauled out the bathroom scale and when each duffel started feeling heavy, he'd weigh it. We did this for all four, shuffling things from here to there to even out the load and identifying any nook or cranny that could ostensibly hold just one tiny item without breaking the weight restriction.

Our flight wasn't until mid-afternoon which allowed us some time in the morning to finish up last minute things at Mary's house … laundry, moving some furniture, a final goodbye to my old computer, and most importantly, loading all those duffels and luggage into Mary's car. We stopped to hug Becky goodbye … always an emotional time for our family and for us.

And then we were unloading all those bags and checking into the Delta/Virgin desk to begin our long flight back to Cups. Three flights actually … Las Vegas-Los Angeles-Melbourne-Perth. We'll be down under in around 34 hours. See you on the other side.