Friday 22 Oct, re-launch 2021, HHN day 23. Shrink wrap down and rig back up. An end to the long journey of rig refurbishment.
It’s a big day. The unveiling of Cloudy Bay by removing the shrink wrap tent and raising the rig back up. I’m awake and outside before 7am today to check the wind. We cannot raise the rig if it is windy. There is just a very gentle breeze, 0-5knots, so all should be good-to-go. Even though it is still dark outside, I start slicing off the shrink-wrap, cutting it down the middle of the boat and throwing each half over the side. As I do so, it feels really good to be able to stand up on deck again and not have to crawl everywhere for once.
With the white shrink-wrap plastic gathered up off the ground and made tidy, it is just a matter of waiting for the crane to arrive for the big lift. Just enough time to pop below and have some breakfast. Oh, and time enough to add bird protection to the mast top. It is purple-bird-poo-carpet-bombing season. So we cover the top of the mast and antenna with big black trash-bags (bin liners, to you British). Trying to make it as unattractive as possible for birds to land on. Or at least, less attractive than neighboring boats!
The East Coast Marine Rigging (ECMR) team arrive at 8am and start preparing for the lift. Slings placed on the mast and boom, last minute checks on the rig, blankets laid around the mast step, tools ready, and rigging pins all set to be put in. There is an air of nervous tension as they go about their business. This is a big lift for all concerned.
As Matt, the yard manager, arrives in the crane, so does Ray and Pirate Paul. Along with the GoPro and Oana too, it feels like we are set up to watch a shuttle launch at Cape Canaveral, rather than a simple mast raising!
At first, they spend some time gently lifting the mast, lowering it again and readjusting the sling, looking for the perfect balance spot. Then, up it goes, VERY slowly. And for once I am happy to just stand back and watch the professionals at work.
After what seems an age, the mast is now vertical and hovering just above the deck ready to drop in place. But just then, there are a few small gusts of wind that swing it one way or another and they struggle to hold it. I can see that all 3 of them are needed at the mast foot, leaving no one to direct Matt in the crane (from his cab, he cannot see any of the ECMR guys). So I hold back no longer and run up to the deck to help them. I manage to hold the cutter stay and lower shrouds, which frees-up Noel, who goes to the stern to direct the crane.
Once the mast foot lands on its step, the ECMR guys really show they are a team. While Stephen holds the mast from spinning, Danny and Noel attach the lower shrouds, shouting their each and every action for all to hear: ”Forward lower pin in place, going to aft lower now….. aft pin also secured ….” and the person on the other side shouting the similarly. Then I get my call, “attach the cutter stay” …
The only hic-cup of the operations was actually caused by me ☹. We needed the 2 backstay runners attached as soon as possible. But in my (silly) move to attach antibird devices before we raised the mast, I had managed to pin one of the runners to the mast, about ½ way up. Stephen is not amused! But we instead manage to use the topping lift as the other runner.
With just enough of the rigging attached, tensions die down a little and the crane eases its hold, then gets released from the mast and moves away, leaving the mast standing by itself. Next lift is the boom. That all goes very smoothly and as I go down to thank Matt for his excellent operation of the crane, I ask him about weights: The mast weighed-in at 2200 lbs (1 metric ton) and the boom 750lbs. So with the sails added to the rig, Cloudy Bay probably has close to 1.8 tones up in the air above decks. It really is a wonder that she doesn’t simply roll over once in the water. I guess that is where 10 tons of lead in the keel comes into play!
After the crane has left, the ECMR guys start to tighten the rigging, and that’s when we have a problem. One of the main shrouds (V1) bottle screws starts to gall-up. Stephen’s advise it to get a new replacement. When we had planned to replace all the standing rigging I decided to just replace the cables and swages, but keeping the original hardware which included the bottle screws. Selden’s advice was to change everything (of course!) but when pushed they agreed that bottle screws could be used for 20 years no problem, if the threads still ran smoothly.
But now it looks like we will have to buy some after all. Galling means a thread is damaged, and a damaged thread is a weaker thread. Frankly, there is no point to take any risk where the main shrouds are concerned. A shroud failure guarantees the mast to fall. The downside is price. These screws are massive, M24 threads, with a price tag to match. $4,000 for a pair!
Now this is the time for me to tell all those sailors who dream of owning a big boat, like a 55-footer: these bottle screws are a classic example of how prices for things go up exponentially to the size of the boat. On a 45ft yacht for instance, these main shroud bottle screws would be less than 1/3 the price. And on a Laser sailing dinghy, you don’t even need shrouds. Yet the sailing is just as much fun!
With the rig secure, it really feels it’s time to take a break. I feel exhausted from the last several days. So we tootle off in the car into Deale where we pay a visit to the local café which is renowned for its good pies and sandwiches. We have a BLT and an apple pie.
Arriving back to the boat feeling mildly de-stressed, the rest of the day is spent at a slower pace, tidying the decks and getting the sprayhood and cockpit tent up. Now that the shrink wrap is off, we need protection from the weather, in the cockpit at least. The decks end up nice and clear while the cockpit gets filled to the brim with paints, tools, and a multitude of other gear, that all needs to be kept dry.
Before dark I stand back and admire the rig and cleared decks. Cloudy Bay looks more like her old self again, rather than her previous guise of a refugee camp. And I start to get enthused to have her back in the water where she belongs.
With the weekend ahead we will take it easy for once, with no firm work agenda. Now let us see how that goes!