Aft Rig install videos

Here are some videos showing the mast install. A huge thanks to Casey at CS Marine for once again coming to our aid with a crane and a super competent crew to help with the install of the mast. We were originally planning on putting the mast up using a forklift with a boom attachment, but this would have taken a lot longer and been way more difficult to get everything in place without risking damage the mast, antennas, and other attachments. With the crane it was really straightforward, safe, and controlled all the way though the process. Thanks Casey!

Mast and down rigger install

We spent Thursday though Easter Sunday up at Mare Island getting the aft rig installed. Most everything went as planned and we got all the critical stuff done. Welding up the stainless pads for the down rigger hinges to the hull was a lot of work and required removal of the interior back to bare steel in four different places to ensure that we didn't catch the boat on fire when welding on the hull plating. In the end we got it done (thanks to the late sunset this time of year) but that was a very long day. Of course this leaves a host of minor details to complete, but after so many months looking at everything horizontally it's great to finally see it all standing up. I'm very pleased with how it looks. I think the the whole rig seems to fit the boat well and doesn't seem out of scale or out of place on deck. Next weekend will be spent at our home dock routing all the wiring into the wheelhouse, hooking up all the electronics and antennas, and completing the rigging. I also need to reinforce the ladder with a couple of more brackets so I can spend some time up in the crows nest enjoying the view.

A little more prep work on mast

With a date set for the mast and down-rigger install, I have been working just about every evening on finishing the wiring, rigging, and about a dozen other little details that are still on the list. My strategy is to close out my to do list starting at the top of the rig, and working my way down. That way if I don't get everything finished, at least I won't have to be working at the top of the mast too much once it's installed. That said I'm sure to forget something up there and end up at the masthead at some point after everything is installed. Due to the complexity of the design and the relatively short overall height height (about 26ft to the anchor light) , I've decided not to mount the mast in a tabernacle (which would allow the mast to be lowered in place on a pivot at the base). Any future mast removal will require a lot of disconnections and a crane (or some fancy rigging on deck).

I finally got around to getting some proper hollow fid (a device for splicing line) and taught myself how to splice double braid. I can splice simple three strand stuff in my sleep, but the double braid is not nearly as intuitive. It took about half a dozen tries before I felt confident enough in my splices to put them in service. I'm using double braid for the halyard, boom-lift, and down-rigger up hauls. I'm also using hollow braid Spectra line for the working top-guys on the down riggers. These support the down rigger poles when they are deployed and carry the full load of the paravane stabilizers, so must be very strong and low stretch- perfect application for Spectra type line.