Stick Up.

In the interests of playing catch-up, and as promised, here are photographs of the most obvious exterior change we’ve made to our vessel. All being well, I’ll post some more of the other stuff we’ve done too- soon.
During the August bank holiday we raised the mast. I’d been shitting it about doing this as the mast is not exactly a lightweight object, but a long chat with one of my neighbours and another long chat with Arun Canvas and Rigging helped to allay some of these fears. The guys at Arun Rigging prepared Wendy’s new rigging from 12mm galvanised steel rope, and also provided me with all the shackles, turnbuckles and wire clamps that I’d need to do the job. They were so helpful and had the entire package ready to go in an hour at a really reasonable price.

When the big day came Becky, Ranka, and I were joined by my neighbour, Jalil. He keeps his little open sailing boat almost next door to our tug and clearly knows his onions when it comes to things nautical, so when he kindly offered to help out I practically bit his arm off.
The scariest part of the whole process turned out to be getting the mast bolted into its tabernacle. I wondered if Jalil, who was supporting most of the weight would be squashed between the mast and funnel whilst I desperately scrabbled to get the retaining bolt into position on the tabernacle. Once the bolt had thankfully slid home it was almost a simple case of ‘one two three heave’ and before you knew it, Wendy Ann 2 suddenly looked like a proper boat. It’s funny the difference a bloody great stick and a bunch of wire makes to the overall proportions of her, but it does.

Oh, one small detail did induce mild alarm for a moment. When the mast was all rigged and right, the temporary headline we used to pull the mast up got itself tangled as we were trying to let it go. So my new sea-dog pal tested my new mast by climbing up it to remove the offending rope. I hasten to add that absolutely nothing bad happened, but it’s a test that I wouldn’t have dared employ myself at the time. Silly thing is that the rigging itself is rated to five tons safe working load- I guess that would make the shackles the weak links, rated at a mere one ton each. Jalil definitely does not weigh one ton, I’m sure. Not to be beaten, since then I’ve climbed the mast myself and it’s quite a view from up there.
Theoretically we could now do things with this mast, although I cut the gooseneck off for reasons too complicated to explain now welding it back on shouldn’t present too much of a problem and then we’ll be away.
For now though all I’m using it for is flying some big silly flags, like this stupidly enormous 'celebration' ensign- which is a strangely satisfying sight.

Many thanks to grinder monkey for de pictures.