A Mast and Rigging, Makes a Sailboat

Beckon was enjoying her time outdoors in Montana,

but when June arrived it was time to step the mast.....

Most of her bronze is on, but she doesn't quite look like a sailboat...

Richard used shrink wrap to secure all the halyards and messenger lines,

along with their blocks to the mast.

The little white top was secured in place.

All the shrouds are New England Endura Braid 12mm.

The mast is on the carts....ready for the crane's arrival.

Tim Calaway came over with his boom truck and gave us a big hand...

All ready and labeled...

And the wiring at the top is even snugged.

Richard got the mast collar ready and cleared of obstacles...

dorades, and stove pipes.

Jon Derry came to help and wrapped up the ball on the crane hook.

Nothing to smack the mast and scratch up that beautiful varnish.

Webbing was wrapped....

And hooked on....

Up and away....

Ooops....forgot a tag line to control it.....

set her down and we will try again...

Beautiful! Just the way the guys intended it...

Easy does it....

Up and over....

Richard went down inside while Jon fed the wires to him...

Exactly as planned and designed...

Now to do a little detangling....

On goes the Jib stay for support.

And with a few shrouds hooked up, she is ready for the crane to be detached...

We thought we could get it low enough to detach with the ball coming forward,

but the jib stay got in the way...

Up, over, and to the back worked better....

Pull it away.....and off to tying the shrouds off to the chain plates....

Maybe a little twist will make the fore and aft correct....

Hummm....not so easy....

Now she looks like a sailboat....

Wow....Richard should be proud...

The mast makes her a sailboat.....

Richard spliced all the shrouds while in place.....

he was worried about getting the length wrong if just using mathematics.

Then he lashed the deadeyes down to the chainplates....very traditional looking,

but also allows for tightening to adjust the standing rigging.

A brilliant day....

The mast looks sunning in place.

 I need to remember a coin to place under the mast for her final stepping in Port Townsend......

I will tape it to the step so Richard won't easily forget.....

although he could probably tell me it was there, and I would never know.....

but Poseidon knows.....

Then came the boom.....

The circular step that the boom sits on is temporarily in place (taped in place)....

Mark says it may need to be adjusted after all the rigging is up.

Boom looks good....

And here comes the gaff...

All the messenger lines were replaced by running rigging.

Richard is whipping the end of the line....look at that stunning halyard note that Jane tied!

And up goes the gaff!

A nice mechanism, nicely executed.....

The sails will sit right between the two spars when at rest....

Trying to get everything ship shape....

Back at the keel.....measuring and fitting the centerboard....

Making sure it is the perfect size and will raise and lower.

How about the furler mock-up?

The Profurl Nex 1.5 that I decided on is back ordered for all of the United States...

it comes from Europe, and ALL the factories in Europe are closed the entire month of August

(I want THAT job).....

SO.... we won't be able to get the real furler until mid October...

But the mock up works perfect for measuring in the meantime...

 Mark very kindly came out to help us nail down the measurements for the sails....

need to get all the angles and lengths correct....

and apparently even with several changes that we had made to the original plans,

we were very close indeed.

Now....to try the hoisting of the bowsprit....

Richard and Mark cooked up the plan to make the bowsprit raise straight up....

By raising it, the over all length of the boat is reduced and will save an extra 7-8 ft of charges when in a slip....we shall see.....

Unhook the bobstay, remove some screws on the gammon iron,

give a hoist of the jibstay.....

and WOW....up it goes.....!

It pivots on the Sampson posts....The windlass and all raises easily...

Hummm.....now how do we support it?

Using a few extra lines and staysail halyard...problem solved....

Not an everyday maneuver....but worth some savings....

Now time for an IPA and some discussion of the main sheet.

And Mark has it all plotted out.....!

 

Now the final PUSH for completion, a Sept 4 launch in Port Townsend,

and then the Wooden Boat Festival!

 

If the river doesn't rise.....she will make it to her coming out party!