Azores or Bust

A great couple of days working on the mast step. Time will tell if this has worked but it looks good so far. A fuller account is given in the page 'Mast Step Repair'.

Just totted up the costs so far and I have spent as much on ebay as I did on the boat. I expect that the final figures will be 1/3 on the boat, 1/3 on the refit and 1/3 on key equipment (life raft, batteries etc).

A good friend of mine is very craft capable, he taught woodwork and still helps a group once a week. He and I both like whales, he prefers sperm whales (his boat is called Ishmael) and I prefer hump back whales after my encounter with them in 2017. I asked him if he could etch a design into some brass so here is my design. My friend has made me a tie dye pennant and I am considering a T shirt.

I took Mischief out for a sail on Friday but ended up drifting down river for three hours and then motoring back. Insufficient wind for a trial but the rigging and retrieval of the gear worked OK. On Saturday there was more wind but too gusty to get any proper results. The gear does steer but not a very straight line. More damping on the vane is required along with  other things.