Jul 25, 2005 - 1930hrs UTC │Lymington

1930hrs 25 Jul 2005 UTC Lymington

Mildly pear shaped we still are – no radio until tomoz because everyone is too busy with important stuff to install it.

Big invasion of the to-do list today – crossed off lots of trivia and some big ones. We took off all 6 windows- one working one inside and one outside to remove about 60 nuts, washers and bolts, then applying a couple of gallons of silicone plus turps, bogBrolga Owners Group paper, scrapers -the works. And then reversing the process. Very thirsty by the end of that one. If we get lucky, we have fixed the leaks over both our bunks… Bliss…Still have to fix the chainplate leaks (the chainplates are the points where the shrouds are attached to the hull – from the old square rigger days when they actually used chains).

Tomoz will be bigger. The task is to brace the mast so it doesn’t fall down, loosen the shrouds and remove the lower spreaders so that we can remove the spreader collar so the cracks in the collar can be welded.. for the uninitiated, the spreaders hold the shrouds out from the mast and help to keep it upright and the collar holds the spreaders in place. If it breaks, the mast is not stable and it may decide that horizontal is closer to entropy than vertical. The plan, subject to amendment, is to rest a spinnaker pole across the boat on the boom at the gooseneckThe fitting that connects the boom or a spinnaker pole to the mast. (next to the mast but behind it), lash it to the mast and then run a spinnaker halyard through each parrot beak (the big clip on the each end of the pole) and onto a genoa car and then winch the halyard tight. This will hold the mast up and allow us to loosen the shrouds, push them out of the groove in the end of the spreaders and drill out the pop rivets in the collar and take it off. We hope. And then we can take the collar to the welder.

Dave G sent us a suspicious bottle from RANSARoyal Australian Navy Sailing Association; a sailing club located in Sydney, Australia. – looks rather like Bundy. Thanks Dave – and huge thanks to everyone at RANSARoyal Australian Navy Sailing Association; a sailing club located in Sydney, Australia. who bought raffle tickets – Dave told us all about it – we still have to pay for the radio fix and the rig and all the other stuff and we’re really grateful. We will keep you informed and I’m half way through a letter to Janet for the notice board – have been for a week or so but it will be finished soon.

The RORCRoyal Ocean Racing Club, located in London office has moved from London to CowesSeaport town on the Isle of Wight (UK). A home for international yacht racing. for the start of CowesSeaport town on the Isle of Wight (UK). A home for international yacht racing. Week next weekend – getting rather too close for comfort.

Quite strange still to be sitting in Berri in a marina with greeen muddy water and the Isle of WightThe largest island of England, located in the English Channel, separated from the mainland by a strait called The SolentStrait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.. in the distance. More on this later perhaps. But we can see the IoW so it isn’t raining.