07/05 2006
After getting the broken piece of backstay down on Monday we rigged a new the following day using new 3/16” stainless steel cable and Norseman swageless fittings. The exact length after measuring 3 different times, and in two different ways turned out to be 18’ from eye to eye. At the lower end is a forked fitting which clevis bolts to the split stays, which I have not changed off yet. They are however, a priority due to the fact that on each side is located SSB isolators with the same upturned swage fitting. I have the advantage of a redundant system here, so If one lets loose, it’s not quite the tragedy that the single stay might have been As soon as possible, however I am going to change those out for Norseman swageless and new stainless cable as well….

I laid out the old cable over at the lab marking off the end of the radius of the existing eye, over a nail so that I could pull the opposite end taught, then measured to the broken end. From the broken end I added the length of the piece that D retrieved, then subtracted the length of the Norseman to the point where I figured that the internal seizing on the wire would fill, and marked a line wood expansion joint on the sidewalk where I had the old stay laid out. Then I went into the lab and installed the clevis (forked) fitting, put it over the nail, marked it at the other end, and cut it with a hacksaw and wooden jig at that exact spot. Finally, I installed the Norseman fitting on that end, filled both with 5200, tightened them down, just so, and called the whole thing good.

It was hot and still, and dark thunderstorm clouds were rolling in from the north as we drove back across the Causeway and over to the Marina around 1800 in order to reinstall the thing. On the way over there we ran into Janice, the wife of Jim who owns Island Times, the 37 Island Packet that took off last year for Guatemala’s Rio Dulce River, and has been there ever since. We talked to her for awhile, and told her what we were up to. She mentioned that Jim would be happy to go up to the top, he has been suffering sailing withdrawls ever since getting back.

Once aboard, Jim showed up, and we visited a while as I set out to rig the bos’ns chair. He sort of laughed and said, “I’ll go up for you”. Going over to his house, he brought back a riggers belt, which secures to the mast, and before we knew it had gone aloft with the stay, and had it secured. In less than the time it takes to tell the story, he was back on deck and we were adjusting the turnbuckle tensions on an almost perfect length stay.

After that we talked till almost 2200 about sailing down south, approaches, anchorages and people, and by this time Janice had showed up and we enjoyed a thoroughly pleasant evening with old friends whom we had not seen in what seemed like ages. I learned a lot about the trip south, things like how to use the Gulf Stream to my advantage, and proper port clearance protocol. I will be ready. Jim is a lot like me (except he has no fear of mast heights), and considers being back here (till October) his “sentence”…..

No rain ever showed up, but the night breezes resumed, cooler now from the storms that remained to our north.

I have vowed to take him sailing at every opportunity that he wants to accompany us, and enjoy some Flor de Cana with him, which happens to be his favorite rum as well in the meantime……

Yesterday, when we went to the boat (I stained/sealed the new tongue and groove), we ran into Jeff. He had set out Tuesday to deliver his newly purchased Morgan 29 from the Marina to Corpus (via the ditch) for a week or two to spend some time sailing with his Kids. He made it as far as Three Islands, deciding that he just wasn’t ready for that trip, even though he was in the company of (supposedly) an experienced sailing captain. He ran aground several times, but made it back, and spent a little time over in the South Laguna learning his new boat under sail, going aground over there in the shallows near the old causeway. This is his first cruising sailboat, and he is still learning her.

I know how it is……