Standing rigging replacement - part 2

 There are three ways to replace the standing rigging:

  1. Take down the mast

  2. Use a cherry picker (€50/hour)

  3. Climb the mast when there is no wind
I chose number 3, though it was Helen that climbed the mast!

I'd already changed one of the shrouds since I had bent the wire taking down the mast when I was moving the boat from Latchi to Larnaca, so there were three more to do.



We always have two lines on the bosun's chair, main and safety, just in case there is a problem… for instance a block breaking at the head of the mast!




A cotter pin goes in from the outside, with a split pin holding it in place on the inside. Sounds easy? Yep, sort of is… unless you're up the mast doing it when it takes a lot of concentration not to drop the cotter pin which would undoubtedly bounce on the deck into the water!


I think I'm more nervous with someone else up the mast than myself! It's not that high, but on a small boat with relatively small keels it moves around quite a lot.


Anyhow… all done now! Well… us much as we're doing this time.







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