Weyhay!  We have the mast back in again.  Delighted with the new Petersen rigging – sleek and shiny, a great improvement on the odd assortment of fittings we had before.  Spent an enjoyable, if cold, morning tweaking until the mast rake, tension and bend seemed about right.  The wire normally used for yacht rigging needs to be stretched to 10-15% of its breaking load to provide stability against sudden loading and to prevent the mast sagging to leeward in gusts.  We found out with the Moody just how much better behaved this makes a boat in a blow.  Ventata’s rig is more complicated – an extra set of shrouds and the spreaders are swept backwards which means the fore-aft and side-side trim are not independent.  But we are getting more experienced with it and are pretty happy with the set up.  Next step is to try it out under sail to make sure it stays straight and under tension under load.

It has been hard work, but the list of jobs is finally getting shorter rather than longer and there is a growing number of things that work.  We now get better internet reception on board than at home!  Apparently Vodaphone gives the best coastal coverage, so we need a new data provider (and a bigger monthly allowance).  We are starting to ship stuff to the boat that we want to have with us, and bring back stuff we don’t.  The interior is not exactly ship shape but at least the aft cabin is now full of sails rather than tools.  Still a bit to do but we are working towards a shakedown trip next weekend.

Finally, in a promising discovery that provides added incentive to make it to Scotland – tinned pears go surprisingly well with a glass of Scotch…