Rigging Survey

The SHTP organizers require a qualifying cruise of at least 400 miles, entirely under sail, with a turning point at least 100 miles offshore.  I’ve been offshore at night, but never offshore alone at night on my own boat, so this seems like a reasonable condition.  My plan is to go next month.  This trip is a key decision point for me.  I may find out I’m not cut out for this adventure.  Who knows?  I guess we’ll see soon.

I brought my mast, boom and rigging home last week to give it a thorough inspection.  A dye-penetrant check showed no trouble spots, and the wire is in great shape.  The swages look good.  I found a seized turnbuckle, a few questionable clevis pins, and some sheaves that need to be replaced.  While I have the rig down I’m going to add a strobe at the masthead.  There are a few other minor things to do, but the rig is basically in great shape.  This project was a pain, but I’m glad I did it.  It’ll give me some peace of mind when the wind pipes up.

More Later . . .