Adjustments

[Riley Smith]

So... getting all that line in one place is an accomplishment and having the sheet go up is very gratifying. But there are critical issues with the going up....and down, that need rectifying. One of them is to get the whole sequence down. I'm rusty and everything is a little bit different. Friction is your enemy and sometimes leverage is too. And both are hanging around, mainly centered on the gaff jaw. I think the cure is a shortening of the jaw line, but having to dodge a Mississippi Lightning Show didn't give me time to rectify it. We watched from the patio as the sky began to get dark right over our heads. The Good Lord put on a mighty show this evening and all those planned celebrations look slightly sad in  perspective. Have a Happy Fourth of July!

[Spot]

Does the mast end of the gaff have its own line or? I don't know my way around the rigs with yards and such.

[Riley Smith]

Yes, there is a line on the jaws that keep the gaff attached to the mast. There are wooden beads on this line so it will move easily, as they act like rollers and keep the line from binding. IF it is the correct length. And everything else is right too. It seems like a lot of stuff to deal with but it isn't that bad once you get the hang of it. Trial and error on a lot of it until you get it dialed in and then it's a snap. No action this evening either as thunderstorms are about. I did get some shackles I needed.

[Riley Smith]

Oh yeah! Things are looking great! It was the boom lift giving all that trouble by binding inside the mast cringles. It runs INSIDE the mast cringles on the sail and I thought for years there's just no way I could get it to work. Until I tried it. No biggie. There are still a couple of minor lines to adjust to working length and then stow the sail and rig for the road, which is in progress this fine morning. Oh, and there are STILL things to do. There is ALWAYS something that needs to be done on a boat. The inside looks like a rat's nest and a vacuum is called for. Stow this and that, including the anchor and PFDs. Hours instead of weeks and days. I'm excited! I think I'm going to inlet some Teflon pads into the gaff to keep from scrubbing the varnish. But that's not a priority at the moment and I'll have to find that block of Teflon SOMEWHERE in the shop. And examine things in action yet once again to design it.

[Doug SC]

I would love to see some on the water photos.

[Riley Smith]

Soon!