Alongside Cordova Small Boat Harbor
Weather: sunny and cold

The cold snap is over. It rained last night and washed the snow off Sylph's decks and today has been sunny and relatively warm. The fine weather has allowed me to complete a few outdoor jobs, the main one being the installation of a roller on the fore deck for the anchor chain to pass under before it passes over the chain holder on the anchor windlass. Over the past twelve months or so the cable had been jumping off the chain holder which was making weighing anchor a very slow and tedious business. One of the other sailors wintering over here in Cordova, Karl, suggested this solution and another hibernating sailor, Mark, made the bracket up for me. Today I installed it (see photo). My initial test has proven very satisfactory. I won't know for sure whether it has fixed the problem until I attempt to weigh anchor with the cable under load, but I am feeling confident that it will work.

The engine continues to behave itself (touch wood), the electric bilge pump is reinstalled and working, and this afternoon I climbed the mast this afternoon and did a rigging check – all looks good except for a bit of chafe on the main halyard which I will repair in the next few days. Most importantly, however, is that my replacement credit card has at last arrived in the mail. The first one got lost despite being sent by registered mail, so I had to cancel it and have another card reissued. This time round my sister sent it to me by regular airmail and it only took a bit over a week to get here, which for Cordova is pretty good.

Now I just need to double check the departure requirements for clearing out of the USA. Next week I will start looking for a weather pattern that will allow us to make a dash across the Gulf of Alaska to Prince Rupert in Canada, though I suspect in hoping to dash across the Gulf with old Sylph might be being a little optimistic.

All is well.

RC sitting in front of the new warm air duct – it would seem he approves of my modifications:

Foredeck roller:

Activity on the dock as sailors start getting ready for spring: