Day 120 – Light Breeze
Where Next?
Bob Williams
Tue 12 Apr 2022 07:58
Course: N Speed: 3.5 knots
Wind: E F3 Sea: slight
Swell: ENE 2m
Weather: sunny, warm, humid
Day’s Run: 85nm
Since noon yesterday the wind has remained light but sufficient to keep Sylph’s sails full and moving at an average of 3.5 knots, with which I am well satisfied.
The light conditions allowed me to undertake a job I succeeded in a job yesterday that I have been wanting to do for several weeks now. The starboard cockpit rail had been slightly bent some weeks ago during a gale, I think off the Cape of Good Hope (the port one was bent during our first gale off Tasmania’s SW Cape). I had to fix it using the method that had worked for the port rail, by giving it a few well placed kicks but it would seem the starboard rail was a bit sturdier than the port and would not yield to such persuasion. Since then I had given the problem quite a bit of thought and had come up with a means of using the jib pole to straighten it out. With a light breeze in Sylph’s sails holding her steady, I judge the time was right to give the idea a go.
First I loosely lashed the jib pole, which is about 4.5 meters long, athwartship across the top of the two rails. I then tied a line from the parrot-beak on the port end of the pole to the port rail. I tied another line from the port rail through a cleat on the starboard side of the cockpit to the starboard sheet winch, using the winch to tension the port rail so it would not bend instead of the starboard rail. Then I rigged a block and tackle (technically a gun tackle rove to advantage) from the starboard rail to the starboard end of the pole then back over the top of the rail and to the sheet winch on the port side of the cockpit. Once everything was tensioned up it was a simple matter of cranking on the port sheet winch until the starboard rail was back where it was supposed to be. And much to my satisfaction, it worked; the starboard and port rails are now back where they are supposed to be. The only thing that needs doing now is to paint the bottom of the rails where the paint has chipped off. If the weather remains light for a few days I might be able to attend to this as well.
But this afternoon's job is to have another go at tidying up the forepeak and sorting some stores out.
All is well.