Why are Boatyards like Hospitals?

(View from the hotel balcony)

If you stay in them too long something always goes wrong that you were not expecting.......................

Removed the forestay today and found a large crack in the aluminium bracket loosley called the Martingale. This bracket sits on the fore cross member and holds the forestay from the mast and this was a bad crack. All the way through the bracket to the eye. It was good to see it as it would have gone when we were at sea and we would have lost the entire rig.

Anyway this was cut off this morning and a new one built and it should be welded on tomorrow. Gill and I dropped the genoa and while we folded it noticed rotten stitching at the head so this is also being repaired.

It is good to actually make sure you are seaworthy but this was out of the blue and we have cancelled our scheduled splash on Wednesday till probably Friday or next Monday. Pity really as we all miss being aboard CH and Tizer who is esconsed in "Dolores Home for Wandering Hellcats".

So. Once again we are delayed but at least once again we will go back to sea with a better boat. The rot has been removed from the aft heads and new fiberglassed bases and backings installed and gelcoated. The crack in the stbd aft sugarscoop repaired, new antifouling, a good polish, new cluthches and teak bases and a multitude of other jobs that are part and parcel of boating. The davits are now fully supported and strengthened. The Indian Ocean took a lot out of CH and it is all coming back together.

Pulled apart the crash bulkheads forward to get into the space to mount backing plates for the padeyes to support the prodder for the Code Zero sail being made. This is not a good job if you are over 1 meter tall. The new sail is too big to be made here and Doyles of Barbados are making it. Should be ready in a few weeks.

Be good.