I'm off to France in the morning, partly to spend time with family and partly to catch up with my other New Yorker "Rowdy". The racing season approaches rapidly and I must say I will miss the starting line very much as we have decided not to campaign her this year. Rowdy responds to competition like the true thoroughbred she is and I am proud to have been part of her astounding success these past few years. Alas (or yippee!), new horizons beckon and I must deal with the fact that I have much to learn. The gaff rig will be a new departure for me and I look forward with much enthusiasm to milking every last degree of height or tenth of a knot of boat-speed out of it.
While I am away, the plan is to consolidate the new parts of the structure that have been fitted so far while continuing to add to it. I will keep you posted as to its' progress and as the info becomes available. When I get back in mid-April I will be starting to bring the various thought processes to some kind of physical presence. In a nutshell, I will seriously start ordering and buying stuff! I have been taking my time over it but, now, 3 months into the project, and many hours of study, it is time to take the plunge.
On a different note, we have accumulated quite a large amount of very interesting bronze and timber items of the nautical type. I have propellers, masts, booms, backstay levers, portholes, a deck house (rabbit hutch), bottle screws, etc. etc., so if you need a new idea for a coffee table, just drop me a line and I'm sure I can supply just what you need. Seriously, if you are in the classic scene, please ask around the boats. Maybe we can find a home for some of this stuff and put a few more Dinars into Chinook. I will post a list of gear soon.
Jono