It's spring, we're about to go sailing. That means rigging checks. At least this year, we've haven't lost some errant halyard inside a mast. But checking every split pin, every weld and sheave, and washing two big masts still means a lot of time aloft.
Over three days, Sarah spent about eight hours clambering up and down Roaring Girl's two masts - one of the downsides of a ketch over a sloop is that it doubles the rigging checks. Here in Rome, the boat has become absolutely filthy, so every inch of both masts has also been washed down, and the track's lubricated with silicon. That's our trusty orange bucket dangling in the rigging, with soapy water in it.
Finally it's done - a big job crossed off the list.