Beautiful day today. Light air, but flat seas – perfect day to get out on the water and raise the Spinnaker and Code Zero to check the winter repairs are good and to pack the spinnaker and furl the Zero… Also a great day to calibrate the electronics – get the plotter and compass working together properly – plus there was a list of other stuff that all needed to be done…

We started with the sails…

First, hoisted the asymmetrical spinnaker in it’s sleeve. Launched with no problems and doused again. It’s going to be a good day.

Next the Code Zero… New fastpin fitting at the furler works great – no more leaning over the pushpit with two wrenches assembling a bolt through the damn thing… Now let’s hoist the head…

The sail was returned to us from the loft folded - not furled, and the object here was to raise it, furl it and put it away. Hand over hand, the halyard pulls the head towards the top of the mast – and then we get a gust. No way can I hold the halyard against the pressure of the open sail and it flies through my hands… so I grip harder and it flies painfully though my hands - until half the sail is floating in the water! I finally grip it hard enough that I gain control… Only now do I decide it’s time to wrap it around the winch… and finally we get the thing up…

Painful is an understatement – I have major rope burns on my fingers for my stupidity which blistered into nasty looking things and remained so painful for the next couple of hours that all other projects went by the wayside.

Great way to start an epic trip with blisters all over the place…