Volunteer Initiative overcomes Disappointments resulting in a Productive Saturday.

 Although a little marred by a disappointing Volunteer turnout, the four stalwarts, Tony Marchesani, Doug Hartley, Danny Johnson, and Mikell Evatt,  who did muster Monday morning made notable with creativity and initiative.  For once, favorable weather didn't hinder the projects that needed attending, only the number of hands to tackle an ever-increasing punchlist. 

The priority for Saturday was an attempt up the shrouds to replace the inoperative radar dome on the mainmast. This required a topman with bucket of wrenches to climb the main shrouds all the way to the spreaders.  A bosun's chair could not be raised sufficiently for its occupant to reach that part of the mast.  

Doug running antennae cable back
 down the shrouds. Note the
 ratboard configuration over his head.

Doug Hartley volunteered to make the climb, and, so fully harnessed, with a small tool bucket attached, he started up, closely watched by his deck team,  Doug made it to the top except for the last four feet, where the two shrouds were lashed together, allowing further climbing by stepping on the outside where small ratboards extended outward six inches.  Stepping on them created a torque and twisting motion, threatening the climber's loss of footing. Doug attempted a couple of alternative routes over the top, but was hampered by the same obstacle on both port and starboard shrouds.  Back on deck, in a self-critique, they reasoned that the climb might be successful with an under-150 lb topman, and/or some tensioning of the shrouds to reduce the twist tendency. Both made sense. But they were not easily resolved issues for that day. 

Not to be stalled, the four shifted to their back-up punchlist, and focused on the refinishing of several deck furnishings.   With two sanders, and scrapers, the four took the entire jumbo boom down to wood, smoothed it, and started an 8-step recoating/preserving with Deks-olje D1.  Completing 5 coats, was sufficient, at which the absorption rate required a 24-hour period.  The team then proceeded to all the portside kevels.   

Tony  had observed the previous weekend of a serious cracking of the life ring flag pennant rack, along the deck, and so unbolted the two 3x8 inch wood brackets to take home, and recreate new ones.

Next week, will continue to finish off the existing D1 projects, and add a few different ones.