Deconstructing Mystic
Mystic of Holyhead (successor to Lynn Rival)
Rachel and Paul Chandler
Sat 6 May 2017 12:50
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While Lynn Rival has been languishing in the
tropical heat of Guadeloupe - waiting to sail back across the
Atlantic - her owners have been in Lisbon. The weather has been glorious but we've not been idle, spending most of our time in the boatyard, examining Mystic from the masthead to the bottom of her keels. Inevitably in a 29 year old boat she has undergone a lot of changes and additions, acquiring new wiring, plumbing, equipment, etc. We want to make sure we understand how everything works and have spare parts for whatever we keep, ditching anything that is no longer required (eg a pack of bearings and gaskets which an internet investigation revealed to be for a car air conditioning compressor!) and replacing stuff we are not confident in. A priority for us is to reduce her weight - so that she will sail better - which means thinking long and hard about any bits of heavy equipment. Will we ever need a 240-120v transformer? A passerelle? She is sturdily built inside and it all adds up so we're ditching two interior doors and looking to cut down on heavy woodwork wherever possible. After a good going over the engine and electrics it was time to get the mast down. Some of the standing rigging is less than 10 years old but it makes sense to do a thorough refurbishment of the mast and it's fittings and replace the rigging before we set off into the blue yonder again.  Don't drop it! The (bolted-on) perspex windows are showing signs of leaking so we are planning to remove them, fill the holes and fit new perspex using adhesive alone. Inside we are planning to instal a second head (in what is currently a single cabin forward of the galley). We also want to remodel the fridge area and use an aerogel insulated tek tank like we have on Lynn Rival. While Paul is busy on these plumbing and boatbuilding tasks Rachel will be recovering the tired-looking upholstery. Fortunately much of the headlining is in good condition but there's still quite a bit needing renewal. Having compiled copious shopping and "to do" lists we are very excited about getting going on our new project but it's now time to head back to Lynn Rival in Guadeloupe. |