Split Pin Trouble …Aaaaaaaggg!!

Timeless
Sat 18 Jan 2014 14:26
Position: 14:18.04N      48:13.39W
  

A bright clear day today, 5m rolling swell tip to trough but we are used to it; lots of washing and reorganizing going on.

Watermaker worked first time Yea! 
The miss starts we have been having seem to be related to the power draw at the time and small air locks.

 

Last evening was shaping up nicely, pasta bolognaise and ice cream lollies on their way for dinner.  
John did a routine check of rigging before settling down when..

OH NO! ….. in moments all hands were on deck to react!!!! 
Another split pin had given way
….
this time our whisker pole was hanging on by the last bit of the retaining pin to the mast, the split pin was gone .  Cathy’s role was to record the excitement, John giving direction to lower the pole so that he could replace the pin,  Bob G. assuming ready position on deck while Bob D. and Lesley handled sails and our course from the cockpit, Bob G retying lines, and a happy John when all was repaired. 
With a keen eye to problems as they emerged a major disaster was averted!  We all are amazed how fragile these pins seem to be while performing such a key role.

 

The loose fog horn still seems to be securely tucked under a halyard; that will need to be fixed in St. Lucia.
Previously we had found a washer and a wing nut at the bottom of the mast where they had clearly fallen from the horn attaching to half way up the mast coming loose.

Gosh! It just shows that you can’t inspect rigging often enough.
Other bits of rigging checked out well.

 

Our Canada flag is lovely after a wash yesterday and it performs well as a tell tail with these following winds.

 

There have been no ships and no fish for days now.  Alice Munro’s words seem to relate to Timeless at the moment:

Behind him lay the grey Azores

Behind the gates of Hercules

Before him not the ghost of shores

Before him only shoreless seas.

 

Anybody out there????

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