Day 14
Pearl of Persia
Andrew Lock
Mon 28 Apr 2014 11:46
At last some respite, the storm has passed and the winds eased to around 20
knots and now we are left with clear skies and a big swell which rolls us
from side to side, but we can move around the boat, and eat and sleep in
reasonable comfort. After the battering we have taken, I took the chance to
check the boat over, and found to my horror that the main clevis pin or bolt
on the forestay which connects the forestay to the deck, which in turn holds
the mast up and supports the headsail was working its way loose. It had
already snapped part of the split pin that holds it in place and now it was
gradually working its way out of the fitting. If that gave way the mast
would likely collapse and we would be in serious danger. The tension on it
is so enormous that there was no way I could bash it back. We put away all
sails and considered our options. The idea of slackening off the wire
rigging to try and loosen the clevis pin, pull out the remains of the old
split pin and push in a new one, whilst we were rolling along in a big swell
was just too dangerous. Finally decided to lash a piece of wood over the pin
holding it in place, which took an hour, but I'm happy it will see us to the
Azores. I recall the fitting was taken apart in Grenada when the furling
mechanism was removed for repair and the riggers must have put back the old
damaged pin. Disaster averted.
The photos show the temporary fix Andrew did on the partially snapped split
pin
Some of the big waves that kept crashing around and inside the cockpit
