It’s been about 9 days since we got here. Every day we chip away at the chores of putting the boat back together. We’re mostly done with the big stuff. Halyards are up, sheets are attached to sails, the genoa is back on the furler. Some projects are off the list (done). One of the things I’ve been working on for two years is poor AIS (Automatic Identification System) reception. My equipment has been shipped to Raymarine and declared “NPF” (no problem found). Raymarine suggested I investigate my antenna. The antenna, however, is at the top of the mast.
I don’t love going up the mast. I have to strap into a bosuns chair and have Bev winch me up. I work my way around the various lights, spreaders (with sharp cotter pin ends), the radar and various cables. When I’m at the top the boat sways just a bit and I’m about 6 stories up with a nice view of the roof of the 5-story condo next to us.
I knew I had to go up since last year I removed one wind-vane and broke another one by grabbing it accidentally. I bought a new antenna and brought it to Mexico, of course the connectors and the mount system are not the same. I can work on one connector on deck but the other connector and the antenna mount has to be worked on at the top of the mast. This particular boat project turned into a struggle.
I’d like to go up the mast one time and get everything done all at once but it just didn’t work out that way. I usually plan what tools I need and either carry them with me in a little pouch attached to the bosuns chair or in a bucket that I can pull up from the deck. But, with so many different things to do and tools needed there’s a limit. Parts will get dropped and bounce off the deck into the water (they never seem to land on the deck). It seems likely that I would need to make more than one trip up the mast.
I finally managed to get my project mostly completed with trips up the mast on three consecutive mornings (until it gets too hot and mentally exhausting to stay up there). I hauled up power drills, wrenches, screwdrivers and a butane soldering iron trying to re-do the antenna connections (one of the connectors got dropped and bounced into the water). Darn! Now I have to improvise since most parts are impossible to get here. I will have to wait until I make another trip home. Even though my soldering iron was kind of dying and didn’t do a great job on my connectors, this morning we heard the morning radio net in the marina which has NEVER happened before. Hopefully my AIS will also be working better too.
Comments from Bev: It’s nerve wracking hoisting Kevin up to the top of the mast. I am in control of the lines & winches (and possibly his life). I’ve done this enough times now that I’m gaining confidence. For added safety, we use an ascender line and communicate with headsets (“marriage savers” as they are called in the boating community. . . because no yelling is involved). Usually he’s asking for tools and parts to be sent up in a bucket or he’s ready to descend (sometimes swearing at the parts in the microphone). Sailing definitely is easier with two people although we’ve met sailors (both men and women) along our travels that are sailing solo.
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