Thomas, the San Sebastian Sailmaker called us to say that the new mainsail had arrived from Lee Sails in Hong Kong and that we should bring the old second reefing block on Monday 20 June for transfer to the new sail. So we left our very enjoyable anchorage in Valle Gran Rey on 19 June and motored to the anchorage Chinguagime for the night. Monday 20 June we moored in San Sebastian Marina early morning and Thomas came round to pick up the block and take some measurements. Tuesday 21 June, all the reefing blocks and the luff connectors to the Fedrickson mast track had been sewn onto the new sail and the sail was hauled onto Dutch Link
The sail was then hoisted - great relief that the dimensions were OK - and Mike went up the mast to mark off the sacrificial spreader protection patches.
The sail was then lowered and taken back to the sail loft by wheel barrow
where Thomas cut and stuck on the patches
The blocks for the leech tensioning lines at the head of the sail
These blocks were covered with a velcroed flap. In order to ensure this does not come loose and flap in the wind , Thomas used his very powerful new industrial sewing machine to sew the flap - the needle had to penetrate the very heavily reinforced head of the sail
The video clip shows how easily the needle penetrates - we have a good sewing machine on board, a Sailrite - but this machine would not be able to do this.Late Tuesday 21 June the mainsail was back on Dutch Link
23 June we reinstalled it on the mast track and installed the full length battens and reefing lines . We were very fortunate that the whole exercise was completed with very little wind
So now we are free to leave La Gomera and will be looking for a weather window to sail to the Azores
1 comment:
Great work on sails making.Thanks for sharing.
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