I reached Loano, and the trip needs to come to an end.
This is partly because of some good news back at work that requires my undivided attention for some time, and partly because the boat developed a chainplate problem that needs to be fixed.
At the time I purchased the boat, there was some fiberglass repair on one side. I asked the previous owner if the damage that he repaired was structural, and he said it was not. It turns out that he was right: the repair was a superficial coverup for a problem that ran deeper. As a result, the right side shroud (the three wires on the right side that hold the mast up and keep it under compression so it will not buckle) has developed a crack by pulling up on the chainplate. If unchecked, it could cause the rig to collapse. This is why, for the last few days, I had been avoiding using too much sail, relying on the backstay to take the pressure off the shrouds, and generally being cautious. I couldn't put it here in the blog for fear of my mother developing a coronary, but now that I made it across three countries safely, it's time to get it fixed.
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| Chainplate. Not a terrible problem, but needs a fix. |
I'll haul out the boat in Loano, take the train to Genoa, and fly out. I'll probably resume the voyage next year, with a fixed up chainplate.
2 comments:
Thanks for an epic ride. Wishing you every success on land with this good natured competitive sailor's toast:
" Confusion to our enemies !"
Looking forward to your return.
Appreciatively,
Ill Wind
Think about fixing it with a solid carbon back plate, glued on the inside. (Check the rules if you want to keep it a pure Mini 6.50 and go racing with it) Not able to say how thick at present but give me a shout if you might need such a plate. We always have something from test samples for customers. 5mil or 10mil thick and really solid. Used it for the same problem on my Sportsboat which showed the same problem after changing to a carbon rig.
Again, thanks for sharing the ride.
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