COLIN JARmAN Riding Light
BENT
Out of alignment; means to an
particularly email, either
It happened while stepping the from an internet café or
mast, which, on my little boat,
end; the reality of technology;
directly from the boat. It’s
is not a crane job, but a matter still not always easy and
of lifting it on to your shoulder worthwhile forbearance. large picture files can be a
and then heaving upright. No particular difficulty, as was
(too) great loads are involved. discovered by a friend cruising
Or so I thought until I stood the right size in stock. ahead, but drew no closer in the Caribbean. He sent
back to check everything was To fit it, I replaced the and we were rolling and me a couple of photos and I
in place and noticed a distinct shroud with the throat halyard slatting uncomfortably. thought no more about it until
bend in one bottlescrew. (a two-part purchase) led to a It took but a couple of I received an email from him
I’m not quite sure how, cleat and all went well. Finally minutes to motor to the via his satphone, in which he
but in spite of a good toggle I could go sailing and I hope wind and thereafter we had explained that there were more
to provide almost omni- I’ve learned a lesson about a fine sail, pressed almost to come when next he could
directional movement, it had keeping bottlescrews aligned too hard in the gusts, and find a good WiFi connection.
hooked back on itself and with their loading. then ran back home under “I ran out of time,” he
was put under load well out explained. “I was using WiFi
of its designed alignment. As from the dinghy moored in a
soon as I noticed it I lowered marina near a bar with WiFi for
the mast and freed it, but the which we knew the password.
result was a nasty looking The pictures took a good half
bend in the lower threaded hour to send and I had to break
section (see photo). off to get back to our boat out
It was a stainless steel in the anchorage before it got
bottlescrew, only a year dark; I had no lights and night
old, never knocked or over falls quickly here.”
strained, yet a modest amount When you’re sitting at a desk
of load in the wrong direction in an office ashore you don’t
and there it was, bent. I really think about how an email
certainly didn’t fancy using it reaches you, do you?
like that for the season, but nor
did I want to delay launching PRIORITY
while I sourced a replacement, The employers of volunteer
so I continued with rigging firemen and members of the
the boat and bending sails
n
A local lifeboat crew have to be
on. All the time my mind
rm
A pretty tolerant as their staff
was trying to work out what
L
in J suddenly leap up and disappear
would have to be released from the office. In some cases
or eased and how the mast even the customer has to be
could be supported during the
Photo Co
patient, a lovely example of
eventual changeover. You may
Loaded when out of alignment. A simple error while stepping the mast.
which occurred at the East
think that because she’s only Coast Old Gaffers Association
a small boat it wouldn’t be annual dinner.
too difficult, but being small, GUILTY PLEASURE headsail alone, right up to According to the account
she only has the one shroud We departed in the lightest the mooring. A wonderful in their newsletter, “service
on each side and she lives on of airs, making only the day out, but only because seemed to become a little
a mooring that can be quite slowest progress against the we resorted to the engine. I sporadic” as main courses
a bouncy berth in the wrong flooding tide until even that comfort myself that it’s what were being served. It was then
wind/tide or passing PWC/ski faint breeze expired. All way an engine’s for and that the announced that the caterers
boat conditions. was quickly lost and we were end truly justified the means. offered their apologies, but
Once afloat, I chickened out being carried back in by the one of their waitresses, a
of sailing until I’d obtained tide, yet out in the main river TECHNOLOGY member of the local lifeboat
a replacement bottlescrew, boats were heeling sweetly to One of the biggest changes crew, had been called away
eventually going back to a good breeze. in long term cruising to come on a shout. I shouldn’t think
builders Cornish Crabbers, A dark line lay across the about in the last few years anyone worried about slow
because no local chandler held water a couple of cables has been in communications, service after that. ■
154 Sailing Today September 09
ST149 Riding
Light_RTG.indd 178 16/7/09 12:18:37
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