Saturday, November 22nd, 2008
Today we raised the Mizzen Topmast back into place.
As I suspected I ended up working on the capstan on the foredeck. This was OK because there were lots
of pauses in th raising process which gave me a good opportunity to see the whole process. This is a good
bit of “sailorizing” that many people even those who sail on a square rigger more regularly will never see.
It also helpd that I had become aquainted with the intricacies of this spar while varnishing about 2/3rds of
it’s length the other day. It looks pretty “shiny” up there in the late afternoon Sun, if I do say so me self.
Did a bunch of “slushing” on the shrouds and stays for this part of the mizzen mast. This is literally taking
a handful of grease mixed with tar and liberally spreading it on the wire that makes up the rigging. I took
this opportunity to remove my rings as they might have gone flying on their own once my hands were
greasy. I think I will keep them off for the duration. My luck I will now get a sunburn on the ring bands :-)
The plan is to leave for Gibraltar tomorrow morning some time. Hopefully we will have wind and be able
to sail. For me, even if we have to use our “iron topsail” and chug out of the harbour of Mallorca, it means
the real start of my passage on the Picton Castle. It also means I have no idea when this post will actually
make it online :-)
I’m excited to be less than 24 hours from heading out. Excited and a bit anxious, not because I don’t
know all my lines (I have most of them figured out now) but simply because I don’t really know what to
expect. I’ll let you all know how I make out once we get ashore again.
Thanks for reading
KJ
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