While the 2015 rig-up deadline of the morning of June 12th is a ways away, it will take all of the remaining time to get the job done.

The spars still “on-the-hard” are now cosmetically finished. Some are ready to come directly aboard. Some require “dressing” prior to coming aboard. It looks like those spars ready to come aboard will start being brought aboard later this week. Helpers anyone? Email me at jan@pride2.org. We’d be happy to have your help.

The peak and throat halyards of the fore and main masts are finally in position today. We had a set-back yesterday. Incomplete labeling and mislabeling labeling from last year’s down-rig caused the new crew to install one of the throat halyards on the incorrect mast. This occurred by reason of fishing out of storage one lower mast halyard at a time. (You can see in the pictures how big and complicated these halyards are and also they are equipped with jigs…a separate block and tackle system at one end of the actual halyard used for greater mechanical advantage to do finer adjustments of stretching the sail or adjusting it’s shape). Last week the throats and gant-lines went up on the lower masts. Yesterday while putting up the peak halyards it was discovered one of them was labeled as a throat halyard. Long story short…a guess was made that it was actually the peak for the main. Nope. Too short. After a lot of checking in listed descriptions of parts of the rig it was found the throat halyard on the foremast was actually the main peak halyard. This meant the wrong main peak halyard had to be taken down. The wrong foremast throat halyard had to be taken down. Then both shifted and finally put in their correct locations. Then finish by putting up the fore peak halyard. Ugh! I figure we lost a half day.

Other accomplishments by the end of Memorial Day are:

The jib-boom was put through the bow-sprit cap. (See photo)

The lower mast wedges are driven into place and the mast boots prepped (see photos) for installation tomorrow.

The rest of this week it is expected we will start dressing the yards and coordinate shifting topmasts aboard for staging on deck to be sent up into position.
Who wants to help shift topmasts aboard and hoist them up? When might you be available? Please contact me at jan@pride2.org. Our sincerest thanks.