Rigging checks
Deck level checks are carried out annually to make certain all split pins are in good order with visible wires and fittings showing no signs of wear and feel smooth to the touch.
Pictures are taken when examining rigging prior to hoisting sails at beginning of the season. Higher resolution versions are available but the main purpose of the pictures is a backup to physical inspection. They mostly start at the masthead and work down. Each fitting is examined visually and by feeling for any sharp ends or irregularities. So far everything has been perfect. Regular checks from the top of the mast were carried out from 2014 onwards at 2 yearly intervals. Annual checks were planned from 2018 onwards. However, COVID prevented checks in 2020 and 2021. A later illness and very short cruising season meant checks were not carried out aloft in 2024 or 2025, just 2026.
In-mast furling maintenance
The following tasks are carried at the same time as the checks shown above.
- Grease top mainsail foil bearing through hole at very top of the foil inside the mast
- Clean and grease top and bottom bearings on the swivel
- Grease bottom mainsail foil bearing
- Clean and grease teeth on furling gears inside mast, near the base
The top and bottom bearings on the foil are lubricated by injecting PTFE based oil to displace old grease, followed by some white lithium grease. The halyard swivel bearings are flushed with WD40, followed by fast evaoporating electrical contact cleaner. This flushes quite a bit of debris and old grease through the bearings into tissues underneath. Once dry, these bearings are treated with PTFE based oil and white lithium grease.
