Yachting World - July 2018

34

days. If you have to wait for spares that will be six to ten

days, depending on the supplier at the other end, it will

delay you, and the cost of transport [air freight]. for, say, a

pump can be €60-80 per leg for the two legs.”

A good rigging check before leaving is essential. Your

standing and running rig will now have covered

thousands of salty, sunny miles and the return

transatlantic crossing will see you spend long days on one

tack so expect chafe to occur on sheets and halyards.

A professional rigging check can be well worth the cost,

but if you do it yourself make sure you work from stem to

stern checking every item.

Jerry Henwood, aka Jerry the Rigger, who does most of

the rig checks for the ARC rally advises: “Check your

standing rigging wire where it enters the swage. Is it nice

and smooth? The most common place for standing

rigging to break is just inside the swage and as it’s inside

you can’t always see it, but you can feel it.

“Look at the mast, boom and spreaders. Check all areas

where anything joins, exits or is just attached. It should all

be smooth with no cracks. All fastenings must be tight and

secure. And check all split pins and key rings and make

sure these are taped up so that anything passing over

them (ropes, clothing, sails, etc.) does not catch on them

and pull them open.”

Here’s more from Jerry’s hit list:

Check for any missing or damaged key rings on

standing rigging, especially guardwires.

Check for any loose nuts on pelican hooks on

the guardwires.

Check there are no cracks on the tang on the boom

where the vang joins.

Check struts on the radar brackets aren’t wearing away

or coming loose.

Check VHF aerials at the masthead aren’t loose.

Re-mouse all your shackles so they don’t come undone.

Crew for the voyage

You might not have quite the number of takers for a

voyage to Europe as you had on the way to the Caribbean

and, as skipper, you need to think about crew who have

the appetite for what might be more of challenge.

As Dan Bower puts it: “There is an increased chance of

seasickness and even for those not afflicted there is less

desire to do much in the way of domestic duties.

Hearty, warming

meals will be

required as the

temperature drops

Below: a Sunday

roast is a great

morale booster for

a crew

CRUISING

Tor Johnson

Isbjörn Sailing