19 th July

Font went funny  but so what.  Back from France after too much wine and treats in the food department.  The French are kings when it comes to eating.  

Mast and boom  arrived at shipping agent here in the Azores a few days before my return and they delivered to my home after paying the bill!!  Transport cost was more than the cost of the mast and boom!!!!!  That is one of the pleasures of living in the middle of the Atlantic.

The wrapped up sausage

Package getting peeled

All packaging cleaned off.

Trimet did a very good job of packaging with lots of protection and took ages to remove but...

The mast top got squished by poor transport handling.  Not Trimets fault.  I organized the transport and they did a good job of protection  packing.  I think even God has forgotten where the damage occurred.  How many trucks? Port handling in docks and containers and local warehouses. Mast has already travelled  close to 4000km to get here.  Anyway not a big deal.  Only the top 20cm and managed to straighten it out to almost perfect.  

Mrs Nuts still in France so still in slow boat building mode but started doing mast stuff.

Bolted mast step into position.  Was a lot of prep as the mast maker had made the step from the Setka deck plans and made it at the angle of the deck.  (my fault for bad communication) I had made a mast support pad which was horizontal so had to modify the stainless base to be horizontal.  Lots of cutting, grinding, drilling, passivating and polishing.  Also started making lower shroud and inner forestay attachment points as well as gennaker hallyard mounting for the mast.

Just a picture of the galley cooker with a chopped up aluminum pot as a fiddle fixed in place to hold the kettle in place.  Also have a cooking pot the same diameter.  Just need to find a frying pan to fit for those suicidal Mahi Mahi.  Still need to fabricate some clamps to the left for holding food / coffee mugs etc.