What was I saying about the virtues of furling mainsails the other day? Well forget it because we discovered a downside today, one which has been known to lead to sails being cut off the mast in a crisis!
We woke to a beautiful morning with gentle breeze in a spacious anchorage, ideal for sailing off the anchor. Skipper asked me to take the helm, and we started to unfurl the mainsail. A couple of metres out and it abruptly stopped - jammed. It would not move, skipper climbed on mast, tried easing, but part of the jam was up with the first spreaders, out of reach.
We learned a lesson for it seems that in the euphoria of crossing the firth we did not put enough tension on the outhaul rope as we furled the sail in. This led to folds inside the mast around the furler which we're easing off through the slot and jamming as we unfurled. Someone was needed to ease the folds back in with their fingers which meant climbing the mast. No problem with a 'bosuns chair'; a harness seat which lifts people up on a halyard. I volunteered, fancying the chance to go up; a good learning curve. Dinghy gloves on I was all set but where was the seat? We searched deck locker to bilges, forward to aft; it's one of those things that will turn up later when you're not looking for it. Help!
Jury rig (home made) to the recue! The skipper made two rope climbing steps, one for each of two halyards, using the Rolling Hitch (a great knot for lines in a crisis) which allows strain to be taken in one direction and eases in the other. With feet in the loops I was to climb the mast, alternatively raising the knot to raise my foot one step at a time. Climbers must be familiar with this. My safety was a third halyard, bowline tied rather than using its shackle, to the harness ring on the lifejacket. This was raised on a block as I went up and down. In the event it was great apart from the pressure on fingers of holding on and easing the creases as the sail gradually unfurled past the folds.
An hour had passed but a good lesson was learnt in the context of the growth of inmast furling mains. My reward was to sail off the anchor at 1100.
Widewall Bay, South Ronaldsay to St.Mary's
ETD 1100, CTS 035, 9 nm
From the southerly island we sailed in to Scapa Flow proper. 9 nm NE to anchor off the quay at St.Mary's for a walk to the Italian Chapel. It's at the red dot on Lamb Holm Island on the right of the chart photo! A fabulous nissen hut which the Italian POWS were allowed to convert in to their chapel; painted up in true Italian style. The smooth walls appear tiled from the illusion of the paintwork, a fresco ceiling could have been Michelangelo himself. An interesting and positive wartime story of the POWS who helped build the 'Churchill Barriers' to protect the fleet following wartime tragedy in the loss of HMS Royal Oak. As a strategic safe haven Scapa Flow has known too much conflict and loss from both wars.
St.Mary's to Scapa
ETD1500, CTS330, 6nm
To charge the battery we motored to the next night time anchorage in Scapa, out of the NE winds.
Ashore it was a couple of miles to walk north across the island (called Mainland) to the capital of Kirkwell. Chart photo. A couple of us were trying for Evensong (equivalent) in the grand C11th Cathedral; Kirk. Got there at 1827 but it closed at 1800 and sadly there was no evening worship. Through the high street to the harbour, the group of 4 explorers were drawn to The Skipper's Bar for local Orkney Dark Ale etc.
No comments:
Post a Comment