So because we’ve waited so long for this mast, I’ve had to eat crow on some earlier proclamations. Like the one where we ceremonially burned the long sanding board used in fairing Ravenswing’s main hull, because I said “I’m never doing that crap job again”. Somehow it ended up as working Sunday alone in one of the country’s most innovative composites shop, long boarding the mast we don’t even own yet. Geez.

At least foreman Will taught me a neat trick last week. that’s a cardboard packaging strap formed into two handles and a drag section. Think “dragging the infield” after the third inning. You spread your fairing putty quickly, working it in to the surface with the spatula. I’m working with 175gram batches, which spreads out to about ten linear feet on one side of the mast. The drag tool evens out the filler and removes the spatula lines. Here’s a look at the first pass on the port side.

This is starboard, which got its second coat fills this evening.

there’s also some handwork shaping around these hardware areas.

Tomorrow I’ll grab the long board again and attack the starboard side. After that it’s a 12″ disk sander air tool. It makes short work of smoothing large surfaces.

Goal is to get to primer by Wednesday, but that would mean the spreader installation gets completed by Weds morn. Also on the punch list is external reinforcing for the nose to make it the actual forestay hound, and for Will to finish shaping the masthead including precise drilling for the masthead halyard sheaves. The guys also have to make the three big pins needed for the sheaves and main halyard 2:1 terminal.

Some of you were probably anxious to see that nose piece slid home. All went well Saturday morning, even though I was working solo. all Sat afternoon went in to fitting the mast foot. That included over 30 threaded taps for the 5/16″ screws, plus the 8 in the nose piece. Led to rather sore wrists. The foot is ready for final installation but Will asked me to wait until we get the lower terminals for the diamond wires sorted out.

RickWS and Kieth – small change in plans, ie we’re not doing a carbon rotator arm out the front. In the nick of time I remembered that our retracted daggerboard head would conflict with the rotation control arm. So instead we’ll use the old mast’s stainless steel one, this time mounted facing forward. It’s on pivot bolts so it will just swing up to clear the dagger when stowed.

I met a boat builder here yesterday who makes rowing shell / crew training boats. He needs to ship three of them to the Bay Area around Oct5. His will go in a container and he knows how to arrange for 53′ intermodal boxes. That will fit our mast. A truck here would take it to the cross country railroad line in NY, bound for Oakland. I’m all over that one this week!

Griffin asked today what color we’ll paint the mast. I assumed the same light grey from before. But he suggests going bolder. The boom needs a repaint too, so it’ll be matched. Hmmmm, please feel free to send in your votes. But know that CE pres Ted already vetoed black – he doesn’t want his carbon work absorbing that extra heat.