We found a mizzen!

[Jasper & Karen]

Jasper's theory about all things coming to he who waits proved true again: our nearly 3-year search for a mizzen mast came to a successful end last week, when a friend of a friend of a friend who was asked by his boss to finally chop up the old trimaran that had been sitting in the shop yard for 8 years with a hole in her side called his friend to say, "I know nothing about boats but there's some good metal stuff on there that somebody should use" and the friend (who is himself a sailor) said, "Not only that, but there are some pretty good sticks there, too" and called HIS friend who knows tons of people with sailboats and said, "Who do you know who could use a new mast?" and so of course, we went out to look at it.

It proved to be 40' of hollow spruce, slightly larger in both length and depth than the original, but capable of use. It came complete with boom, more fittings than we'd ever use in our fondest dreams, rigging, 3 winches and every other scrap of salvaged metal they'd laid hands on. It cost 2 cases of beer--Canadian beer, mind you: it's expensive by comparison!

It is lying in state today in our favourite boatyard, draped in official blue tarp, sanded, plugged and waiting for our next move. The weather set in today or we'd have gotten it down to the final sanding. Here's a pic from day one of the job: as the paint came off, we were holding our breath waiting to see the damage. She'd been to the bottom and back once and sat those 8 years uncovered, so we rather expected a nasty surprise. But the glue joints are tight as a drum and the water damage entirely superficial, already repaired.

Although it looks like Jasper is doing all the work, that's because it's my camera! I did most of the heat-stripping while he followed with the belt sander and then the orbital. That took two days, full on. Then we tag-teamed plugging all the old fitting holes, carving out and and filling any soft spots with epoxy putty. The old glue had failed in only one small spot, and that not deeply, so it was easily repaired. Same with the boom, which we worked on in our shop while arranging for space and transportation for the mast.

As soon as we can get the finish coat on them, the rigger is ready to step the mast and set us up. This is so exciting: after 3 years, to finally find out how she sails as a ketch!