Guatemala - Rio Dulce, New Year and Mast Drama

 Happy New Year to Everyone

Although I did not make midnight, I was awoken by all the fireworks, the closest about 100 meters away at a resort abutting Catamaran Marina. I got up and sat on the transom steps enjoying 10 minutes of fireworks, a ring of displays around the Rio Dulce bay.

Repairs, Maintenance and Projects continue.

We replaced Running Rigging for our Genneker. First up was a new Halyard. Second was new sheets. Lovely new rope!

The stripped out old Halyard

Then Nicholas went up the Mast to uninstall equipment at the very top of the mast. Above the second spreader at about 110 feet, his Bosun Chair failed, first one strap and then immediately the second strap. He was able to grab the mast. Below, I did not know what happened, and he shouted for me to release the halyard. He was able to hold onto the halyard, to which he had tool buckets tied, and his butt sank down onto the bucket and he sinked/slid down the mast to the spreader.  I called for help to our neighbor Ben. Unfortunately he did not have a Bosun Chair, but my shouting for Ben, raised the alarm to the Cruisers playing Volleyball about 50 meters away from Meshugga. A few came down to Meshugga to see if there was a problem (Cruisers don’t usually shout on their boats). Yoga friends Marty and Annie came, and I asked them if they had a Bosun Chair we could borrow to send up to Nicholas. They did, and a couple of Cruisers came onto Meshugga to help out with sending up the Chair and attaching a Tag line.

The incident ended well, with Nicholas sporting a few bruises and a cut on his stomach from sliding down the mast. Afterwards Nicholas was pretty unfazed, but I needed a stiff whiskey as I realized how close things could have gone pear-shaped struck home. At 120 foot, or 8 floors, Nicholas would have either died or be paralyzed. 

Broken straps of our Bosun Chair.

We borrowed Marty’s Bosun Chair, and Climbing Harness, and decided to start being ultra cautious, Nicholas going up on two halyards, with 2 totally separate systems, so that if one failed, he would still be attached on the other.

We had a few must-do jobs. Below is our new AIRMAR wind speed unit with new cabling, as our previous Raymarine wand had failed.

Next was new cabling for our existing VHF / AIS aerial unit, as we had some crackling and wanted to improve our reception.

Next was a new 8 foot VHF / AIS aerial with new cabling for even greater communication range.

Not shown is a new Masthead Tricolor and Anchor light, also with new cabling.

Nicholas also had to replace the lamp in our Steaming light.

All, except the Steaming light was at the Very top of the mast, 120 foot up. I think he did 6 trips up the mast, each trip 1-2 hours. 

So as not to shout to each other, we used our Sena Headsets, which work on an Intercom system and is voice activated, ideal as it leaves your hands free, both for Nicholas to work, and me when I’m hoisting or lowering him. Without the Headsets I find it difficult to hear Nicholas shout for me to stop or hoist above the noise of the electric winches, and creates a lot of anxiety. I love the Headsets, as I can hear every little word, both for hoisting and lowering and I can monitor him working to anticipate when he needs to move. 

At the first Spreader installing our second, spare Radar.

HUGE thanks to Marty and Annie of SV Anchor Management for the loan of their brand new Harken Bosun Chair, and Climbing Harness.  We were not able to buy either in Rio Dulce at any of the Boating or Hardware stores.

A new Bosun Chair and Climbing Harness is in our Shopping Cart, and as soon as we’re on our way to the States, we’ll pull the trigger on that, so that we’ll have it ready for our collection on arrival in Key Biscayne, Miami.

Our weekly binge on 2.5Lb/ just over 1kg of Camorones (Shrimp/Prawns) with Garlic, Chillie spice and Lemon.  No fresh lemons at the markets, so had to make do with bottled.