Best Laid Plans

The big day arrives! Time to put the mast back on the boat so that she becomes a sailing vessel once again. Things were going so well...with the assistance of the crane and fellow Westsailor, George on Mollyhock, we managed to place the mast in the correct spot without crushing any of the cables or wires that go into the mast. Great, now time to secure the mast in place with the stays so the mast is supported and the crane straps can be released. Sidestays, check. forward stay...errr...how about the back stay...hmmm...seems that while we have the straps for the crane to hold the mast wrapped around the main supports for securing the mast to the boat! No problem, this is not the land of safety regulations. Jim free climbed the mast (thank goodness for mast steps), while it was hanging on the crane to attach a halyard to use like a running backstay to secure the mast enough (we hoped), to release the crane straps thereby releasing the forward and backstays. Happily, this accomplished our goal of stepping the mast without injury.