On the hard. VHF antenna.
Windy but moderately warm day, 10 degrees, a bit of rain. I take Motoko up for winter season.
We started as soon as Anders arrived. Lifing the mast went smoothly - if not counting the crane shutting down itself a few times.
I prepared the mast for winter storage and moved on to change electrical cables for the mast top-light. I used old cable to take in the new one, together with VHF antenna cable.
I was prepared to drill and tap new holes for antenna mount but it turned out that I already have a place bracket to mount my antenna.
The hole on the mast top was just big enough to fit 2 new electrical wires and VHF cable. Thanks to Shinya, my dear friend from Ericsson, my VHF cable has, professionally mounted, super-thin connector which I could squeeze through the hole in the mast.
Unlike on Motoko where threading this cable took us several hours and acrobatics with lifting the mast up-side-down from the crane - on Meriaten’s mast there was no need for sweating. It is a plain, fully open-inside pipe, with styrofoam insert which dumps the noise from dangling cables. Old but neat.
Threading started. It would be easier if I had someone to help at this stage but I managed to do it myself. It required very frequent walks along the mast, from one end to the other. I think my daily dose of walking steps was fulfilled by the time I was done with cables.
I took off the mast foot which made this hole operation much easier. I remember that it was riveted on Motoko’s mast and we struggled to get cables run through small opening on the mast.
Coiled cables went inside the mast, winterised with electric tape.
Top of the mast prepared for winter, too
I need to change this bolt which keeps lantern and antenna arm. Seems that this is not stainless steel that someone has used here.
Meritaten got lifted from water.
To my surprise there was hardly any fouling on the bottom. I have not painted her underwater this season - and we were hardly sailing this summer - yet Trilux paint kept critters away from the hull.
With that quality proof I bought one more can of this same paint for the next season.
Opening dyviken showed that it is time to change this plug: brass became brittle and there was a risk that next year I will not be able to unscrew it. I bought a new one, complete with through-hull. This winter I will change existing through-hull valves and seal all which are not needed.
After it stopped raining Anders took Meritaten up onto winter storage area. She is waiting for him to shuffle other boats so that I get my favourite place deep inside the hangar.
The whole operation took ca 4 hours, including chit-chat with Ulrika who was working on her small, beautiful wooden snipa. I went home when it started raining again.