Mast Up!

Today we stepped the mast. That's boat talk for raising the mast. She looks like a proper sailboat again!

We literally worked right up until the last possible second until the crew came to take the mast away.

It was indeed nerve-wracking to see this heavy 65 foot mast being lifted by a crane and then gently dropped into the mast hole on our boat. More scary than the launch yesterday actually.

The crew were amazing and it all went well.

Now we have to attach the boom (horizontal piece that is fixed to the mast) and put on the sails.

We filled our diesel tank with diesel and partially filled the water tank (need to fill it more tomorrow and flush the lines like the sinks and toilets).

This morning I did some school work with the kids and we played a board game together in the afternoon. Other than that they amused themselves.

Not sure why I feel like I need to make sure they have something to do all the time. Maybe it's just what I'm used to doing. 

But I realize this is not practical or even possible and really they should be able to find something to do on their own, even if it means screen time or just moping around time.

Tonight I am so wiped. All the energy and adrenaline that has carried me to this point has hit a critical point.

There is so much information and knowledge and decision-making every moment that I am completely saturated.

Throw in trying to keep a somewhat watchful eye on the kids so they are safe, attempting to find x tool or y screw in a variety of places that keep being moved, making sure everyone remembers to eat (I refuse to have hangry crew) and pee and doing what I can to learn and know the boat in-depth is exhausting!

Up until today we were working to someone else's schedule. The launch date and mast stepping was arranged a couple of weeks ago so we knew we had to do all we could to make it happen.

Now that that's over, the inevitable crash and burn has started. I just want to sleep for a week!

Tomorrow we start fresh. We will have morning family team meetings where we will discuss the day's events and agenda.

Every night we will debrief as a team and talk about what we did and how it went.

We will mind-map all the jobs that we need to do, putting a tentative timeline on each one, assigning members of the family to jobs and sub-jobs and basically ensuring that we are all working together for us, all of us.

This is why we are doing this journey and we should not forget it.

Time is a strange concept. We have to rethink our notion of time and what it means to be 'busy.'

It is not easy to shed habits from our suburban lifestyle and go with the moment, the flow, the daylight and weather.

Our time is what we make of it and right now, more than ever before in our lives, we are the master of it. I guess you can say we are practicing mindfulness and in-the-moment living. 

It is not easy.

Hungry man's breakfast.

My morning was overseeing kids' school work and sorting equipment
needed for boat jobs at the same time. Scattered brain much!

Tai helping with installing the cheek block, a last minute job, to allow
us to raise a hose pipe up the mast in order to stop the flute noise
during windy nights when you're trying to sleep. 

Aila's job was to sort all the electrical connectors.

Tai running the green line up the exterior of the mast before we step the mast.

Lunching at the dock.

Note all the wires and connections coming out at the end of the mast.
All for the mast lights, anemometer (wind instrument), VHF/AIS, etc.

Smarties for the win!

Armfff! All gone.

Down she goes!

Our mast is super heavy but it's nothing this crane can't handle.

Attaching the forestay (piece of rigging that holds the mast up)
to the bow (front) of the boat. 

This is the phenomenal team at Gold River Marina.
They can do anything and everything.
All with a smile and good humour.

How many men does it take to make sure a mast is straight?

Our outdoor workshop.

Darrin went up the mast to release the sling that lifted the mast up.

Darrin's aerial shot of our boat sans mast. The orange bag is our life raft.
The grey bag at the back is our dinghy, still needing to be inflated.

Afternoon session of eggos and Peppa pig... Don't know why but
they've suddenly rediscovered this show again.

We have a mast!!

Tonight when Aila went up to the washroom to brush her teeth, she stepped
out of the cockpit and onto the deck and remarked "I love this view." It was not to
anyone in particular but I heard her. It made me happy.