Down with the topmast

The crane arrived this morning to help take the masts out. Most of us worked on taking the service off of everything, crojack gear and things from the spanker. The ironwork on the topmast had to be cut as well as part of the top to get it out. They were working on getting the crosstrees apart and poor Richard wasn’t tall enough so he had to come down and Chris went up. We got stood down at the usual time because there was nothing left that we could do, the topmast came down in one piece.

Tod from the yard cutting ironwork.

Katie and Dan watching.

Robin and Tod.

Jojo, Dan and Richard.

Jesse watching as the cross trees come off.

Copper bottom paint.

Tenley and Laura taking service off.

A little charred.

Goodbye spanker

A watch gets a late wake up because the other two watches were docking the boat at Boothbay Harbor. For work party we took down the spanker, gaff, boom and some antennas. In the afternoon we started to take down the topmast, most of us didn’t have real jobs so eventually as things were brought down some of us got to painting mast wedges and ironwork. Also took down the mizzen staysail. The mast wasn’t able to come down all the way because of the way it is shaped at the top, square and bulgy where it should still be a cylinder to get through the ironwork. Guys from the shipyard came and pried off the wooden vainer around the mizzenmast on the tween deck. Cory spend the day in the engine room taking things apart.

Vangs, spanker gear.

Mizzen sail.

Spanker boom.

No spanker.

Taking off wood from mizzen mast.

Mitch, Justin and Katie trying to get the table off.

Chris undoing lanyards.

Tenley.

Jojo and Grant on the mizzen top.

Dan standing on the table.

Katie, John and Jesse taking up slack.

Customs and cables

Got woken up late because B and C watch were docking so we could go through customs. For morning work party we served the cables we had un served two days ago. On watch we had to really communicate with our forward look out because there were so many finishing buoys all over the place, we managed to only run over three during our watch. Dina and I also finally made a sourdough starter.

Justin's mess.

Laura and Chris serving.

Richard and Tenley serving.

Crojack.

Topsail.

Dan beating at ironwork.

Jojo.

Down with the crojack

Had my last and final day of official tours for the season. In the morning we did work party and I got to help take down the crow jack yard, it was pretty easy, it was more of having to maneuver it around to get in the boat. The crow jack has running lifts so that made it possible to easy it down with them once we knocked the gooseneck free.

Got off the dock once tours were over, the tide was going out so we had to be careful in the tight quarters not to run into anything. Finally put the merchandise away for the last time.

Last yard standing.

Dan and Grant.

Mizzen topsail comes down

Starboard watch did work party all day, Ashleigh, Katie and I started by patch serving the fore and then taking off the service on the lifts, braces, footropes and other gear from the mizzen topsail. Most of port watch helped take down the mizzen topsail yard in the morning, most of us have done it a few times so we know more of what we are doing. Chris’ parents came by to see him and they brought us a bunch of candy and homemade cookies. For dinner we all went out and had a turkey dinner for Canadian Thanksgiving.

Tours

More tours today and with the wind and cold we were all bundled up and no one knew who the crew was so we didn’t get bothered as much. There were a few people who had said they saw the boat being launch or knew some one on the crew. I talked to someone who knew the original Capitan and another who’d help do the topside planking.

Apples

Had the day off and walked around the town, walked down to the blockhouse that was built around 1812 for some artillery thing in the war. Ate our for lunch and went to the hotel on the hill for showers and a café for internet as usual in Canada.

Free crate of apples.

Block house.