May 28th 2025

If we wanted to go sailing tomorrow, today was the day to get the chainplate installed. No excuses. No delays.

We were up early, as always, brushed our teeth with turtles cruising past the hull, had a quick breakfast, and got to work. To remove the old chainplate, we first needed to take the tension off the backstay. We used two ropes to tie the mast backward, cinching them tight until the backstay was loose and safe to remove. Then came the bolts. The lowest one refused to budge, so Alex had to saw it out. The next three? Came out with only minor resistance. But the top bolt? Solid as a rock. Not a millimeter of movement. So, back to sawing—again—in the heat, crammed in a tight space, metal filings flying. It was slow, sweaty, miserable work, but finally… finally it came free. We had the old chainplate in our hands.

Next: installing the new one. We wanted it in as fast as possible. But of course, the new plate was a few millimeters thicker and wider than the original, which meant the holes no longer aligned perfectly. We filed and adjusted until everything lined up, and at last, it slid into place. We bolted it down, tightened everything, sealed it… and boom. New chainplate installed.

Time to celebrate, with a quick swim and a cold beer. But no rest yet. All the other holes from the old fittings still needed sealing, refitting, or new screws. By the time we put in the last one, it was already dark. We stood there, tired but satisfied, staring at our work.

What. A. Day.

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