Just look at that shiny, tapered masthead... New rig of MONGO should go up in about a week and be a significant upgrade over what was standing orginally. With a very solid spar to start with, thorough prep, a sprayed-on Awl Grip paintjob, lots of custom metal bits, new running and standing rigging and lots of new hardware, this new rig should be a significant upgrade. This project has been a massive investment of time, money and sweat equity, but also a phenomenal time in my life and my little ship will be all the better for it... Maui :)
More than five weeks after dropping the rig on MONGO, Maui is beginning to feel like home. No, my anchor is not rolling off the bow and getting stuck on the reef... I am still well on my way to Australia, but Maui has found a place in my heart and I can foresee myself having long ties to this island. It will be bittersweet to put Maui in MONGO's wake, but that day will soon come. If everything goes according to plan, we should be stepping the new mast in less than a week. Bob-O the marine metal fabricator has been an incredible help to me and a great friend in fixing MONGO. The plan is to step the rig in a week, do about a week of sea-trials, possibly a local race or two and then head to Honolulu before June 1. With access to an actual dock and West Marine nearby, I plan to do a lot of work to the boat in Honolulu. It never stops. This dismasting was a very serious setback and added a lot of "to-do's". By mid-June, I hope to have the boat fully sorted and ready to begin cruising again. With 1 crew aboard... Rebekah and I have been continuing to see each other and i'm very excited to sail to the South Pacific with her! The plan is to head to Kauai for a couple of weeks with her and then leave on June 30, the 10-year anniversary of my injury in Iraq, on passage to either Apia, Samoa or Pago Pago, American Samoa. It's been a good 10 years, stoked to be here.
My internet connection is extremely slow right now. I'll finish this blog and add the photos and captions in a day or two.