Coming off an excellent practice session and a well needed weekend, Ben and I were ready to put in some strong hours. We started the week by further organizing our jobs list and figuring out what is left that needs doing before the Transpac. This includes removing the mizzen boom, and sending it in for a new rotating gooseneck, much like the main boom. Other logistics that have been handled include organizing to have the bottom wet sanded, preliminary provisioning, and other jobs. After we had worked on these logistics we moved onto preparing for David Faulkner, the Transpac safety inspector. This included a much needed organization of safety equipment, and a finalization on where it will be stowed.
The preparations for the safety inspection proved to be well worth it, which not only included organization of safety equipment, but also a full wash down, fixing of “The” Dorades and removal of all covers. Mr. Faulkner was very pleased with the cleanliness, organization of equipment, and the ease of the inspection. Mr Faulkner also commented on our life raft placement and release system, saying that it is one the best he has seen. One of his final comments was on how appreciative he is of the activity the Dorade has seen over the past year or so, and he is looking forward to hearing about the Dorade in years to come.
On top of this week’s productive organization and safety inspection Ben and I both put in a bit of manual labor. Most of my work this week was based around tidying up the boat after last week’s training session. Along with this came the alteration of our new stay sail, and many other odd jobs. Ben, Greg and I all worked together in order to take photos and measurements for the new wind wand which must go up before the start of the Transpac. In full I would call this another very successful week, with no setbacks, leaving us feeling comfortable heading into the second half of the month.
Max