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| Re-rigging under way. Jorge, Alex and Jorge hard at work on the mizzen mast. |
The riggers were to
start reassembling our rig first thing Monday morning. Sunday we were preparing
all day, doing last minute chores – I cleaning the cockpit and aft deck, Alex
wiring and wiring and wiring and fretting and fretting and fretting. So we
thought we should prepare with a fine dinner out. We chose Marisco, the seafood
restaurant upstairs in the marina which everyone had been saying was wonderful.
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| The main mast flying through the air. |
Alex chose a dorada
and we thought it weighed in at €47 and were horrified but went for it anyway.
I chose small local crustaceans that looked like mini lobsters which are eaten
cold and clams cooked in butter and garlic. OMG, we shared everything and it
was fabulous. The service was excellent and the waiters were so nice. A nice
bottle of wine and it all came to about 75€, still less than a meal out would
have been in Ireland.
In the morning, the
riggers arrived to install the base units then worked all day well into the
evening installing all the wires. The crane was scheduled for the morning and
we were to bring Aleria over to the
service area. The crane arrived at 2 and we were still there at 7 pm. Jorge and
Jorge worked nonstop like dogs. And it was all coming together.
In the morning, they’d
lift the boom, bend on the sails and sheets, and we’d go for a sail to test the
rig. They were happy with a few minor adjustments. Back to the slip and they
inserted pins to secure all the wires in the turnbuckles. It’s all very smooth
and shiny – so different from the old stuff.
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| Jorge guiding the main into position. |
Jorge had one last
job. He would come either this evening or tomorrow morning and install a mast
boot to make it all water tight. So after 3 ½ weeks, Aleria finally has her new
rigging. Was it worth it? Probably but
we’ll never know if the old stuff was still okay. But after about 20 years,
which is how old our standing rigging was, and three Atlantic crossings, we think
it was better to do. And frankly, I think the Jorges did a magnificent job.
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| At Vela Azul with John Duggan |
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| Back in her slip with rigging in place. |
Last night, John
Duggan, the OCC PO for Cascais, invited us to dinner at his favourite fish
restaurant Vela Azul. His friend Jaja, an Iranian American navy ex-pat working
for NATO, joined us. What a riot! We laughed, and talked, and ate fish heads,
the specialty of the restaurant. Drinks back on Aleria and the night was done.
So here we are, back
in the slip. Masts in place, sails under cover, boat clean and tidy for the
first time in weeks, months, maybe years.
Tomorrow, laundry and
shopping. Friday is my birthday so maybe we’ll stay here one more day. Hey, we’ve
racked up a fortune already. What’s another couple of bucks? Next stop, the
Algarve.
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| After the seatrial when final adjustments were made. |
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