Of course, if one chainplate is pulling out of the boat, the other one is not far behind. This week we are fixing chainplates, shortening forestays, digging rot out of the windows, and everything in between as we desperately try and get Paikea ready for another Atlantic Crossing.
We showed our rudder-making process as a separate video series but in reality, it was all going on at the same time as everything else. When you are working while you cruise and trying to upgrade your own boat, things can get a little hectic. Harry did get the opportunity to do some sailing on a Diam24 so it’s not all hard work (at least not for the 12-year-old).
The second chainplate construction went a lot smoother than the first and it definitely felt good to have two solid chainplates in the boat. Now we can feel a lot more comfortable about sailing under some load. The trip from the Caribbean back to Europe is more challenging as we are no longer following the tradewinds. Traditionally there is a fair amount of upwind sailing which will test out our new upgrades.
Looking forward to the challenge!