More money

Planning on going down to Maggie this weekend to get a few more jobs done.... One of the major ones is to start moving the winches.... I've worked out how they are taken apart ready for moving... so ready to do just that, but one thing holding me back is the fact that once they are moved, then the boat is unusable until I've fitted rope clutches..... i'm removing 2 winches from the boat as well as relocating them...... we currently have10 winches on board! So.... ordered 2 sets of triple clutches, plus two deck organisers..... another load of money....... but at least it means that we are in business..... Now everything will be led back to the cockpit, so no clambering around on the coach roof to drop a reef in...... and we will have a massive gain in seating space in the cockpit....

The plan is to to remove the two old chrome winches from the coach roof, and replace with the two balck winches that are currently at the rear of the cockpit. Just in front of these will go the clutches, in the traditional manner. I will then also relocate the two large black winches (thats are 3 speed) back towards the traveller and slightly further outboard...... that way the whole area in the picture becomes seating space. The two banks of clutches will handle: Port side - 1st reef, geny halyard, genny furling line Stbd side - 2nd reef, main halyard, spinny halyard. There is also a 3rd reefing point on the main, but my plan is move the 2nd reefing lines on the sail to the third reefing point when we are doing a long passage before departure, and then if thats over reefed, I can in safe conditions (eg under-canvassed), put the 1st reef lines into the 2nd reef and shake some more sail out..... got that!!!!!! I am leaving the spinnaker pole uphaul and downhaul by the mast, as I figure I've got to go forward to rig the spinnaker anyway, and we only fly it in light winds..... I've also bought 4 stainless u-bolts, that will be mounted in the cockpit for harness attachment points, and 2 large stainless rings that will form the bridle on the spinnaker pole..... For some reason, the pole is currently bare of anything except the end fittings and a quick release cable.... when we tried flying the kite last summer, the pole tended to sky, so we had to drop the kite.... my guess is that they used it without an uphaul or downhaul, and barbour hauled the kite sheet down to the toe rail well forward with a snatch block on a short line in order to keep the pole down..... fine when you have a full racing crew on board, but not terribly handy for family cruising.... so I have bought these rings, and will create a bridle both sides of the pole, with the rings in the centres for attaching uphaul and downhaul. There is a pole uphaul on the mast, and a suitable attachment on the foredeck for a downhaul, so the additional blocks that will be freed up by putting in the clutches and deck organisers will give me the hardware to do that..... I Intend to use rope, perhaps spectra to make the bridle rather than wire, as its easier to attach (I can whip it) and less likely to mark/damage the deck when the pole is in its cradle...... Busy weekend ahead of me I suspect (assuming the clutches turn up in time!)