I keed, I keed.  The last thing anyone wants to hear is my opinion on politics.  Come to think of it, it’s the last thing I want to write about.  I did vote on Tuesday though

So today I sanded all the reinforcements on the rig for shiv boxes, prepared for jib and storm jib shivs, did some more lamination on the masthead crane, and finished painting the pushpits and pulpit.  Flat black of course.  This gets rid of annoying little reflections at night which can cause fatigue at 3 am. 

For the 2:1 shiv boxes I’m using little micro blocks which have a breaking max working load of 500 lbs.  Instead of using rivets or screws, both of which go through the carbon tube, I will be using some G-10 plates, mounted on top of the mounting plates and laminating them to the mast.  The holes pattern the blocks come with are too close to the mouting hole for the block to use in a carbon rig.  Maybe a couple mm, which would be okay for an aluminum tube, but so would pop rivets.  

Croc shot for Solo.

The 2:1 halyards are to reduce compression on the rig.  The shiv is significantly lower than the forstay holes.  This gives significant clearence, preventing lines from chafing on eachother.  My left finger is aproximately where the 2:1 will terminate.  I’m going to be using a square top jib, so being two-blocked is not a concern.

The next shot is of the masthead crane.  It’s actually a left over bit of toe rail that fit the bill, so I just added a bunch more carbon to it.  I’m using it for the main halyard shiv and the masthead spinnaker shiv.  The part extending to the left is for the 2:1 termination on the main and the windex.  There is also a bit sticking forward for the wind instrument wand.  I will attach this to the masthead cap tomorrow.

Later.

-Ryan