VOYAGE OF INTEGRITY
“Please could you come up on deck,” accompanied the gentle nudge that breached the cocoon of deep, warm sleep. Into this warmth flooded the unwelcome feelings that accompany sailing in cold fog with a compass that is under an element of suspicion.
It was a remarkably polite request given the circumstances aloft; as I made my way up on deck, the gracious tone prompted some sense of suspense as to what decision might lie in wait.
The welds had sheared at the point where the gaff connects to the mast. The spar was flailing about on top of the sail, which to date had not ripped but was likely to do so in the near future.
As to a solution, no doubt something would come to mind; in the interim the sail needed to be on deck. This involved clambering around on the ratlines and hauling down the mast hoops in order to tame the 1,200ft2 of cold and wet flapping canvas before throwing on sail ties and lashing the gaff’s forward end to the mast.
The rig problem did not seem fundamental; while motive power was compromised we were in no danger and there was no pressure for immediate action. It was thinking time and soon an idea for repair came to the surface.
Jan Mayen is an island which lies in the Arctic Ocean at approximately 71°N and 8°30’W, and is 30
