Jacob, my 15-year-old son and I made it to France in July 2021, still a time of Covid, to start the 400-mile journey from Port Bloc at the southern entrance to the Gironne Estuary on the west coast of France, back to Plymouth. On our arrival at Port Bloc, we discovered a new deadline – the owner of Port Bloc was selling! We now only had two days to get Equinox ready for launch, including re-stepping the mast. We also faced the amusement of having to remove a well-established wasp nest.
So after finishing the antifouling, refitting the propeller, anodes and cutter and replacing batteries, she was ready to be craned in. The mast followed and Jacob spent a few sessions up it re-reaving a number of halyards and the lazy jacks. We also had to jury-rig the radar reflector off the starboard spreader as it was damaged by the company tasked to prepare the mast for transport. The afloat tasks then started in earnest. The engine was recommissioned and all was starting to take shape.
It took a while
