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| Terry Cawood, Caribbean's best welder |
We almost didn't purchase Queen Emma because of the structure at the aft end. The former owner talked up how useful the "gantry" was. It holds up the solar panels and the wind generators. It holds up the water catcher and laundry line. It holds fishing poles, gaffs and dock lines. It looks like something that fell off a passing island freighter. It was always rusty and far too tall and spindly. It had ineffectual bracing struts running off at odd angles and sported very poor welds and repairs. It may well have served as an engine hoist in a previous life. It may have been re-purposed after use as a scud missile launcher. However, it was not enhancing the dignity of our Queen.
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| Terry takes her measure |
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| Arch delivery |
Terry Cawood in St. Martin is a South African and the best welder in the Caribbean. He designed and built the radar arch for Eaux Vives which was a work of art. Beautiful craftsmanship and eminently well designed for use it looked like it was part of the boat. We were reminded of her every time we watched the sunset through the rusting tangle of pipes that Queen Emma sported. We know this is a really loony project to undertake. To get at the bolts holding the arch on, the entire aft cabin had to be dismantled. Ceiling, walls and much of the bed need to be stacked in the main salon which then confines captain and crew to the forward berth and a small galley. All the equipment on the arch needs to be hauled down and (while you're at it) refurbished. The arch itself is a big three dimensional puzzle - the legs are angled to a cambered deck and must be very carefully fitted.
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| Lance holding arch while Terry caulks |
On reassembly, the wiring must be fished through the legs and reconnected and then all the ceiling panels and walls reassembled in the correct order. While we had the back of the boat open, we renewed the ground for the HF Radio and the antenna lead. We braced the exhaust pipe so that it didn't bang around as it passed water and generally cleaned up and tidied old wiring. While we had the wind generators down, we replaced their bearings and preserved them against the advanced state of corrosion and painted them.
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| Tony tightens nuts from below |
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| Lance demonstrates strength |
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| The finished arch |
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All of this is good stuff. It needed to be done. But we were basically spending boat units and sweating to replace a perfectly functional arch. Because it was ugly. It is a sailor's addiction.
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| We met the new owner of Eaux Vives in St. Martin |
To really experience this addiction in its terminal stages, you must visit the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta. This we did, leaving straight from a month as a construction site in the Simpson Bay Lagoon on St. Martin for a glorious 80 mile sail to Antigua. As is usual in the West Indies, things took longer and cost more than expected. We were able to get things put back together and working in time to catch the last of the Regatta. Our fascination with a little stainless steel and a few weeks work sinks into insignificance in the face of this stunning show of polished wood, sparkling brass and acres of canvas.
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Susie shares sushi
(with her Japanese tutor, Yoko of Pia) |
Any one with a love of sail must add this to their bucket list. Beautifully restored and expertly crewed, there must be over a hundred boats from the age of sail, each a work of art. They represent not only the skill of their designers or the money of their owners but a craftsmanship that is rare. Seeing them race is a thrill. We came upon the race from the west at a downwind mark and just sailed back and forth on the main watching them charge down wind to the mark with spinnakers flying (some with surface area much larger than a basketball court). They would then turn for the upwind leg hauling their sails briskly over for the other tack while avoiding crushing anyone or thing. Spray flying. Bodies clinging to the rails. Its a thrill. Looked at another way: its kind of like restoring a Nob Hill mansion and then spraying it with fire hoses in the middle of an earthquake. Thrilling; but not fiscally sound.
In the office at Tradewinds Sailing Center, there is a sign listing the four basic rules of sailing:
- Stay on the boat.
- Don't hit anything.
- Have fun.
- Look good doing it.
Having mastered 1 - 3, we are working on 4.
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