Preparations

It’s hard to believe, but we’re starting to think about our trip back to the mainland.  We’ve had a great time here in Hawaii, and we’d be happy to spend even more time exploring some of the places we haven’t had a chance to see – the north shore of Molokai, Kaneohe Bay on the east side of Oahu, and the south coast of Maui.

But the days keep flipping past on the calendar, so we decided to take advantage of being at a dock by taking care of a few maintenance items.  We’re actually repeating some of the work that we did before we left San Francisco, just to be sure that Madrone is in the best possible shape for the trip home.

One key step is inspecting all of the rigging that holds the mast up.  This entails a trip up to the top of the mast, visual inspection of all of the wires and their terminations, and cleaning anything that’s not shiny.  Surface rust or discoloration can sometimes cover a crack or deformation, so we clean and polish all of the structural stainless steel fixtures to be sure nothing is lurking.

A second important piece is the rudder and steering system.  Sailing the boat in ocean waves means a non-stop corkscrew motion for weeks, and the rudder works continually back and forth to keep the boat on a steady course.  All that motion means that bolts can work loose, lubrication can dry out, and seals can get worn.  So, we inspected all of the steering gear carefully, tightening the seal around the rudder and lubricating the various pulleys and wires.