well-traveled

Hardware for Spartina's downhaul arrives yesterday.  The tubular jamb cleat was shipped in an efficient manner - simply put in a small padded envelope and dropped in the mail.  The 5/6" bronze eye-strap, from West Marine, took a more circuitous route. 

Valued at $2.79 plus tax, the virtually unbreakable piece of silicon bronze was packed, heavily padded, in a 6"x6"x6" box.  A computer notification was sent to FedEx, who sent a truck two days later to pick it up in Fort Mill, South Carolina.  Later that night the package arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina, where it stayed until the early morning hours and then left bound for Hagerstown, Maryland (maybe to visit my daughter who lives nearby).  After a brief visit in Hagerstown, the package was sent to Martinsburg, West Virginia, where it stayed for nearly a full day.  At that point somebody took the package and delivered it to.....the US Postal Service, who delivered it to me from there by way of first class mail.  A big box, lots of packing, five states, computer notifications and the post office.....all for free shipping.  Maybe they should have just put the eye-strap in an envelope and dropped it in the mail box in Fort Mill, SC.

You can see the hardware set in place on the foredeck above.  I'll wait until the next sail before I finalize the positions, but I think it will work.

Another sign of the changing seasons arrived on the waterfront yesterday, the Schooner Virginia left the yard and tied up at Town Point Park on the Elizabeth River.  A nice day, and a slow one at the office, I was out for an afternoon walk when I saw the tall masts coming downriver after the 1 p.m. bridge lift.

There is lots of rigging yet to be done.  Freshly varnished topmasts are in place, as is the boom.  Sails need to be bent on, along with countless other jobs.  The crew will be busy this coming week.  

Only day with sailing weather is today, when I have to work.  I'm off tomorrow when the winds will be gusting to 30 and the temperature will be in the 40s.