VEGA up-rigged and preparing for her Atlantic crossing
An unexpected obstacle
It’s been quite the journey. We had planned to stop for just several days in Harlingen, Netherlands in June, to do a bit of maintenance and stock up on some supplies - and we’re still here in October. Discovering the mizzen mast and bowsprit were rotten and realizing the safety of the course yard, main mast and foremast were all compromised and would need to be replaced, was a tough pill to swallow. However, we’re so grateful these issues were identified before anyone was hurt - it really was a blessing in disguise.
Suddenly our team had to pivot - from preparing for an Atlantic crossing, to complex woodworking, in order to craft brand new spars for VEGA. It’s been a significant hurdle to overcome - but with the dedicated work of our carpenters, the lending of tools from friends, advice from mentors and the insistence from our CEO Danielle Doggett - that failure was simply not an option - we have finally overcome this challenge. VEGA’s masts were hoisted and stepped this week, under the expert eye of SAILMASTER B.V’s Richard Tefsen.
New spars and cross trees
VEGA now has a new foremast, main mast, mizzen, bowsprit, course yard and cross trees. The lower masts are crafted from Douglas Fir, the bowsprit and the course yard from larch and the new cross trees constructed from the beautiful African hardwood Azobe.
The new bowsprit, foremast, main mast and mizzen lined up in the spar hall
German sailor, rigger and wood-worker Gero Jonas was integral to the crafting of the masts and along with project leader and carpenter Julian Southcott and wood-worker Benjamin Kukolj created these beautiful new spars.
“It was an exciting new challenge to make a mast for the first time”
“It takes you very deep into the construction of rigging. You have so much to consider, how it sits in the keelson, going through the deck, how the wire runs, where the critical points of intersection are. It has to be precise.” - Gero Jonas, VEGA crew member, carpenter, sailor and rigger.
Teamwork overcame the mast challenge
It took dedication, careful measurements and planning, days of planing, sanding, oiling and varnishing and a whole team of crew members who contributed along the way - to enable us to pull this off.
Months of working in a huge dusty hall, with the roar of the chainsaw going all day - as the new masts were shaped, the old masts were processed to determine the seriousness of the rot, and any good timber was milled for future use on VEGA.
A flawless up-rigging
The up-rigging went smoothly. While rain and significant wind were forecast, the first day of up-rigging dawned still and sunny - perfect weather for stepping these huge pieces of timber. And, by the end of day one, the lower masts were back in their rightful places onboard VEGA, their varnish gleaming in the afternoon sun.
By the weekend, a lot of the standing rigging was secured, the topmasts were up and VEGA was looking better than ever.
“It’s nice to be part of both the wood-working and the rigging team.”
“I really got to see the whole process, from taking the spars down, to the construction of all of the masts, the bowsprit and the course yard, to putting them all back in place. When the foremast slotted back into its mortise it was a really satisfying feeling…and sound.” - Gero Jonas, VEGA crew member, carpenter, sailor and rigger.
Preparations underway for Atlantic crossing
However, the work is not yet complete. While the masts are back in the ship - there’s a lot of rigging work to be done before she is ready to sail. The yards are still on the quayside, waiting to be hoisted, the brand new ratlines and ratboards need to be seized to the shrouds and there’s a hundred other jobs that need to be finished before VEGA departs. But the major obstacle is now behind us.
“It’s been an exciting challenge for me as a carpenter and rigger and it’s nice to see VEGA as a proud sailing ship again, now that all of her parts are back together. I’m excited to sail on her!” - Gero Jonas, VEGA crew member, carpenter, sailor and rigger.
The SAILCARGO INC. crew in Harlingen is now finalizing the up-rigging and preparing VEGAfor her Atlantic crossing. Once she reaches Colombia - VEGA will commence her new life as a cargo vessel - transporting coffee and other Fairtrade products under sail. Her trade route will be between Santa Marta, Colombia and New Jersey, USA. The northbound cargo holds are already filled by our partner Cafe William, the largest importer of Fairtrade coffee in Canada.
