Re-rigging Day 11: Getting ready for the finale

Ship's engineer spends the morning attaching the new tri light and Windex illuminator light on the top of the mast (a fiddly job, but so much easier when the top of the mast is a mere 1 metre off the ground) and refitting the refurbished deck light/steaming light half way up the mast. Meanwhile the ship's painter touches up the antifouling.

Rigger inspecting the top of the mast

Rigger returns just as these jobs near completion and finishes attaching all the rigging except the furler and the lower shrouds - these will be attached after the mast is back in place, as that way there are less things dangling when the mast is lifted by the crane. He books the crane for first thing in the morning, leaves again. We head for the warmth of the club and beef hotpot with mash.
Some of the afternoon is spent putting away most of the tools and equipment that have somehow been needed over the past few days - just some painting gear left to stow. Captain puts a bit of paint in the scuppers in a spot that is unreachable when the boat is rigged. Mate gives the mast a rub-down with WD40, and lubricates the sail track.
After a day with almost no rain and not too much wind, a gale sets in as night falls. Wind gusts are around 50kt in Hobart, over 70kt on top of Mt Wellington. Here in the marina I reckon we're somewhere in between. The boat is rocking in the cradle, and when the big gusts come the wind lifts the jacklines from the deck and slaps them down again. Just as well we've had a long day and will probably sleep through the noise. Just hoping that it blows itself out overnight, as I don't think they would risk raising the mast if it's still blowing this hard at 9am tomorrow.
Did I mention that it's been freezing today? Beanie weather, and snow on the mountain.

May have all blown off by tomorrow