The rig 1 - Replacing the lower shrouds

Discovery - 19th October 2013

Very clear Failure

While up the mast removing the steaming light Igor noticed some corrosion on one of the 4 lower shrouds. This demanded more investigation. If a shroud fails, its time to wave goodbye to the mast, and with it the whole project.

Auriga - the story so far

Auriga is now in Ipswich. It has been exactly 3 month since we first saw her in Aguadulce. Two month since she set off on her 1800 miles voyage back to the UK.

Auriga in Aguadulce

Each of the return legs deserves a story of its own - the seven days of maintenance over 3 weekends to put her back in the water; Giulia, Matt and Dan taking Auriga through the Straits of Gibraltar and most of the way around Spain and Portugal; sailing single-handed from Vigo to Plymouth; Matt and Giulia beating for two days into easterly gales; nearly sinking the boat south of St. Katherine's Point; and finally discovering that the sands in the Thames Estuary shifted a lot in the last 20 years.

On our journey, we have been helped by many people - fellow boat owners, marina staff, crews of the passing ships and radio operators. While it has taken a lot of hard work, we where lucky to find a helping hand when we most needed it.

Auriga in Ipswich

Auriga is now in Ipswich, taking the mud twice a day. It is a big change from the scorching Spanish sun and the deep waters of the Atlantic. She has taken good care of us, and now we have to take good care of her again. The list of jobs is long, as is the list of places Auriga is yet to visit.

The final leg - Plymouth to Ipswich

27-29th September

To set the scene properly, Friday was moving out day from the home I had lived in for two years, and it did not go well. Everything had to be cleaned, and the landlord stood over us as we scrubbed parts of the house that were simply not cleanable. I tried to reassure him I would have my gigantic pile of stuff out by Sunday night. Finally I was able to catch my taxi to meet Giulia at the station for the long journey to Plymouth. Typically, had I walked, and not waited for the taxi that never arrived, I would have made it on time. Instead, I missed the train. We managed to get a later train to London and practically sprint across London to make it onto the Plymouth train. Not a relaxed start. Let’s call this the beginning of the stress.