Preparing to Set Sail from Portugal

A couple of days before our - or any – departure my captain and I are like worker ants running about the boat doing our various last minute chores. This time our to-do-list was longer than usual given the extended period of time we expect to be at sea – we’re Caribbean bound. Hours before our departure, I hauled my captain up the mast for a customary check of the rigging. To our surprise and horror he found a crack in the mast just below the lower spreaders. We immediately contacted our network of experts in Newport, RI and located a local rigger to assess the situation, but we already know the rig isn’t safe for making the long passage.