In preparation for our sail across the Atlantic in November 2023, we have had the standing rigging changed on Lulu. This is in part a requirement as we understand it from insurance companies when sailing across an ocean, as they prefer not to insure boats with standing rigging more than 10 years old. Also, it’s nice to know that when we set out, it will be with the best possible rigging. If we had remained in Sweden and just sailed around the Nordic countries or even down to the Med, we would have kept the excellent old rigging. As it is, we saved some of the rigging as spares, just in case.
There were a lot of items on our list for the riggers, among other things we now have an ARC-acceptable radar reflector on the mast, our forestay has been raised by 7cm so we can access the chain locker without having to unscrew the doors, we have added a new halyard and hitch for the extra poles for our new sail, plus overall maintenance and care. Lulu has spent a week at “Nya Varvet”, and industrial harbor in Gothenburg, between de-masting and being re-masted and tuned.