EP60 – Racing the Clock to Restepping Our Mast | Winter Refit Setbacks
Racing winter weather and refit deadlines, we push to prepare our mast for re-stepping — only to be slowed by cold, snow, and parts delays.
This time aboard Roam, we were racing the clock to get our bare mast ready for re-stepping — and winter had other plans. With a hard deadline approaching, we pushed through cold temperatures, long days, late nights, and even falling snow to try to get everything finished in time.
EP60 captures what it looks like when ambition meets weather, when schedules tighten, and when refit reality reminds you who’s actually in charge.
Winter mast preparation on a cruising catamaran, including wiring, hardware installs, and cold-weather setbacks.
Episode Summary
In EP60 of Sailing Roam, we take on an ambitious list of mast projects in an all-out push toward re-stepping. Our goal is to fully prepare the mast for going back on the boat — installing the mast track, running all wiring and lines, and mounting critical hardware including pad eyes, blocks, the gooseneck, and radar.
Along the way, we upgrade deck hardware by switching from traditional mechanical rope clutches to Cousin Constrictor textile clutches — a less common choice in the cruising world, but one that offers a cleaner, simpler approach we'll talk more about as the refit continues. https://www.cousin-group.com/en/product/constrictor-2/ As we work through standing rigging and furler servicing, we uncover an unexpected setback: a bent furler extrusion. A replacement is ordered, but the wrong size arrives, pushing us further behind schedule.
Despite the long days and hard push, the deadline slips. The mast re-step is postponed, but the work done here sets the stage for what comes next.
The Push to Get the Mast Ready
With the mast down, every task becomes interconnected. Electrical wiring, halyards, tracks, and hardware all need to be installed in the right order before the mast can go back up. This episode is about trying to thread that needle — doing as much as possible, as efficiently as possible, before the weather shuts us down.
Working Through Cold, Snow, and Long Days
Winter refit work doesn’t wait for ideal conditions. Much of this episode unfolds in cold temperatures, late nights, and falling snow. Progress happens anyway — slower, harder, and with a lot more layers — but it happens.
These are the days that test motivation as much as skill.
Deck Hardware Upgrade: Constrictor Clutches
As part of the refit, we replaced traditional mechanical rope clutches with Cousin Constrictor textile rope clutches.
This is not a sponsored product — we chose this system because it offers a simpler, cleaner approach that fits how we’re setting the boat up.
🔗 https://www.cousin-group.com/en/product/constrictor-2/
It’s a less common setup in the cruising world, but one we’re excited to put into real-world use.
When the Schedule Slips
While servicing the furler, we discover a bent extrusion — an issue that can’t be ignored. A replacement is ordered, but when it arrives, it’s the wrong size. With parts delays and winter weather stacking up, the timeline finally gives way.
The mast stepping is postponed. Again.
What This Episode Really Shows
EP60 isn’t about failure — it’s about the reality of long refits. Deadlines move. Parts arrive late or wrong. Weather doesn’t cooperate. And sometimes, no matter how hard you push, the calendar wins.
What matters is that the work continues, the system improves, and the boat gets closer to being ready.
What Comes Next
With the mast re-step delayed and winter tightening its grip, the focus shifts. While we wait on the correct furler extrusion and new turnbuckles — and on conditions to cooperate — the work doesn’t stop.
In the next episode, we turn our attention to the in-between projects that keep refit life moving forward: reinstalling systems, restoring livability, and tackling the smaller jobs that quietly add up to real progress. These aren’t headline milestones, but they’re what turn a stripped-out boat back into a functioning home.
➡️ Next up: EP61 — The In-Between Projects That Keep Refit Life Moving
If you enjoy real-world sailboat refits, technical mast work, and honest sailing life — setbacks included — this episode is for you.
Transparency Note
Products mentioned in this episode were selected and used independently. Nothing featured here is sponsored — we share what we’re using because it’s part of the work and may be useful to others.
