Mast Stepped, Boom Installed | We're So Close to Launch
The turnbuckles arrived. They fit. The crane lifted. The mast went up. After two years and a two-month delay, the rig is back together.
The turnbuckles arrived in March — two months after the first set came in wrong and the crane day had to be cancelled. This time, the box sat unopened for a moment before anyone touched it. Too much riding on what was inside. No plan B if they didn't fit.
The threads matched. The pins seated properly. The relief was immediate and overwhelming. After nearly two years without a mast, the final piece that had been holding everything back was finally resolved. Within days, the crane was scheduled, the diamonds were assembled, and the mast went up.
Two days later, the boom went back on. For the first time since the boat was hauled, it looked like a sailboat again.
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Shawn and Geri step the mast and install the boom on their catamaran Roam after a two-month delay waiting for correct turnbuckles.
What Happened
The first set of turnbuckles — ordered months earlier with detailed specs — arrived completely wrong. Threads didn't match. Pins didn't fit the existing rigging terminals. The crane appointment was cancelled. New measurements and specifications were sent back to the manufacturer. Then the waiting began.
Two months later, the replacement turnbuckles showed up. Testing each one against the actual hardware confirmed they were correct this time. The diamonds were assembled over the next few days — standing rigging carefully laid out, turnbuckles threaded on, everything checked and rechecked.
Mast stepping day brought a smaller crane than the one that took the mast down originally. The operator didn't sound confident about the reach. The reach was tight. Everyone was on the clock, paying for time, and if it didn't work, the whole process would have to start over. The crane lifted. The mast went vertical. It cleared. Our tension went down immediately.
With the mast stepped and the standing rigging snug, the boom went back on two days later with help from the yard crew. Faster than expected, but welcome progress after so many delays.
Why It Matters
Turnbuckles are not generic parts. Thread pitch, pin diameter, body length, and material all have to match exactly. Ordering internationally with detailed specs doesn't guarantee the right part shows up. The first set was unusable — not close, not adjustable, just wrong. Sending it back and waiting another two months was the only option, and that delay pushed the entire refit timeline back by ten weeks.
The mast rebuild was a full system overhaul. Every piece of hardware came off. The entire mast was sanded back to bare aluminum. All wiring was replaced. Blocks were serviced. Clutches were upgraded. Custom components were fabricated — spreader ends, light mounts, a welded masthead plate for electronics. That work happened over months while the turnbuckle situation played out in the background. By the time the crane showed up, the mast was ready. The rigging wasn't.
Crane day has no margin for error. You're paying for the equipment, the operator, and the time. If something doesn't fit or the reach isn't there, you eat the cost and reschedule. The smaller crane working at the limit of its reach added risk, but it cleared. That matters more than how nervous everyone felt watching it happen.
This milestone changes the momentum. A sailboat without a mast doesn't look like a sailboat. It looks like a project that might never finish. With the rig back up and the boom on, the path to launch becomes visible. The work isn't done, but the psychology shifts. Forward motion accelerates.
Tools / Products Used
Turnbuckles (Imported, no relationship)
Standing rigging screws for the diamonds and shrouds. First set was wrong. Second set fit correctly after a two-month wait.
No affiliate links or partner relationships to disclose in this episode.
Related Episodes
The mast prep work that led to this moment is documented in EP60, where the setback with the wrong turnbuckles first happened and the original crane day was cancelled.
The full mast rebuild process — stripping, sanding, rewiring, and hardware installation — is covered across earlier episodes in the refit series.
What Comes Next
The rig is up. The boom is on. What's left is rigging the running lines, installing electronics at the masthead, final tensioning of the standing rigging, and working through the long list of smaller systems that need to be finished before launch. The boat is starting to look like a boat again. That's not just cosmetic — it's a signal that the finish line is real.
