La Rochelle, France.

We are now a sailing boat again. The masts went back on last Tuesday, a day late as the painters sprayed the mast the wrong colour white. The difference was quite noticeable and I felt that it was worth waiting an extra day to get the job done correctly.
So now all the rigging jobs have been completed and the mast went back on without a hitch.
All the running rigging has been replaced and new block placed for the external spinnaker halyard and a new ballooner halyard. New sheave bearings for all the halyards and all new nylocks.
New bearings and printed circuit  board in the  B and G  masthead unit.
Both of the masts have been compounded and polished and the lower third of both of them have been repainted.
Both electric furlers have been dismantled, re-greased and replaced and the manual furlers for the main and mizzen have been rebuilt with new bearings.
All the original standing rigging has been replaced with the exception of the triatic stay which seemed as new.
I have new motor mounts, the prop shaft brake has been rebuilt with new pads the bilge degreased  and cleaned and the electric bilge pump rebuilt.
Alternator has been bench tested and all the grounding circuits tested and all check out
I have bought some new parts from Amel, including some electric solenoids as spares, new helm seat and new mirrors for the forward head.
Callisto has been compounded and waxed and is looking quite spiffy!
I spent a few hours reconnecting the lights, antennas, radar and wind instruments and miraculously everything seems to work.
Ian arrives today and Matthew tomorrow. The weather is looking good to leave to cross Biscay tomorrow afternoon with the tide.

preparing the mast for the crane

up she goes

lowering the main mast

almost there

A sailing boat again

sparkly new  turnbuckles

La Rochelle, France

I've  been back in La Rochelle for about a week now and La Belle France has magically come back to life on September 5th. The work on the masts is professing well. Both masts have been cleaned and polished and yesterday I did the preparation work for painting the lower ten feet of the masts.
All areas that had corrosion bubbling through the paint were ground down to bare metal and two coats of base  primer were sprayed on.
The rigging arrived from the ACMO factory today and all the bits and pieces are being checked as we speak.
All being well, if all the rigging measurements are correct, the masts can go back on next Monday. I'll have another day of hooking up all the electrical connections for the radar, lights and wind instruments etc. and if the weather remains good.
The inverter that powers the TV's and computers decided to quit upon my return but at least they have everything one needs to fix anything here. Unfortunately, at European prices. One out of two isn't bad.
I'm looking forward to getting going again.