[Aktungbby]

OFF to replace light bulbs on mast for Catalina using a bosun chair.Weather is iffy it's been raining all week. Squeezing into the fuel bilge to meter the blown fuses is no joy either! < principle concerns : altitude; one rope to my 240 lbs; and the magma core of the earth pulling on me....considering a nasty bruising 6' fall through the open hatch a year ago...'shivers me timbers' a little. On the upside a week ago: We've added a jibe-preventer, topping lift and blue 'acquisitor' line to the whisker- pole for greater single-handling of the 150% Ullman jib with the whisker pole fully extended on a wing and wing downwind leg. Allows for use of 100% of the 150% huge jib! Talk about 'learning the ropes' here! The downwind was so light with a 6-knot current and glassy-smooth waves instead of the usual 20 knot wind and four-foot swells; we tried out all the new lines w/o fear of falling off the slippery bow... and served lunch-with the auto-tiller manning the helm! We need to tighten up new line-handling technique and replace the velcro'd line-bags (sun-rot) in the cockpit for all this new stuff. The foto-shot is in the Carquinez Strait just east of Mare Island and the mouth of the Napa River. A large ship thoroughfare chokepoint with Stockton Port, refinery oil tanker, jet ferries, and massive car carriers etc. MY first mate-head's on a constant 360° watch at all times in that area.