soulgifts – Telling Tales

Connect?  Really?  How?!  The internet has been SOOO slow it’s unbelievable. On top of that, trying to upload images to WordPress – forget it! Interesting that today’s theme is ‘Connect’. However, be that as it may,  it seems to be working now, so fingers crossed x

My photos today are all to do with connections on board a boat. Ours. She’s called Finnally.  I had the perfect photos already taken. And having looked at them, I think they also do a pretty good job of illustrating some of the techniques and tips we’ve covered to date in this course.

First off, I have to confess that a sailor I am not. This story tells you why.  I am sadly lacking in marine-speak too, so my captions are colour coded and not in marine-speak. For purposes of not sounding like a total idiot, I did consult a professional about these photos. His explanations are included in the brackets underneath my explanations.

(Main masthead fitting– connects stays and halyards  – the ropes that lift the sails)

 

It stops the boom from falling on the deck.

It doesn’t, however, stop the boom from swinging and hitting you with a BOOM!

(Topping lift terminal – holds the boom up. )

It is attached to a thing that moves on the track you can see.

(Main sheet car with control line)

There’s lots of them on a boat. All different kinds.

I’m sure they all have their own little knot purposes in life.

(Clove hitch, holding up the fender on the railing)

It IS brass. You will note that it needs a polish.

This is not my job. Nothing on board is.

I would be too busy puking.

Behind it is the steering wheel. Sort of works the same as one in a car.

The little lever at the bottom of it is not attached to the wheel.

It’s stuck on the wall. And it’s there for when your feet get sore,

so you can lift one up and give it a rest.

( Steering wheel at the main helm)

(Anchor chain –  60 metres long, weighs 500kg approx. with anchor)

Yep! And I know why. It hurts like hell if you stub your toe on it. But that’s not what it’s there for.

(For tying up equipment and as a first line of prevention for stopping things from rolling off the deck.)

(TV antennae  – the rest are stays holding up the 14m high mizzen mast at the stern)

It  has well and truly connected with a LOT of barnacles. 

Would you believe the whole boat had to be lifted out of the water so the little buggers can be removed?

And I’m telling you, that doesn’t stop them.

They just keep on sending more troops in even though they know it’s a suicide mission.

© Raili Tanska

photos from family albums – Raili and Kimmo Tanska