vega.sailcargo

30/09/2022

The three new lower masts and bowsprit of VEGA have been successfully stepped back into the ship. 💫 We are working on a newsletter which should go out this weekend. This is a huge relief, this mast challenge has nearly come to an end. More information to follow. Congratulations and thank you to everyone who has made this incredible achievement possible.

27/09/2022

The crew have completed all of the hardwood crosstrees and have installed all of the freshly galvanized irons. The varnish is shining, the mastheads are spotlessly painted white, and the heels are bright red. What could be next? 🤔

23/09/2022

Here’s a beautiful photo for you to go into the weekend with 🐚 This image shows CEIBA-alumni Luuk for scale on the right side. The three new lower masts (Douglas Fir) and bowsprit (Larch), are all solid timber spars made new by our amazing team. Huge thank you to everyone who has made this incredible achievement possible. We are putting the final coats of varnish on today, then will begin assembling the freshly hot-dipped galvanized steel fittings and bands. Fingers crossed, we aim to be stepping some of these back onto Vega next week… wish us luck!

21/09/2022

15/09/2022

Throwback to this spring sailing our beautiful VEGA on the delivery from Västervik, Sweden 🇸🇪 to Harlingen, the Netherlands 🇳🇱 This photo shows the course yard which has now been retired - we are looking forward to posting some photos of the beautiful new course yard which is now being finished in the spar hall by Gero. When Gero finishes this yard it will be *the last* of the new spars that we will be making!! (No pressure Gero!!) 🌊 time sure does fly!

12/09/2022

Things are progressing rapidly now - this photo is just a week old but already so much has happened! Here Julian is sanding down the new solid Douglas Fir main mast in the spar hall. We’ve put a dozen or more coats of natural turpentine and raw linseed oil on it since then, and we are preparing to start varnishing this evening. To see what this mast look like right now, head over to the main account , where there’s a new photo from just minutes ago. 🌊 Amazing work done by the whole team!

08/09/2022

Gero has been a dedicated and crucial member of the mast-making team. He has brought his skills using the chainsaw to create new ways to make masts, especially impressing onlookers with his ability to work free-hand, without requiring a jig or guide for the angles necessary. 🌲 Thank you for your work with these masts Gero, we look forward to varnishing them soon and rigging them back up onboard! How good is it going to feel to step those masts?!

06/09/2022

Last week we were joined by long-time friend and colleague Ville Lindén of Finland 🇫🇮 Ville lent a hand putting in some graving pieces into the heel of a topmast. Everyone loved re-connecting with Ville, and we already miss hearing his Finnish accent - especially when talking about “bla bla car”! 🌊 We appreciate you taking the time to come and see us Ville, hope to see you again soon!

02/09/2022

Shining the light on our lovely cook Alina 🇺🇦 Alina joined the VEGA crew back in Sweden and has been making meals for our crew ever since. Here we see the galley as it is now on VEGA. Now that we are nearly finished building the new masts, our crew will begin to convert VEGA back into a cargo ship. One of the first tasks will be to move the galley up on deck. It’s going to be a much fresher environment up on deck, with more light and ventilation. When our crew are cooking in the topics having a breeze is going to be a blessing!

01/09/2022

While all the mast making and woodwork happens, we are also working on refitting the standing rigging. Though it is in good condition, it is receiving some new servings, tarring, and leatherwork. Are you interested in joining us as a bo’s’un or junior refit crew? Tap the link in our bio to apply. We’re currently looking for one or two people who could join us to lend a hand with tarring, painting, scraping, varnishing, and other rigging work. Have a nice day everyone!

28/08/2022

Mara has joined our team here in Harlingen, Netherlands 🇳🇱 A professional steelworker, Mara brings a new set of skills to our crew. Here she is working on making some modifications to the steel rings on the bowsprit. With guidance from Richard Tefsen we’ve decided to change the configuration of the head stays so that they run along the top of the bowsprit instead of down through a sheave. The benefit of this change is that we avoid having to multiple large holes through the heart of our beautiful new timber - hopefully a way to reduce rot and damage in the future 🌊

21/08/2022