While Picton Castle is in drydock, Bosun School students have been carrying on with projects related to Picton Castle’s yards. All yards except the course yards were sent down last week.
Picton Castle’s royal and t’gallant yards (the top two yards on both the foremast and mainmast) are made of wood. The upper and lower topsail yards, as well as the course yards, are made of steel.
The steel yards need to have the rust removed, first by chipping hammer, then by wire brush, then possibly by powered wire wheel or sanding disc. Alternately, sandblasting would do the same thing (and probably even a better job of it) but on a ship at sea, sandblasting is not an option.
Captain Moreland gave the Bosun School a lesson this morning on how to properly use a chipping hammer.