In Le Havre, preparing for Paris

Tara arrived last Monday in the Paul Vatine basin of Le Havre, surrounded by renovated old docks. All week we welcomed children aboard -- classes, day camps and sailing schools.
At the same time we started unrigging, and preparations for taking down the masts scheduled for next Monday afternoon.

In fact we would not be able to pass under the bridges in Paris with our two 27-meter masts!

All the sails were folded and stored, and some have gone to the sailmaker for repairs. The booms have been disassembled, and worn parts such as gooseneck pins will be replaced. All connections to the navigation devices have been unhooked: radar, Iridium, VHF, GPS, navigation lights, etc. 

We will move to a different dock on Saturday afternoon, and begin dismantling some stays and installing lifting straps for the demasting on Monday.

On Tuesday and Wednesday we'll check out all the rigging, then the masts will be lowered onto the deck.

We're scheduled to leave Le Havre on Friday October 12, then spend 2 days going up the Seine. The exhibit Tara Expeditions, Discovery of a New World: the Ocean will be open to the public on the quay Pont Alexandre III starting November 3.

Loïc Vallette, captain of Tara