|
I originally wanted to call this section "Pieces of
string too short to save", after the punch line of a Maine story about a
notable packrat, who had a box in his attic with that label on it. The
idea is that you don't throw things away just because there's no apparent
use for them. In this context, there are a whole bunch of items that we
don't sell, and ideas that aren't in any of our books or tapes, and even
things that have nothing to do with rigging at all, but are too nifty or
unusual or odd to ignore.Back to Fairleads Index |
| December 1998 |
|
It was my great good fortune to address the members of the Seven Seas Cruising
Association (SSCA) last month, at their annual rendezvous in Melbourne,
Florida. We're talking serious cruisers here; the commodores of the SSCA
have put more miles on their boats than many people have on their cars. And
along with that level experience comes a lot of great, practical ideas,
field-tested tips that can be of benefit to any sailor. Here are a few of
them: Refrigerator Wrenches, available from industrial supply houses, or on order from some hardware stores, have a square socket that will accept machine screw taps. They come in four sizes, and they ratchet, so they're ideal for speeding up the processed of tapping holes in masts and booms. When Rebuilding Winches, it's easy to lose pieces when you get down to disassembling gears and pawls. So before you start, get a cardboard box and cut a hole in the bottom of it the size of the winch base. Set it in place, then disassemble in peace. Shaving Cream, sprayed into bearing races before assembly of traveler cars, sheaves, and the like, will keep those pesky bearings from escaping while you're trying to put the unit back together. To avoid losing bearings when you take the unit apart, squirt some shaving cream into a large syringe (1 or 2 oz., available at chandleries) then inject into the race at any convenient points. In either instance, rinse with water to clean. And don't use menthol or other sharp-smelling creams, as they may discolor plastics. Nylon Rope soaks up water when it is first used, and as a consequence the fibers expand and the rope gets all twisty. This can be a problem, especially if there's no swivel, either at the anchor at the rope/chain joint. So before connecting the rope to the chain, let the rope hang out in the water for a bit, then work any untoward twists out, starting at one end and working towards the other. One nice old technique for this involves running the line back and forth through a block suspended a few feet above deck. You'll find this described on page 29 of the Ashley Book of Knots. Ashley shows the line being coiled on deck in the usual clockwise manner, but in this instance it is probably better just let it fall naturally, or figure-eight coil; coiling in the usual manner, puts in twists of its own. It's a labor-intensive process, but you'll only have to do it once. And the problem will be minimized if you start with a good grade of rope, instead of buying yourself big problems by saving a few bucks on the cheap stuff.
Next Month: Fair leads, Brion Toss
|
|
|
Send mail to the webmaster with questions or comments about
this web site.
|