Main, Sheeting & So On



 
The main was hosted for the first time today.  The halyard was run from an external block off the masthead, untidy & easier to lose so it needs running internally.  The sail itself looks in very good condition,  quite crisp & flat. softer this I set up the trimming sheet blocks.  A bridle over the transom etc. At this stage it trimmed ok,  but I'm not happy with its strength.  I will try to locate the gear from my old Mirror & try that.  The requirements are that it's easily released,  &! to withstand heavy loads & is comfortable to use.  At this stage,  I want to avoid clearing or jamming it off. A cleated main sheet,  or one that gets tangled can give way to a heightened risk of capsize if the main can't be released immediately.  
I am ok with the forestay halyard,  but it's old & have no confidence in heavier conditions.  
Otherwise,  sitting on the stern seat,  things come to hand ok,  but the tiller needs an extension.   
Ground tackle needs to be shipped,  stowed & dogged down.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Back on the road trailer

Image
 Today,  I loaded Jack back on his trailer.  Put all the floorboards back in position & lashed the tarps on during the onset of a rainstorm. A cute ass shot & a lubber on an "oodie". Loading your boat alone,  from the ground onto her trailer is a liberating thing to do.  Paying a slipway to do the job would cost a pretty penny & disable or deskill the sailor.  The bare minimum I need to go sailing is a refit of the top pintle. Tell me I'm not busting my balls to go sailing.  
Read more

Sea Anchor, Painting the Bilge

 From "Tinkerbelle" by Robert Manry.  When three wind rose to near gale levels,  a sea anchor was deployed from the bow.   150' of 1/2" nylon warp attached to" an old army canvas bucket". A lighter line was attached to the bucket,  15' in length,  attached to a buoy to add the bucket sinking too far.   The rudder was also removed.   With this set,  Tinkerbelle drifted slowly downwind,  advising breaking waves, and  with a relatively steady motion.  ÷    =     /    ×     +      € I read online that sealing the bilges of wooden boats was best done with grey metal primer that contained "flakes of metal". Okay. Well three things; I couldn't ascertain whether Kill Rust Aluminium - No Primer Required actually contained aluminium  flakes (but it did have Titanium Dioxide?), "Jacaranda's" bilge had already been sealed,  mostly with varnish,  ...
Read more

Status Comes at a Cost to Humanity

Image
Reading the early parts of this book, the author Lonnie encourages others to skip the Rat Race & live aboard a boat.   Two ways to achieve this are:- to become financially wealthy,  though he cautions that if you don't mix in some of the second path to boat ownership,  you won't be wealthy for long.  The second path to boat ownership is to gain knowledge.  I expected Lonnie to talk about How to Repair  Boats knowledge.  Instead he's pirating on about all the tertiary institutions he attended, most of them being universities.  And I am beginning to fall out of love with Lonnie already because I went to university,  The University of Newcastle in fact,  & it was singularly the worst experience of my life. I am haunted by the red pen used to "correct" one of my early submissions. The marker was a scrunchy faced academic who apparently did not enjoy the company of "mature aged" students who accessed uni via the lower college sys...
Read more