Sailing inyourfootsteps.com
Equipment care
Keeping shackles on halyards and other challenging positions
Changing sails quickly or in boisterous conditions can result in the halyard shackles being lost overboard.
Lengthening a charts service life
Navigation stations are typically situated by the main companionway and the odd spray splash or stray rain drop falls down onto the chart table. They also tend to be a rest point where things inappropriately get laid from time to time as is human nature on an active boat. This causes charts to quickly degrade and especially so with ‘home waters’ cruisers where a specific sailing region is continuously in use.
Locating engine problems
Engines are very reliable if they are looked after, particularly so diesel. Yet they do have occasional problems.
Avoiding damage to halyard Nicopress's and masthead sheaves
Despite the fact that a head sail only needs to be tightened enough to get the wrinkles out of the luff there is a general sailing tendency to grind in halyards until they cannot be tightened anymore. With this sort of predilection it can be very easy to over tighten and pull the halyards nicropress into masthead sheaves (Nicropress = the crimped copper or stainless fitting that form eyes on wire rigging, particularly for small 1/4 inch wire and less, that have become know under by the proprietary Nicropress manufacturer name).
A stubborn and resistant headsail furler that jams, or releases and jams alternatively when furling
The headsail furler jams or is highly resistant to furling. Or, the furling system will partially furl then stops, and then furl again, and then stops etc. A complete furl may be achieved but it is a battle and the furler rotation is far from smooth or consistent.
These are the symptoms of 'halyard wrap', the number one issue that cause furling systems to jam or be rotation resistant. What is happening is that the halyard is starting to wrap at the top, locking up the furling system, and then unwrapping when you ease the pressure on the
furling line.
Cleaning the chain and ground tackle when anchoring in muddy estuarine anchorages
Estuarine anchorages often have sticky mud that is very difficult to remove from the chain and anchor. A bucket sometimes is just not enough to remove it.
Extending the lives and serviceability of padlocks
General purpose padlocks are subject to harsh conditions on boats causing them to corrode and seize.
Keeping track of engine hours
Each engine has a recommended run time between services and oil changes, typically measured in hours on yachts. This means that each time the engine is run, the duration needs to be logged and that log requires monitoring so that maintenance may be correctly scheduled.
Keeping shackles and pins together
Working with shackles in boisterous conditions can result in a momentary fumble that sends the pin overboard.
Protecting warps
Fairleads are hard on warps, the constant flexing and tugging on the warps in the jaws chafe through warp lines.