Mark, Where did you learn to do the double braided eye splices? I have gone online to Sampson and downloaded their instructions but I still end up with having wasted 27" of line. For that matter, if anyone has found a good source of instructions please let me know. Thanks to all and have a happy 4th.
Joe ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mark Escovedo" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2008 1:57 PM Subject: Re: M_Boats: Where's my halyard? > When I replaced the running rig on "AMY" I tossed the wire/rope halyards > into my > "old boat stuff" box and switched to double braid halyards. I spliced eyes > onto the ends of the halyards and attached them to heavier "Cast" Wichard > halyard shackles with a birds head loop, easier to replace than if the > eyes were spliced through the shackle. > As Amy is 31 years young, and the shackles were original, I thought she'd > appreciate the upgrade :) I know I feel better losing those skinny flat > shackles. > > Fair Winds > Mark E > M17F/D > #103 > AMY > > > ----- Original Message ---- > From: Danelle Landis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats > <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, July 3, 2008 9:11:02 AM > Subject: M_Boats: Where's my halyard? > > I took my mom and stepdad sailing for the first time the other evening. > My mom is very experienced at sailing, and her husband somewhat, and it > turns out that I was really grateful for that crew that day! > The sail started with me whining, because we were nearly becalmed. Sails > flopping - *boring*. I'd wanted to delight them with the frisky, speedy > sailing that my M17 "Ceto" can do. > It was strange weather that evening though - warm but with an odd fog bank > out in the open water that was shifting and blowing around. Where we > were, it was sunny. As we were just talking, wishing for wind, all of a > sudden came a perfect 12 or 15 k breeze, and we were happily whooshing > along on a beam reach. The breeze was all over the place though, and we > chased it around, as it veered wildly. Then we were becalmed again. Then > we were zooming on a broad reach for awhile. Then wing-and-wing. It was > just weird. Then we turned around to get back to the harbor, and it was > the same thing - switching, unstable breezes, but we were able to stay > mostly close hauled, pointing up well. It was fun and kept us on our > toes. > We got close to the harbor, and I was just about to start up the outboard > and get the sails dropped when we felt this odd, sudden push of > mist-filled wind. Then, BAM, we were hit *hard* by a wall of wind about > 30 k - working jib up, main full up, both in tight because we'd been close > hauled. My oh-so-helpful mom called out "We're at 40 degrees!" Okay, yes > we were laughing and screeching like kids on a rollercoaster, but her > husband George, at about 200 pounds, was on the lee side, and his rear was > probably 3 inches from the water. He climbed back to the windward side, > as I rounded up to lessen the heel a little, we eased the sheets and then > we got pushed down to 40 degrees again (thanks Mom, for calling it out! ha > ha) I gave in and popped the main, letting it swing out, as the wind was > intensifying, and we were closer to shore than I liked. We swung around > and went into irons, which was a welcome respite. We sat that way, for a > few minutes, > way too much wind blasting my poor old sails, while I had George take the > helm and I got that outboard (Suzuki 4 hp) down and started faster than I > ever have. (It's a little hard for me to get that bracket up and down) I > powered us into the wind and my mom and George got the sails down. I've > done a lot of thinking since, working out how I would have handled that if > I'd been alone. > Unfortunately, when my mom lowered the jib, there was NO halyard. At some > point, the wimpy little U-shaped shackle had just let go, and I guess the > wind pressure had been keeping the sail up. When we were getting the main > up to start this sail, I'd been dismayed to see that the same style > shackle on the main halyard was all bent and weakened. I'd had to bend it > around to get it to work. We hadn't noticed anything wrong with the jib > shackle. Now we have to learn how to get the mast down to replace it. > Are those thin U-shaped shackles the original hardware for the boat? I > have a hard time believing that they were - how would they have held up > for 25 years, then break in less than ten outings with us? I'm sure the > previous owners encountered odd powerful gusts here and there too. > Danelle > M17 #378 > Ketchikan, AK > http://web.mac.com/anniesark9/Site/Sailing_Ceto.html > > > > _______________________________________________ > http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats > > > > > _______________________________________________ > http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats > _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
