Winter Repair Projects

[algonquin]

The snow is so deep in Eastern Maine that my boat looks like its floating on a sea of snow. As a result I won’t be able to reach it until mid April so all my winter projects have been postponed til after mud season. Brad

[UCanoe_2]

Today I got the trailer out of the shop with a new galvanized axle, hubs, bearings, tires, rims, and fenders. My wallet is a lot lighter now, but all these repairs cost less than having a wreck.

After bringing the trailer home (with boat attached), I disassembled the tongue jack and smeared grease on all the moving parts. This was a messy job, but not especially difficult. I think this needs to be done annually. I fitted a rubber washer where the shaft comes out the top of the jack, in hopes of keeping rain water out. I replaced the failed wire handle on the locking mechanism with a large key ring, to which I will attach a lanyard. I also made a proper repair to the ground wire for the lights, which I had to jury rig on my last trip in the fall.

If it doesn't rain tomorrow I will adjust the rollers and bunks. Some time soon I will change oil in the outboard, brush some linseed oil on the floorboards and coamings, unstick some corroded fittings, and continue my experimentation with lazy jacks. Spring will be here soon.

[GreenLake]

Thanks for the reminder. Springs are due for replacement on my trailer. Apparently they are a nonstandard size and I'll have to get them custom built.

[UCanoe_2]

GreenLake,
My springs are also a non-standard size, but fortunately I did not have to replace them. The attachments appear to be welded to a piece of angle iron, which is then bolted to the trailer frame. If I ever have to replace the springs, it would probably cost less to use a standard size and have a new bracket welded up from angle iron stock. Maybe you can use this idea.

[GreenLake]

Yeah, I had looked at how they are fixed and this kind of approach might work. We seem to have a place that specializes in springs located not too far away. I was planning on letting them have a look and give me and estimate.

[ctenidae]

Dropped the sails off for cleaning and adding a reef this morning. Won't be ready until May 1st, but I suppose that'll just help keep me from getting too antsy...

[UCanoe_2]

While crawling around under the trailer to adjust the bunks, I realized that the shop had installed the new axle with zinc plated U-bolts, not galvanized. I'm playing phone tag trying to get them to do it right.

Right now the boom is in my garage clamped in the vise after freeing up some fittings that were corroded secondary to lots of salt water exposure. In the process I broke the original aluminum outhaul cleat, so tomorrow evening I will replace that.

ctenidae, do you mind if I ask how much reef points cost? I would like to have that done also.

[GreenLake]

I think mine cost $90 per set. (I had one set put in, which, as we learn from Mr.Moon's adventures, would not be enough for serious long-distance cruising/racing.)

[UCanoe_2]

$90 sounds reasonable. Last time I checked the Sailrite jiffy reefing kit was $61 plus shipping. $30 could avoid a lot of DIY time.

[ctenidae]

ctenidae, do you mind if I ask how much reef points cost? I would like to have that done also.

I don't actually know- probably less than $100. One of those things that, in the end, I don't care how much it costs (mostly because it can't be but so much, and the upper end of "retarded expensive" is still worth it). They're also going to install two tie-down grommets in the sail's belly so the lower part can be lashed to the boom. Maybe not a necessity, but tidier.

[ctenidae]

Just got a call from the sail loft with an estimate for putting in the reef- $250. I cancelled it. $250 is well past the upper end of "retarded expensive."

[jeadstx]

$250 seems a bit high. It cost me $125 to have a set of reef points put in at my local sail loft.

John

[GreenLake]

They are priced per set. So if you are adding multiple sets, it can add up. If they are $125 per set and you really need two sets for your type of sailing, then I don't think that's retarded at all. I've managed to get by without any reef points for several years and lately have added one set.

I'm running into too little wind more often than the opposite, but each sailing area is different. That said, I've not yet hit the point where I've come to the limit of the first reef yet wanted to / was forced to stay on the water.

Except maybe once, but that one had special circumstances. We had gotten hit by a larger boat which tore out the clew of the sail, so we continued after putting in the reef. The same collision had ripped off the block at the end of the boom, so we suddenly had "mid-boom" sheeting, with only a 1:1 purchase. This worked fine, but so loaded the cleat, that I almost couldn't uncleat the sheet in a gust. Reef or not, that nearly capsized us.

If you ask for the little ties to tie the reefed sail, those might add to the price. As you only reef in high wind situations, you always pull hard on the reef point, so the new foot of the sail is stretched. That seems to be enough to hold the reefed part of the sail in place.

The price I had mentioned was for a reef point added at original sail manufacture, aftermarket might be a bit more.

[K.C. Walker]

I'm going for minor stuff this year. I am going to order an adjustable length Ronstan Battle Stick to replace my old tattered hiking stick. I also want to rig a Cunningham and a 3:1 halyard for the jib. I would like to upgrade my outhaul set up to get 4:1. One other thing I'd like to do is put some kind of cover on the boom to hold up and cover all the external lines coming forward. I hate getting my life jacket caught as I jibe.

[Sailor Chlud]

Well, my plans for a new tiller with a design using two stainless straps instead of the wooden fork did not please me - too clunky looking, so I purchased a nice 5/4 piece of ash from a specialty lumber yard, and now I'll be fabricating a new tiller in the same style as the original.. I'll post some photos once it is shaped if I like the results....