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New Tricks Solve Old Problems
by Chris Caswell
Five ideas for safer and easier boating
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Seize Ease
Prudent boat owners secure their shackles, particularly the all-important anchor shackles, to prevent them from accidentally unscrewing at the wrong moment. Seamen call this "seizing."
Traditionally, this has been done with waxed marline, a cord that wears out quickly; or with monel or stainless steel wire, which has razor sharp ends that can cut fingers. Because of the multiple loops, wired shackles can be difficult to cut free in an emergency.
A modern solution to the seizing problem is to use nylon self-locking wire ties that are used to bundle electrical wiring together. The nylon is extremely wear-resistant, but can be quickly removed with a knife.
Since these ties cost only a few pennies each, I keep a supply on board for all of my seizing needs.
Anchor Tub
I'm always surprised to see the crews of small power boats stumbling around with armfuls of anchor rode and chain, while preparing to anchor. The anchor is generally swinging around, taking chips out of the fiberglass (or the boaters' ankles), and the entire process is almost guaranteed to end up with a snarl at the wrong moment.
A large plastic laundry tub is the ideal solution, especially if you want to store a spare anchor and rode under the cockpit or in the lazarette. The plastic tub not only drains the water away afterwards, but you can also hose off any muck on the dock without removing the rode and chain.
Start with the bitter end of the anchor rode and lay the rode neatly into place, followed by the chain and the anchor on top. Because of the weight of chain, the rode doesn't move around and tangle, so it pays out easily, with no knots.
For more security, you can push a length of the bitter end through a hole in the basket, so it can be secured to a cleat before you start anchoring. When hoisting anchor, just repeat the process, lay the rode into the basket, then store the entire tub away.
A Safe Knife
Most boat owners carry a rigging or folding knife, but it isn't until you have to use it in wet weather or spray that you realize how slippery it can become -- and how easily a sliced hand can result.
I've modified my plastic-handled knife/marlinspike combination by adding non-slip grooves at the knife end, to give the thumb and fingers a grip, even when wet. I cut the grooves with a triangular file.
Also, the short spliced line I added on the marlinspike lock makes the knife easier to find in the pocket of foul weather gear.
Reading the Fine Print
As we grow older, reading glasses become an essential part of life. When using a boat, however, those glasses are usually tucked in a cabin drawer or in your duffel bag for safekeeping.
When you need to take a quick look at a chart (or a list of loran waypoints -- or any other small print) and don't want to go below to get your glasses, simply grab your binoculars.
That's right -- take your binoculars and reverse them, so you are looking through the "wrong" end. By putting the eyepiece close to your chart, you'll find that the binocular becomes a very useful magnifying glass.
A Never-Lost Chuck Key
The crucial electric drill chuck key is something that I lose more often than my temper, making use of the drill difficult, if not impossible.
To solve the problem, I found a short piece of thick-walled rubber hose that slips snugly over the chuck. This provides a hand grip that is firm enough to tighten the drill bit for most uses.
A side benefit that I found later is that, when drilling in tight places, the rubber also protects surfaces from the spinning chuck, which can chew up wood or fiberglass in an instant.
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This article first appeared in the March 1, 1996 issue of Sea Magazine. All or parts of the information contained in this article might be outdated. |
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