Saturday, March 31, 2012

Handles

rev. 4-22-2012

Every boat has one line that requires a hard pull over a short distance. On the PDQ 32, it is the engine lift ropes, port and starboard. Every time you are finished with the engines they must be lifted: under sail the lower unit drag costs 0.4 knots and a gurgling noise, at the dock or at anchor, corrosion and fouling.

A tubing or pipe handle helps. Aluminum or stainless are best. Round the inside and outside of the cut.


Revision: the above photo shows and attempt with a bit of thin wall PVC tubing. It failed after a few weeks of use. Perhaps SCH 40 PVC would work--I think so--but I replaced them using some stainless tubing of the same diameter I had lying about; they will now last the life of the boat. On previous boats I had used aluminum tubing, which worked fine too.

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