More Jacklines

Vertical Jacklines

Who says they all need to be on the deck? I installed a pair of vertical lines to deflect the genoa sheets away from the mast-mounted halyard winches (one on each side), around which they loved to foul during tacks. They are anchored to strong points and the line is 1/4-inch Dyneema, selected because I had it and it was non-stretch. At first I was concerned that the deflectors would be in the way, but I soon realized that they were handy holds and clipping points when working at the mast, much better than clipping to the mast base. I can even lean on the tether in rough weather, allowing for better 2-hand work.

Jacklines and Lifelines as Hand-Holds

It is often said that using the lifelines as handholds is a bad habit. While there is truth to this on a monohull (the leverage on the stanchion bases is cruel when hauling to one side from the deck of a leaner), I disagree for catamarans. The difference is that cats do not heel and that most of the motion is vertical. In heavy going cats pitch, and sailors near the bow can be nearly weightless. Additionally, my jacklines are relatively high at the beam, since they are secured to the hard top. Thus, the safest way to traverse the side decks between the hard top and the tramp is to hold the lifeline in one hand, the jackline in the other, and pull up. Not to the side, not push down, but pull straight up such that your feet are held firmly on the deck. There is little bending stress on the stanchions because the load is vertical, and the support is steady rather than surging roughly as the boat moves. Intuitive to a lifelong climber, something may lubbers and sailors have to be shown.

Pulling up (not to the side!) on lifelines may be a little hard on them, but it is easier on me. Not a mistake, but a well-reasoned standard practice.

Probably just a catamaran thing.

Ducklings always Follow Their Mothers

I guess it is a universal rule.

Cay of Sea and tender, Unnamed cove

The Chesapeake Bay is a small world sometimes. This week we ran into friends we had met over the internet, who dock only a few hundred yards away in Deale, but had never met, face to face. Good stuff.

Chafe

Rev. 10-13-2015.

While I am nearly always complimentary of the PDQ and the attention to detail of the designers, everyone makes mistakes. But in this case I can't imagine what they were thinking. It is not just a yard fitting error, since the starboard bow is identical. It's a design error.

For the record, it never did damage either the webbing chafe guard or the line,since the webbing stay stationary relative to the edge, and the rope glides inside. But I still did not like the look of it. A really strong wind could change things. But it does make a strong statement about the benefits of free-floating chafe gear.

With heavy docklines and my normal heavier bridle this little slot between the rub rail and the deck is too small to be accessible and in 6 years has never cause a problem. However, as I started experimenting with lighter bridles for a Practical Sailor article on mooring loads, I found the thinner 8 mm line could slide right into the slot and that the slot is quite sharp, able to slice a line in minutes to hours, depending on the load.

The chafe gear does a fair job of keeping it out of the slot, but I would rather eliminate the slot. My first thought is to fit a block of something into the space, matching the rubber and secured with a screw and 3M 5200. I'd rather not obscure the forward beam bolts.



Rev. 10-13-2015.
While not the prettiest fix--I may trim this to make it purty--this does solve the problem. I cut a rectangle of 3/8" thick mud flap, laminated it to 3/4" thick, and trimmed it to fit the space. I then glued it in with Loctite PL S30. This sealant has virtually the same properties as 3M 5200, with slightly better elasticity. It is also available in white as Loctite PL S40, the only difference being color.

More Active Anode = More Growth?

I read this in a guidance document by maker of lower potential anode material, and I admit it didn't make obvious sense. Then I started soaking a few trial anode/pipe combinations to help develop a test method for an up-coming anode review.

By December it became clear that unprotected copper fouled less, no doubt the result of more free copper near the surface.

Clearly the more active anode has more growth (aluminum on left, zinc on right, same brand).

Why?

Safe Through Hulls. Put Them in a Bulkheaded Compartment

Most boat sinkings happen at the dock. The most common reason is a failed through hull or the attached hose. The nightmares scenario is a failure at sea, with no way to quickly install  plug. In fact, during our delivery trip home we experienced a small failure.

 The head bulkhead is at top, the holding tank bottom. There is a crash tank, also sealed, in front of the holding tank. It was the speed sending unit, lowermost in the picture, that leaked due to a faulty o-ring.

While not always practical, why not put the through hulls in a bulk headed compartment? On a monohull this could be practical either forward or aft, or by running the bulkhead up the side. You do have to hang down to service valves, and opening them is not very handy (extensions can be fitted), but it is safe. During the homecoming trip we flooded this compartment right to the the water line without ill effect.

Are We the Cause of Fuel Breakdown?

It has long been known that copper and zinc are very bad for fuel stability (gasoline and diesel). The use of these materials is banned by good practice, ASTM standards, fuel producer and engine manufacturer guidance.

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ASTM D975 Appendix X2.7.2: Fuel Storage Conditions
Copper and copper-containing alloys should be avoided. Copper can promote fuel degradation and may produce mercaptide gels. Zinc coatings can react with water or organic acids to form gels which rapidly clog filters.

Cat installation guidance.
http://pdf.cat.com/cda/files/3375312/7/Diesel+Fuel+Diesel+Fuel+Systems+LEBW4976-04.pdf

Material. Black iron pipe is best suited for diesel fuel lines. Steel or cast iron valves and fittings are preferred.

CAUTION: Copper and zinc, either in the form of plating or as a major alloying component, should not be used with diesel fuels. Zinc is unstable in the presence of sulfur, particularly if moisture is present in the fuel. The sludge formed by chemical action is extremely harmful to the engine’s internal components.

Cummins installation guidance.
https://www.cumminspower.com/www/literature/applicationmanuals/t-030_p115-132.pdf

Diesel Fuel Piping. Diesel fuel lines should be constructed from black iron pipe. Cast iron and aluminum pipe and fittings must not be used because they are porous and can leak fuel. Galvanized fuel lines, fittings, and tanks must not be used because the galvanized coating is attacked by the sulfuric acid that forms when the sulfur in the fuel combines with tank condensate, resulting in debris that can clog fuel pumps and filters. Copper lines should not be used because fuel polymerizes (thickens) in copper tubing during long periods of disuse and can clog fuel injectors. Also, copper lines are less rugged than black iron, and thus more susceptible to damage.

Note: Never use galvanized or copper fuel lines, fittings or fuel tanks. Condensation in the tank and lines combines with the sulfur in the diesel fuel to produce sulfuric acid. The molecular structure of the copper or galvanized lines or tanks reacts with the acid

and contaminates the fuel.

 Yanmar manual
http://www.mackboring.com/DAN/files/application1010201130329PM63nj.pdf
piping is specified as rubber or steel (page 9).

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1.5 gallons of diesel were left for 4 months in a clean closed but vented bucket. The metals samples and water drawn from the atmosphere combined to destroy the fuel. Interesting.

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And yet West Marine and Defender Marine continue to sell brass and copper parts for fuel systems and we continue to buy them! Simply put, they are greedy and we are stupid.

What can we do, short of ripping out plumbing and installing hose, aluminum, and steel?

The best patch is a good corrosion inhibitor (Practical Sailor August 2012 for gasoline, Practical Sailor August 2013 for diesel) that will prevent corrosion (without corrosion the ions will not be present in the fuel) and sequester those that may already be present (from the refining and distribution process, or from the corrosion that has already taken place in your boat). Just a few ppm of free ions will dramatically accelerate fuel degradation.

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Amazing, what we should be told... but are not.

Tandem Anchors IV -- the Wemar Anchor

This is a perfect example of what you get reading reviews in magazines that accept advertising. The month Wemar started advertising, Sail Magazine reviewed this bit of foolishness that does not function AT ALL, and nominated it for an award. Just pitiful.


In this test they pretend to show veering... but the secondary is not set and they have eased around very slowly. Shows nothing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l11rjDI9eSk
 




Then they show this video of retrieval. Notice that the primary never set, at all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-or9ByglfU


On the Web site they have only these 2 lovely failures:

This time the secondary is not set.

 

 And this time the Primary is not set, or rather I think it has tripped (it is off-line in the direction of the pull).

 
 
Why would you post 4 pictures of failure? Because they had no successes? Or is it because the target buyer has been identified as completely ignorant of anchoring? I do know why Sail Magazine nominated this for an award.

Magic

Is it any wonder that as children, humanity saw magic in the skies?

 

But wouldn't we have outgrown the need by now? I guess it's comforting.

The Folding Rule Method

Every spring, as masts are plopped back on decks, I see folks out there with rig tension tools. I hear folks complain that the tool does not cover the size they need. As an engineer that has been responsible for tuning structural cables up to 1 1/2-inch in diameter, we don't need no toy tools. This method works for ALL sizes, since stretch is a steady function of % breaking load. 

Yes. the tools are handy, particularly for fine tuning. For big wire, there are still other methods... but that is another chapter (hint: use a scale and pull to the side, using simple trig. On bridge wires we just use gravity and sighting.).

This specific wording is borrowed from Seldon Spars

_____

The following materials are required:

1. A 2 metre long measuring rod (a folding rule is recommended)
2. Adhesive tape
3. Vernier calipers

• Start with the cap shrouds only hand-tight. The rig is stayed with the lower shrouds and the forestay and backstay.

• Tape the upper end of the folding rule to the starboard cap shroud. The lower end of the folding rule must be approximately 5 mm above the upper end of the wire terminal.Measure the distance between terminal and folding rule exactly. This is index 0, let’s call it point A.

• Tension the starboard cap shroud until the distance is A + 1.5 mm between the terminal and the folding rule. Measure using the vernier callipers.

• Leave the folding rule attached to the starboard shroud, and move across to the port side and tension the shroud rigging screw the equivalent amount.

• At intervals, check the starboard side to see how much

the folding rule has moved from the end terminal. When there is a gap of A + 3 mm, the cap shrouds are tensioned to 15% of the breaking load of the wire (3 x 5% = 15%).

If the mast is not straight, adjust the lower shrouds, intermediate shrouds etc. There is more information on this in the chapter dealing with your rig type.

The folding rule method can be used on other stays, such as the backstay and forestay (without jib furling system). It can also be used for Dyform- or rod rigging, but please take the difference in stretch into account compared to 1 x 19 wire. 

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Stretch per 2 meter at 5% of breaking load

1 x 19 wire                  Dyform                      Rod

                                       1 mm                     0.95 mm                  0.7 mm

Reefing a Blade Jib--A New Purpose for the PDQ Self-tacker?

I've never really liked the self tacking jib on the PDQ 32.

• Not enough power in light winds
• No shape off the wind (poor twist control--traveler needs to be semi-circular to work)
• Becomes fuller when rolled in stronger winds
• Does not feather well

While paddling around the harbor in Deale I saw this:

It is not a simple matter of adding reinforcement, reefing eyes, and a clew ring; this sail is much flatter. I also wonder that the big roll of reefed fabric won't ruin the airflow off the bottom, though the problem will be less if the foot adjustment is less. In my case, I probably would not change the hoist, as in this example, since I can still roll it up, but simply add a clew ring that would allow me to use my existing inside genoa leads.

And since I would rather not have to lower the sail to reef it... how in the heck do you tie up the bunt and attach the sheets? On the other hand, the clew should be about the same height as my genoa when rolled up just short of the mast, and I can just reach it from the cabin top. Certainly a short pendant would make it work.

Something to ponder. A simple project that would be synergistic with the 3rd reef in my main, the inside tracks, and longer transoms, improving strong wind weatherliness. A DIY project? I've designed and sewn sails before. Hmm...