Spring Lines

Piao under wrap, with the mast laying nearby -- I took the mast down off the horses after strong winter wind gusts twice knocked it over....

While we had a mild winter in southern New England this year, it was followed by a very crappy spring.  We had a lot of rain throughout most of the month of May, which delayed many boaters from getting to work on spring commissioning.  The guys from Brownell were grumbling that business was very slow in May.  I am usually in the water by mid-May -- certainly well before Memorial Day. 

I can't afford shrink-wrap, but these cheap tarps from Ocean State Job Lot generally last only one season....

But this year I did not get the tarp off Piao until mid-April, and then I had to wait almost until the beginning of June for a decent stretch of warm, dry weather to get to work on some important off-season repairs and upgrades.  Several of the smaller jobs entailed upgrades of a linear nature: running rigging, standing rigging, electronics, and plumbing.  Here's a brief recap:

Line #1

My first two seasons with Piao I struggled with an oversized furling line on the jib that did not roll neatly into the furling drum.  Last spring, I replaced it with a new line of smaller diameter, only to discover that smaller was not smaller enough -- the furler would still jam sometimes, usually when most inconvenient.

Old furling line, bulging out of the furling drum.... 

So this spring I made another trip over to R&W Rope and bought an even thinner line to install on the furler.  It seems to fit much better -- at least the drum can still rotate when all the line is rolled up inside.

New furling line rolled up nicely inside the drum.  And look at that kick-ass gasket coil!

Line #2

I also installed a remote VHF mic in the cockpit - a Christmas gift from my offspring.  I was finding it a bit troublesome to leave the cockpit and helm unattended when I needed to use the radio.  This should resolve that issue.  The biggest challenge with this job was fishing the electrical line through the inaccessible inner reaches of the lazerette to the access hole I drilled in the cabin wall.  Actually, the first hole I drilled was improperly aligned and came out not inside the lazerette but outside in the cockpit!  A little epoxy filled in that one and made it unnoticeable....sort of.

Can you hear me now?

Line #3

Last season, I had some problems getting the (upper) shrouds to tighten snuggly.  The turnbuckles were maxed out, and still the shrouds were a little loose and wobbly -- which caused me some concern for the mast and rig when sailing in a fresh breeze.  On the advice of Ed, my boat-guy, I purchased replacements shrouds (for about $200) and installed them myself.

The spreader boots were only two years old, but looked very worn and weathered....

Easy-peazy.  The only real challenge was ordering the proper size replacements for the weathered spreader boots (took me two tries), and fixing the shrouds securely to the spreader bar with seizing wire.

 The replacements look much nicer....

Line #4

The other year I purchased a "Tiller Tamer" from Davis Instruments.  Affixed to the top of the tiller, this device helps to secure a line between to port and starboard quarters of the boat in such a way that, when under tension, the line holds the tiller in a set position -- a sort of poor man's autopilot.  It is not a real autopilot, of course, and you could find yourself in some serious trouble if you treated it as one.  But it does assist well enough to enable the single-handed sailor to drop into the cabin for a radio check or a even a quick head call.

The "Tiller Tamer"....

What I did not like about it, however, was that it was slow to set and release.  You turn a large screw knob to apply tension to the line and hold it in position.  So this year, after reading some reviews, I switched it out for a different product known as a "Tiller Clutch."  This mechanism mounts underneath the tiller, and enables one to tension or release a holding line with the mere flick of a finger.  It received endorsements from Practical Boat Owner, Practical Sailor, SailNet, and other forums.

Line #5

Much to my chagrin, I discovered that a number of bumble bees had taken up residence in the drain hose for the bilge pump.  While the prospect of fresh honey all season long was appealing, I could not figure out a way to harvest it in a painless manner.  I had no choice but to forcibly evict the illegal squatters.  Gotta Make America Great Again, right?