With my web site the Digitalcompassshop.com I guess you could say I have a thing about compasses.
We have a few compass rose throw rugs in the house. I really like them but there is a problem with these rugs. I get wearied out if they are not pointed in the right direction. It dose not bother my wife but it drives me crazy. 8-)
When we got new neighbors next door they liked one of the compass rose rugs and I told them where I got it. They bought one. When I saw it my crazy quirk kicked in and I just had to turn it so the Long point pointed North. Their house not built so any side of the house is to the North.
They had put the rug in their entry way and lined it up so the rug was pointed directly away from the door. It pointed about North East. I admit it looked nice that way , BUT IT WAS NOT POINTED NORTH! They thought it was funny that it I had to turn it so it was right.
Now when they come over to our house he has to turn my compass rose rug in the bathroom so it is out of line. It is now standard joke between us about my North fetish.
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Lazy Jacks have both good and bad points.
Lazy Jacks are lines that are on each side of the main sail that more or less catch and hold the sail over the boom when it is lowered or dropped. One thing that is nice with lazy jacks is that when you drop the sail it dos not fall all over the cockpit and thus you have better visibility to drive the boat in to the dock. If the sail is down just for a short time it is contained on the boom. It makes putting sail ties around the sail to tie the sail to the boom quick when putting the boat away.
With that said, it makes putting a sail cover over the sail more work and it you are not straight in to the wind when raising the sail, the sail may catch on the jacks when you put it up. Everything has advantaged and disadvantages. On my boat I found that they were as much of a pain in the rear as they were a help. When I replaced my standing rigging a few months ago I did not replace them when I stepped the mast. I can say I really do not miss them and there are fewer lines I have to deal with,,
With that said, it makes putting a sail cover over the sail more work and it you are not straight in to the wind when raising the sail, the sail may catch on the jacks when you put it up. Everything has advantaged and disadvantages. On my boat I found that they were as much of a pain in the rear as they were a help. When I replaced my standing rigging a few months ago I did not replace them when I stepped the mast. I can say I really do not miss them and there are fewer lines I have to deal with,,
What is a Rigging Knife
I have had many pocket knives in my life but the two I like best are my Swiss Army Knife and my Rigging Knife. The Swiss Army Knife because of all the gadgets, but the one I use the most is my Rigging Knife.
A Basic Rigging Knife
It is simple, functional, not bulky in my pocket and cheap enough that if I lose it overboard I do not have a heart attack. The Knife can open packages, cut rope or fishing line, cut bate, strip insulation from wire...all the things you use a knife for. It also has a Marlin Spike and it is used for getting tight knots undone, poking holes in thing, chipping up ice, and all sorts of things a sharp pointy object is needed for. The last tool on it is a Shackle Key. Shackles on a boat with screw in pins can be a bitch to unscrew. A shackle key lets you unscrew it with out having to get pliers. It also has other uses ( I can open a beer bottle 8-) with it.). My Swiss army knife will not open a shackle ( but it will open a beer ).
It is simple, functional, not bulky in my pocket and cheap enough that if I lose it overboard I do not have a heart attack. The Knife can open packages, cut rope or fishing line, cut bate, strip insulation from wire...all the things you use a knife for. It also has a Marlin Spike and it is used for getting tight knots undone, poking holes in thing, chipping up ice, and all sorts of things a sharp pointy object is needed for. The last tool on it is a Shackle Key. Shackles on a boat with screw in pins can be a bitch to unscrew. A shackle key lets you unscrew it with out having to get pliers. It also has other uses ( I can open a beer bottle 8-) with it.). My Swiss army knife will not open a shackle ( but it will open a beer ).
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Boats and Cat Litter Buckets
If you have a cat or cats you most likely get your litter by the bucket. These buckets are great for the boater. They are just the right size to fit through most boat hatch storage compartments and can be used to store lots of stuff. They have snap on lids so stuff will stay in them and the stuff in them can stay dry. With a marker I label the lids so I know what is inside them. Extra lines, cleaning stuff, fishing stuff, tools, rags, etc.. Because they stack in the deep storage lockers of the sailboat rnest and keeps them the lockers neat.
You can use the buckets to bail with, wash down the boat with, set over wenches, use them to sit on and that is just a few things they can be used for. We use them to put stuff in that we take to the boat when we go out. They are easy to pick up and carry and they can be just be set in the cabin and opened when we need the stuff.
They fit or stack together when empty and the lids all fit in the top bucket so they store in a smaller space.
The biggest problem I have with them is I will put the lids that are labeled on the wrong bucket. But that is my own fault. The are free when you buy the litter and you can recycle them in your boat. You can give them to other boaters if they need a bucket and not worry about them returning it. 8-) One of my rules is never lend anything you do not care to lose.
With all the cat litter buckets on my boat you would think it was a cat boat.
You can use the buckets to bail with, wash down the boat with, set over wenches, use them to sit on and that is just a few things they can be used for. We use them to put stuff in that we take to the boat when we go out. They are easy to pick up and carry and they can be just be set in the cabin and opened when we need the stuff.
They fit or stack together when empty and the lids all fit in the top bucket so they store in a smaller space.
The biggest problem I have with them is I will put the lids that are labeled on the wrong bucket. But that is my own fault. The are free when you buy the litter and you can recycle them in your boat. You can give them to other boaters if they need a bucket and not worry about them returning it. 8-) One of my rules is never lend anything you do not care to lose.
With all the cat litter buckets on my boat you would think it was a cat boat.
The most used boating tool!
I think the most used tool or gadget I use on all 3 of my boats is a wet dry vac. I have a cheap one that snaps to the top of a bucket I got at Home Depot for about $20. It is small enough to store easily and the bucket is used for other things also.
I use it in blower mode first to just get leaves and light dirt off the boat. Then switch the hose to the vacuum hole and suck up little stuff the blower mode did not get rid of and I suck out the scup.per drains to make sure the are clear. My boats are on a canal with big pine trees and other trees and I get a lot of fall out from them.
After using the Vac a quick rinse off with a hose is all that is needed most of the time. If I do not do this I have a hard time getting the little heavy dirt to since out of the small holes in the gunnels. I also use the vac inside the cabin to clean it and if there is any water in the bilge I can suck it out. I took a piece of hose and snaked it down under the floor of the cabin and I can just put the vac hose over it and suck out any accumulation down there. It eliminated removing access panels do get at that area. Fast and easy.
With the dinghy's, I bucket bail if there is a lot of water and vac the rest that the bucket can not get. I had two bilge pumps in our Livingston but they did not really take care of the problem and they also required a battery left in the dinghy. The vac was just easier because the pumps did not get rid of the leaves and seeds so you still had to clean them out with a vac or bucket.
I use it in blower mode first to just get leaves and light dirt off the boat. Then switch the hose to the vacuum hole and suck up little stuff the blower mode did not get rid of and I suck out the scup.per drains to make sure the are clear. My boats are on a canal with big pine trees and other trees and I get a lot of fall out from them.
After using the Vac a quick rinse off with a hose is all that is needed most of the time. If I do not do this I have a hard time getting the little heavy dirt to since out of the small holes in the gunnels. I also use the vac inside the cabin to clean it and if there is any water in the bilge I can suck it out. I took a piece of hose and snaked it down under the floor of the cabin and I can just put the vac hose over it and suck out any accumulation down there. It eliminated removing access panels do get at that area. Fast and easy.
With the dinghy's, I bucket bail if there is a lot of water and vac the rest that the bucket can not get. I had two bilge pumps in our Livingston but they did not really take care of the problem and they also required a battery left in the dinghy. The vac was just easier because the pumps did not get rid of the leaves and seeds so you still had to clean them out with a vac or bucket.
Monday, June 15, 2015
Dog life vests, The can be expensive.
My dog loves to go boating but does not like getting in the water. I have to say he is a bit of a wimp and does not have great sea legs. He likes to go to the bow and look out under the Jib as we sail as long as it is calm, but if it gets a little ruff he will hide in the cock pit against us.
Our last dog was just the opposite, he liked bow riding when it was wavy and ruff.
Dog life vests range from reasonably priced to big bucks. I found some dog vests that were reasonably priced (about $20) and functional. Bosco is not all that keen on having it on but We feel safer if he has it own.
Our last dog was just the opposite, he liked bow riding when it was wavy and ruff.
The red wine stained th fiberglass
The woman was a few sheets to the wind and when she spilled the red wine all over the fiberglass in the cock pit. I knew it would stain and there was nothing I could do about it but wipe it up as quick as I could. Red wine is one of the few things that I normally do not let anyone drink on my boat. It had been a few weeks, no a few months since I had put a coat of wax on the glass so I new it was going to stain.
I would know how bad it was the next day and there was little I could do about it, other than have a little more wine myself. When I looked at it the next day I figured it could be worst. I washed the stain well with soap and water, the used some soft scrub, and then a Mr Clean magic eraser and got a lot of it out. But I still could see the dang stain.
I had a bottle of Flitz Cleaner that I have used on some tough stains on the fiberglass before and it took the rest of the pink stain out. Flits is safe for fiberglass, plexiglas, and marble and it is also a non toxic eco-friendly cleaner. Its not cheap...about $20, but it works and it is Eco-friendly.
Now the stain is gone I decided I should give the cockpit a good coat of wax. 8-(
I have found a good bee's wax containing wax gives a nice hard was surface, and then a coat of a canuba wax gives a great shine. The canuba wax is a soft wax and wears off much faster.
I would know how bad it was the next day and there was little I could do about it, other than have a little more wine myself. When I looked at it the next day I figured it could be worst. I washed the stain well with soap and water, the used some soft scrub, and then a Mr Clean magic eraser and got a lot of it out. But I still could see the dang stain.
I had a bottle of Flitz Cleaner that I have used on some tough stains on the fiberglass before and it took the rest of the pink stain out. Flits is safe for fiberglass, plexiglas, and marble and it is also a non toxic eco-friendly cleaner. Its not cheap...about $20, but it works and it is Eco-friendly.
Now the stain is gone I decided I should give the cockpit a good coat of wax. 8-(
I have found a good bee's wax containing wax gives a nice hard was surface, and then a coat of a canuba wax gives a great shine. The canuba wax is a soft wax and wears off much faster.
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