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Good question. My non-expert thoughts are:
If you create a better conductor between the mast and the water then you should benefit from it (i.e. the current shouldn’t go through you. [:)]
If you create a better conductor between the mast and the water then your boat might become the preferred route compared to other objects near by. [:(]
If you attach a jumper cable to a shroud, the shroud becomes the weakest link and might not be able to carry the current. The shroud might fail which causes the mast to fall over. And/or the lightning current searches for a secondary conductor, possibly you. [:(] Look at the gauge of lightning rods and their grounding. It’s pretty extreme.On a related note. A few weekends ago I was quite stupid again. We arrived just at the lake when a surprise storm came in. The wind was very calm before the storm and sailboats had a hard time coming to the shore. But quite a few boaters weren’t aware of the intensity that the storm would have. As the storm came in, pretty good gust came up. A rental catamaran took off into the lake unmanned at a speed many sailors dream about. I noticed a cat that got loose at the beach and nobody was around tending it. So I jumped out of the car and into the water to pull it back onto the shore. I was standing in the water and holding onto the shroud as I felt a the tingling of current in my palm. Much like the feeling I got from my crazy electronics experiments on 220 Volt. Needless to say I let loose of the boat and ducked deep into the water. Luckily nothing happened and I pulled the boat as quick as possible onto the shore. Later I heard from another cat sailor that he also felt current going through his arm and leg. We definitely were lucky that day.
In retrospect, I really shouldn’t have tried to play the good Samaritan. Nobody thanked or cared about it, not even the owner. The boat owners should have tied up the boat or at least nucleated the sails. The neighbouring platoon boat operator didn’t bother to help the slightest bit although the sailboat was about to ram him. The moral of the story is to just stay in your dry car and watch the show unless a life is in danger. All I did was to put my own life in danger. Stupid, stupid, stupid me!
Claus FS5074 Ames, IA
I have three different used cover types and found that I end up using all of them since each type has an advantage for certain usages.
* For mooring on the water or lift I like the tent style cover since it’s easy to put on when the boat is in the water. The cover doesn’t touch the water either. Of course I only moor or use a lift on away trips.
* For trailering and storing the boat outside with mast down I like the mooring/trailer cover (I don’t have an experience with a trailer-only cover). My cover is skirted to add additional protection to the side. But this skirt isn’t so great for mooring usage.
* For mast up storage (dry dock) I like the mooring cover. Unlike with the mooring/trailer cover I can leave the boom up. Which means I can roll up the sail and tie it to the boom, while leaving it in the boom track. Also the water shedding is better an with the mooring/trailer cover which needs to be pulled up via the mail halyard.
Claus FS5074 Ames, IA
quote:[i]Originally posted by frank barbehenn[/i]
[br]I am a novice, and from previous threads it seems like you Claus are experienced. I’m not sure about that. Due to a young kid I don’t get as often out sailing as I want to. Now that he just got big enough to go along we have another one on the way. Not having a fleet doesn’t give me much opportunity to race either. So most of the time I just sail for pleasure and don’t push the boat, crew and myself very hard.
quote:Why is it that it’s the natural tendency to go upwind instead of going leeward and downwind when overpowered or fear of being overpowered downwind? Being used to do it from tacking against the wind? … afraid of sudden gype? … dunno. *shrug*
quote:Also, being a novice, how does one successfully come out of going downwind when one is feeling of getting over-powered downwind?
Drop the spinnaker, turn up-wind, and don’t trim the sails. You probably want to trim the sails a little otherwise you end up in irons.Claus FS5074 Ames, IA
Every year, around this time I flip the FS calendar page and see happy sailors sailing in T-shirts. All pictures throughout the winter months have Caribbean like pictures. I know down in Texas there is no such thing as winter, but we up in the north have to struggle through it every year. Instead of having only these depressing summertime pictures it would be great to feature some die hard snow birds sailing past snow covered shores, or at least someone with a coat. That might encourage us to sail more than four month out of the year. But I see that my suggestions are to late as the 2007 calendar is already up for ordering. Maybe the following year there are some encouraging pictures showing that winter can also be fun.
Claus FS5074 Ames, IA
I think it’s impossible.
quote:[i]Originally posted by sawyerspadre[/i]
[br]Can you uncleat it and reach up through the gasket and pull it down
The centerboard slit is way to high up and there is nothing on the bottom of the boat to pull you up on.
quote:can just push it down from up at the rollers?
You actually have to push the centerboard up in order to get it out. As previously mentioned, with all its weight on the side of the centerboard trunk I wasn’t able to move it at all.This picture of the Capsize Drill series gives one somewhat of an idea how high the centerboard opening is. Although in my case the top of the mast was one to two foot under water and it was hard to lift it any higher. Probably due to the water on the main, jip, and spinnaker. This also caused the boat to be more on an angle than pictured.
Claus FS5074 Ames, IA
The lights have held up great and I haven’t had any troubles with them so far.
I’m not sure if you still need to unplug the wiring or not when submerging the lights in water. I did leave the lights connected a few times without harm but normally they are still disconnected when I launch the boat.
Claus FS5074 Ames, IA
quote:[i]Originally posted by jerryl[/i]
[br]Why does it make a difference whether the shackle is up or down?If you look at the first picture (the incorrect picture) You see that the block can wonder along the shackle. When this happens the block may be stuck at a bad angle and the tention from the mainsheet might not let it slide back.
In the correct way the block can’t stard wondering since it is prevented by the two sides through which the shackles bolt goes through.
I hope that makes sense.
Claus FS5074 Ames, IA
The bridle attaches to the tabernacle and the rear of the center board. Since the boom is on the center line of the boat while using the crane, otherwise the weight of the boat wouldn’t be balanced, the bridle has to go around it. The key is that the bridle goes over the boom, either starboard on the tabernacle and port on the rear of the centerboard or vice versa.
I hope that makes sense.
Claus FS5074 Ames, IA
Contacting someone on the forum is simple.
First bring up their profile by clicking on their user name.
Then click on “Click to send an E-Mail.
This will bring up a form where you type in your message.
Once you click the send butten the message is sent to the e-mail address of the user. The cool part is that one doesn’t have to disclose their e-mail address to the world and expose themselfs to receiving more spam.
Claus FS5074 Ames, IA
quote:Originally posted by leoloeb
Are you still interested in building a boat lift? If so reply and I’ll describe. It’s not cheap but safe and very effective.Of course I am.
Claus FS5074 Ames, IA
Yes, of course are 2005 calendars availiable. This year Melissa even got one for herself. [:)]
You can order them online at http://www.flyingscotracing.com/products/calendar.htm
… and still no affiliation, just a happy customer. [:D]
Claus FS5074 Ames, IA
You have to pull up and push it down. It’s tight enough to stay up by itself. No special rig is needed.
Claus FS5074 Ames, IA
I got them from Northern Tool
Main lights
Side Markers (2 on each side)
Center tail markers (3)
I can take a picture of the lights on my boat trailer or you could stop by the Wife Husband Championship Regatta [:D]
Claus FS5074 Ames, IA
