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Equipment care

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Protecting warps
Fairleads are hard on warps, anchor/mooring/dock lines. The constant flexing and tugging on the warps over the jaws chafe through lines.

Protecting chart portfolios from wear and tear
The optimal way to store charts is in a well-protected chart table. This allows them to be stored flat, or folded depending on the size, in an organised way that allows for easy retrieval. However, when there is a large number of charts or chart portfolios involved, and/or they need to be moved from boat to boat, this becomes impractical.

A stubborn and resistant headsail furler that jams, or releases and jams alternatively when furling
The headsail furler jams or is highly resistant to furling. Or, the furling system will partially furl then stops, and then furl again, and then stops etc. A complete furl may be achieved but it is a battle and the furler rotation is far from smooth or consistent. These are the symptoms of 'halyard wrap', the number one issue that causes furling systems to jam or be rotation resistant. What is happening is that the halyard is starting to wrap at the top, locking up the furling system, and then unwrapping when you ease the pressure on the furling line.

Care and maintenance of batteries
Once a vessel is cast off from the dock all the power it requires has to be self-generated and then stored in batteries which require some working knowledge and maintenance.

Cleaning the chain and ground tackle when anchoring in muddy estuarine anchorages
Estuarine anchorages often have sticky mud that is very difficult to remove from the chain and anchor. A bucket of water sometimes is just not enough to remove it.

How to protect your aluminium rigging and spars from electrolysis
Yacht rigs and spars are largely assembled with fittings containing dissimilar metals. Typically stainless steel in the form of gooseneck brackets, spreader brackets etc mixed with aluminium rigging. Mixing different metals and salt water causes an aggressive corrosion called electrolysis. This is particularly prevalent up to six feet above deck level and at the mast heel below decks where salt water can collect and remain for extended periods.

Lengthening the service life of charts
Navigation stations are typically situated by the main companionway and the odd spray splash or stray raindrop falls down onto the chart table. They also tend to be a rest point where things inappropriately get laid from time to time as is human nature on an active boat. This causes charts to quickly degrade, especially so with ‘home waters’ cruisers where a specific sailing region chart is continuously in use.

Keeping track of engine hours
Each engine has a recommended run time between services and oil changes, typically measured in run hours on yachts. This means that each time the engine is run, the duration needs to be logged and that log requires monitoring so that maintenance may be correctly scheduled.

Making it easier to locate engine problems
Engines are very reliable if they are looked after, particularly so diesel. Yet they do have occasional problems.

Keeping shackles on halyards and other challenging positions
Changing sails quickly or in boisterous conditions can result in the halyard shackles being lost overboard.


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