It will surely brighten your Saturday.

……make sure you are always safe out there.

~T.R.C.

When it comes to remaining relatively unchanged and dependable, I have to say Lewmar and Andersen ST winches take the cake! No problems here; extra long service life, extra dependable, easy to service and readily available parts. They only thing I can say is that Andersen makes for a little bit of a bumpy ride when having to use this winch to get aloft.

Harken, however, has recently revolutionized the electric winch market , not just with their new powered bi-directional units (Lewmar and Selden have them too) but also by minimizing the intrusiveness of the motor down below. What Harken has managed to do here is put a portion of the motor above deck and into the drum with their Uni-power winches. I think this is an especially neat feature being that the motor sticks into the cabin by almost half as much as other electric motors. New Harken winches also come with composite needle bearings made of Delrin and require no grease like its stainless steel predecessors. Also take notice of the angled flutes on the drum. This angle causes the rope to ride down towards the base of the winch, minimizing overrides. Harken is definitely in the running for an award in innovation.

Holmatro, fairly new to the commercial sailboat market (but has long time experience with the custom mega-yacht market), has removed the need for grease along the ‘mandrel’ or ‘spine’ of the winch as well. However, they did this by replacing the highly loaded ‘needle ‘ bearings with a solid Oilite type bushing which carries lubrication in the material, pretty neat! I actually have to say that I like this low maintenance approach over Harken’s Delrin needle bearings. I also like the the rope grabbing flutes that are tapered to promote the rope riding down, thus reducing overrides. Although the flutes sharper edges may rope quicker. Having had personal experience with these winches, I can say that Holmatro winches are quality!

Overall, I think its safe to say that if you want to go with what works go with Lewmar or Andersen. Although Lewmar is always a good choice if you are looking for electric winches, I would choose Harken, especially if you need headroom. And lastly if you are looking for the best of, innovation and technology, I would look to Holmatro. Have question leave us a comment or give us a call.

For information regarding servicing winches, read here.

Using a whisker pole that is properly sized and configured can make sailing by the lee stable and comfortable. Most of us feel that flying a spinnaker is too much work and that a lot can go wrong quickly. So what can we do when we have to do the inevitable, and turn the bow down wind?

Usually downwind sailing, specifically in light air, can feel a bit sluggish and sloppy.  One option is to try and fly the head sail wing-on-wing with mainsail. This can be a bit tricky without a very important tool, a properly rigged whisker pole.  Bracing the fore sail out to weather and the boom out to leeward via a preventer,  can allow for hours of adjustment free downwind sailing, even in moderately heavy conditions. Taking the time to ensure that the system is strong enough to manage various wind conditions,  is rigged properly for ease of use, and is easily stowed while not in use, can be well worth the extra effort. There are a good bit of details to ensure that the system is set up in a dependable and functional manner. Make sure you seek the assistance of a professional rigger for this.

Execution is also a BIG portion of keeping this effortless. Above is a video I found online so that you can get the gist of how the system is intended to be used……. Very Helpful.

See what we have to say about even more downwind sail options for cruisers, here.

German engineering is at it again, Bavaria Yachts is all new and looking good. Bavaria Yachts are being built (and have always been built, since 1978) just minutes away from my hometown Wurzburg, Germany in a small township called Giebelstadt. Although being completely land locked, the company boasts of being one of the largest production yacht building facilities in the world. The company has over 650 employees and an entourage of robots. The yacht manufacturer is capable of producing over 3,500 yachts per year. That’s a lot of fiberglass! However, don’t be thrown by their high production numbers apparently these yachts are all built to order, plus all parts are made in house.

Check out this pseudo “How it’s Made” video of the Bavaria Yachtbau factory, brought to you by BavariaYachtbau’s YouTube feed. Apparently these boats were redesigned in 2008  and are now being designed right here in beautiful downtown Annapolis, at Farr Yacht Design in conjunction with BMW Designworks. So next time you are out stepping aboard what might be your next new yacht give Bavaria Yachts a try, you may like what you see.

……and reliability. Schaefer Headsail Furlers are definitely in a class of their own. Boasting some of the similar features of the Harken units, but to only improve upon them (see our archives). Don’t get me wrong I love Harken furlers, but if you want to spend some extra bucks for heavy duty quality that you can rely on time and time again, look no further. Schaefer delivers a strong and robust design that will meet the requirements of any blue water cruiser. Be mindful that these furlers are definitely NOT for the ‘weight wienies’ out there . Schaefer furlers have been around for a long time and the design has been relatively unchanged. For all of you that own older models, Schaefer is offering a warranty type upgrade to the drum itself. This upgrade replaces the drum hub and bearings completely and now allows for easier flushing of the drum bearings which is necessary when using non-lubricated bearings. A few customers have reported seizing in older units due to not being able to flush the drum properly. The replacement drum hubs are available for $140 regardless of unit size and are typically priced at $450 to $650. I find this a price worthy upgrade and if you own an older Schaefer unit, you should take advantage of this great offer.

I’ve personally never seen a Schaefer Furler that was no longer serviceable, unless it was badly damaged of course. If you look at any older unit, the sticker will have worn and faded away a bit, but you will not find neither old grease, u.v. degraded plastics (there is a plastic swivel bearing inside the halyard swivel that will need to be replaced every 7 or 8 years or so), nor cheap metals! Just deep coat anodized, high quality, aircraft aluminum and 316 grade stainless. The only real ‘tiff’ I have is that the connections along the foils are made using rivets. This isn’t the end of the world but in order to break the unit down or make any repairs to the connectors or foils it requires a bit more tooling then if they just used regular screws. If you’re interested or even just curious about what is the best line drive furler, you can read more here.

Should the furler still have issues, or it it just time (5 years or more), it may be time for a service. Relatively speaking, it is very affordable and simple to service the units and replace the Torlon balls. I know “composite ball  bearing”  sounds fancy and expensive, but it’s quite the contrary, about $25 for 25 balls (of which you’ll probably need two packs). Make sure that you get the right size!

How does the competition tend to stack up against Harken’s Headsail Furlers? Other manufacturers out there tend use sealed and unsealed stainless ball bearings, packed in grease. These furlers can be a pain and sometimes impossible to service (not to mention, messy!). Usually they require complete bearing and race replacement, which can be pricey! In some cases, you may be able to re-grease them or add more grease on top of the old cruddy grease (not ideal). These other name-brand furlers seem rather sluggish right out-of-the box when they are brand new. Not a surprise really, considering that stainless balls packed with grease just sounds slow and dampened, much like I would expect for a wheel hub on a car or trailer. I can appreciate engineering concept, but “I am trying to unfurl my sail quickly and effortlessly, not drive my furler down I-95 at 65MPH”. You make the call, but I would stick with the dry lubricated composite ball bearing technology of Harken Furlers.

Don’t take my word for it, but head down to your local chandlery and ask if you can give one a ‘spin’!

~Thanks for the read!

Just over a week ago, the Americas Cup teams took it back to the water on their AC 45′s as the AC World Series continued in beautiful Naples Italy. Check out the final day highlights as helmsman Francesco Bruni of Luna Rossa Swordfish takes the overall championship over the Australian Tom Slingsby of Oracle Team USA. Luna Rosa posted a thrilling win in the fleet racing finale, coming from behind on the final run in a race that saw the lead change hands three times. Earlier in the day Luna Rossa Swordfish lost the match racing championship to Oracle Team USA.

Tune in here and watch the first ever competition race of the incredible hydro-foiling  AC 72′s for the Louis Vuiton Cup taking place in San Francisco Bay on July 4, 2013.

Your sailboat rigging should be thoroughly checked once a season. The best way to do this is by pulling the mast or masts out of the boat and running down a check list. One can also spot most major problems from a bosun’s chair, and if done regularly, is generally more cost effective. It is strongly recommended that you have the spars pulled at least once every 5 years depending on the conditions that your boat and its rigging have been subjected to.

To help you do your own rigging check, here are some general guidelines for the average sloop rigged boat. For any specific questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call.                                                                                                                                                

A.    DECK LEVEL AND BELOW DECKS

1. Check the boom gooseneck for worn pins, cracked welds, etc.…

2. Check the boom for bends or dents.

3. Check all block attachment points on the boom for fatigue or wear, i.e. vang bails, sheet bails.

4. Check all blocks and shackle attachment points for bent pins, distorted shackles, missing or loose ring pins, etc.…

5. To check halyards, attach a spare line to the shackle end and pull up on the halyard slowly. Check the line and check the shackle for proper operation.

6. Check all shroud, stay, and lifeline swages for cracks.

7. Check lifelines where they go through stanchion post for excessive wear.

8. Make sure the mast sits flush on the mast step.

9. If your mast is keel stepped, make sure the mast is securely chocked where it goes through the deck.

10. Check the chain plate attachment points below deck for wear or rot or any evidence of water damage.

11. Make sure the chain plates or chain plate cover plates are water tight where they go through the deck.  

12. Check turnbuckles for bends in the body or stud, cracks, excessive rust, as well as ensure all turnbuckles are secured properly. Either by way of cotter pin, locking nut or ring pin.                   

B.   THE MASTHEAD

1. Check all welds for cracks.

2. Check any masthead gear for secure attachment.

3. Check all pins are properly secured, either by way of cotter pin or ring pin.

4. Make sure the sheaves turn freely and the pins that hold them in are secure.

5. Check for sharp edges where halyards exit. 

6. Make sure all fasteners, rivets, screws  are tight.

7. Check head and backstay swages for cracks.

8. If you have an external mainsail track, as you descend, check the fasteners.

C.  SHROUDS

 1. Check swages for cracks.

 2. Check the shroud tangs for wear.

 3. Check clevis pins for wear.

4. Check cotter pins.

 5. Make sure the tang bolt (if present) is tight and locked in a secure manner.

D.   SPREADERS

 1. If spreaders or brackets are welded, look for stress cracks.

 2. Make sure spreader bases are secure.

 3. Make sure the spreader is well fastened to the base.

4. Tape or silicone over any sharp bolts or cotter pins in this area. 

5. Check spreader tips for corrosion (remove any tape or boots) and ensure spreader tips are secured to upper shrouds by seizing or clamps.

For rod rigging service and inspection intervals, read more here.

Well folks, apparently the last one was such a success that they’re doing it again. U.S. Yacht Shows proudly presents, the second annual Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show 2013. The event will be held in Annapolis’ historical downtown, City Dock. The Annapolis Fall boat show, has helped to build the town’s reputation for hosting the largest boat show in the world. This show is closely following in its footsteps, branding itself this year’s “One of the Largest Boat Shows in the Country”. The show will include  more than 80 boats, both mono and multi-hull.  As usual the shore and the docks will be cluttered with over 100 maritime and nautical exhibitors. Make sure to ask about any and all special show pricing, as I am sure many will be offering discounts. Also,the show will once again, feature Cruisers University, a four-day educational event designed to introduce and train students for life aboard a cruising boat.

The Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show will take place in this week, April 26 -28. So make sure to stop by, say hi and see what goodies we might have to give away. We will have an experienced rigger on site to answer any rigging questions that you may have.

Thanks for the read and see you at the show!

-The Rigging Company