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Leading Halyards Aft

Leading halyards aft is becoming quite popular on newer boats today. Leading the lines to the cockpit can provide the convenience of not having to leave the safety cockpit in order to control the sails. This comes at the cost of added friction, even when using extremely high end hardware to try and reduce this….

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The Highfield Lever

The Highfield lever was originally invented by the late Mr J. S. Highfield in about 1930. I believe this concept was initially intended to load and release running backstays at a predesignated tension. This method for runner tensioning has since been replaced with ‘high speed’ synthetics, fancy blocks, tackles, and/or dedicated winches. Some years later,…

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Pin and Tape……

…….A term regularly used here at The Rigging Company. Yet this small detail appears to elude most, at least when it comes to doing it correctly. I always say, “details are what make the difference between a professional job and one that is well, not so professional”. If you take notice as to how your…

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Cleats

In today’s sailboat hardware market we will find 3 primary types of cleats. Cam Cleats, Clam Cleats, and Horn Cleats. The clam cleat is almost obsolete in today’s sailboat technology. The main problem with them is that they are difficult to secure and easy to un-cleat. The clam cleat comes in handy in maybe only a…

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Lubricants for Sailboats!

There are many lubricant products that all claim to do different things, or do they? So it is easy to see why this can become confusing. Not to mention there are even more lubrication products becoming available on the market every day. I have been on many boats and usually see mixture of WD-40 and some sort…

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No Rudder, No Problem!

Ever wonder, “what if we lose steerage”? Well this little video, brought to you by our friends at Yachting Monthly, covers a few concepts to help allow you to get your boat back under control. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99KSZ3mEoKQ&w=420&h=315]   They say that they took a rudderless GK29 and tried 3 different ways of steering it. Maybe…

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Furling the Mainsail

After all of the conveniences that technology has afforded us sailors, there is still one luxury that has eluded us. Although more popular than ever, a furling mainsail is still not 100% standard equipment on today’s boats. The reason for this is that it has always presented some negatives that leave many people unsure about whether…

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Choosing the Right Rope for Your Sailboat

Deciding what rope to buy for a specific application can be a bit complicated. Only because there are so many different manufacturers, products, and not to mention the vast array of terms associated with rope. Let’s try and simplify this process a bit. For the sake of keeping this short and sweet we’ll narrow it…

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Classic Lines, Modern Comforts, and…

…easy to handle. The Tofinou 12 is hard to be outdone as far looks and ease of sail handling are concerned. I really like the sort of “Dragon-ish” foredeck design which puts the headstay several feet in from the very point of the boat. This allows the asymmetrical spinnaker to be flown via an internal tack…