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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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Views from Aloft

Our Views from Aloft segment made it’s 2014 debut last week at Muller Marine in beautiful downtown Eastport, Annapolis, MD. Here I went aloft using our self hoist. This was a full inspection for insurance, not part of our FREE inspection promo.   This type of inspection covers every rigging related nut, bolt and pin via…

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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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Stanchion Bases

Stanchion bases are an often forgotten about, yet important, portion of our boat. They are responsible for giving our boat’s lifelines ‘a foot to stand on’ – so to speak. Unfortunately, stanchion bases are also a major reason for soft decks. We (at The Rigging Co.) tend to think this is because of the long fulcrum that is naturally created by the…

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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…