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….
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,…
…….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…
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…
The sailboat block (commonly referred to as a pulley) is used to turn a line or wire as well as to facilitate a purchase. The parts of a block, in simple terms, consist of the following: A sheave for the line to run on. A sheave pin or axle for the sheave to spin on. A strap or…
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…
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…
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…
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…
As most things in life, there are pluses and minuses. Lewmar and Spinlock clutches are no exception. Let’s have a look…… Lewmar boasts of their “domino” style locking mechanism. Spinlock raves about their cam being a superior rope grabbing mechanism. Well, both are pretty cool and both have their place, let’s have a look… One of the downsides to the Lewmar clutch,…
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…
Sad, that I still have no idea how to use one of these. I found this video quite helpful in describing how to get a rough fix on location. I am sure this is becoming a lost art with all of the available technology today. However, I think of it as an essential skill in…
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