Last summer when we were sailing out of Crayford Creek, we had to gybe more than was normal due to the nature of the bends and wind direction. It was also a little breezy.
The upshot was that when I stowed the main on our approach to a mooring at the Erith Yacht club, I found that one of the nylon sail shackles had shattered. No problem ,fit a spare – my last of the size in use.
So, over a pot of tea, I went on line and ordered a package of shackles to be delivered to Limehouse Marina where we were due to berth a couple of days later.
When they arrived, they weren’t the ones I thought I’d ordered: Whimbrel has the anti-seize type with the little barb.
So, with time on my hands I set to and ordered the correct shackles and also a handful of slides with the built in stainless eye for use at the top of the main sail. A few have broken over the seasons and I had one left!
They were obtained from www.chandleryoutlet.com
From Pace Marine came the varnish I needed to get the hatch varnished. In my order, I had asked for the small 375 ml tins which I prefer as less is lost towards the end of the tin when it invariably skins over…
Well, the phone rang shortly after pressing ‘send’ on the order. They had two tins little tins, but not three. They sent the two and also uprated the third to a full 750 ml tin at no extra charge!
Amongst the order was a ‘present’ for Christobel for it isn’t so very long before she will be entertaining herself with one of her favourite activities – antifouling!
The prices too had been held back to their ‘Christmas’ offer level too. Thank you guys!
I needed some new bronze screws for the fore hatch as I had run out of the size needed and felt it best to renew rather than reuse the old ones. At same time I topped up stocks too.
See: www.seaware.co.uk
Used to use Combwich now part of Anglia Stainless, but found getting into their ordering site impossible, so I gave up! Doing a search, I found a company based in the heart of the Falmouth traditional boat country. They were more than helpful and had an easy to use ordering system.
Job done!
My next project was centre plate bolts.
For years I have used standard 4.6 grade galvanised mild steel bolts of 20 mm diameter. The last time I went to get some from a supplier I had used several ties over the years (I buy a box of 5 or 10 at a time) they sold me anodised grade 8.8 bolts. These are ‘standard’ builders bolts of relatively high tensile strength compared to the ‘plain’ mild steel bolts. They have more carbon in their make up and hence corrode far faster.
A 4.6 grade bolt easily lasts two years with the use Whimbrel’s centre plate gets. The tensile bolts need changing annually without fail!
The difference in wastage is stark!
The company made me up a box of 20 hot dipped galvanised bolts at a very reasonable price, even taking into account the transport cost of £16.00!!
See: https://www.rcfboltnut.co.uk/
I now have enough, probably, to outlast my continued ownership of Whimbrel.
Now that is a sobering thought in itself. Oh heck!