How To Size A Boat Fender To Fit Your Sailboat
January 23, 2010 by Chris Wethered
Filed under Boat Engines And Sailboat Hardware, Sailboat Rigging And Marine Rope
Ensuring your boat is protected
at the dock is at the heart of this post. Our video from West Marine centers around the range of how to size your boat fender correctly. There are a few
basic rules that you should follow in order to maintain your boat correctly dockside. There is a range of boat bumpers covered in the video, naturally everyone needs a specific type of
fender to suit there boat. The design features of the different products are clearly demonstrated, so you can be sure to make the correct purchasing decision.
The number one rule that should be adhered to is:
One inch of fender diameter for every five feet of boat length
The second rule to follow is:
Two shock absorbers for every ten feet of boat length
So if you have a thirty feet boat you should have six fenders that are at least five inches in diameter, five fenders to be tied on to the rails and one to be used as roving whilst docking.
Here's Chuck to explain
Two names
that are at the heart of the market are Taylor and Hull Gard, you will see a lot of products made by these brands. Indeed Hull Gard is a Taylor brand.
The materials used in boat fenders are types of vinyl. In general soft vinyl is used to for the protective, cushioning parts and harder vinyl is used for the eyelets. Of course you can match the color of your fenders to suit your hull color and accessorize them with covers if you wish.
Most designs have an inflation valve which allows you to moderate the amount of air inside the chambers. You need the cushioning to be firm to the touch, so that a buffer zone is established.
In the larger designs, the valve has been adapted to fit a Philips bit, which means you can use an air compressor to speed up the filling.
Taylor boat fenders come in many shapes and sizes. West Marine have some innovative docking solutions too!
Features include:
- An eyelet at either end, meaning you can hang the buffer either vertically or horizontally
- Valves to offering adjustable inflation pressures from the boat bumpers
- Ribbing, which provides added protection
- Inflatable fenders, inflatable vinyl for stowage are also available if you need
- Modular foam filled fenders mean you can construct unique fending solutions, for your particular needs
Time to get your docking and tendering solutions!
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Boat Anchors
June 13, 2009 by Chris Wethered
Filed under Boat Engines And Sailboat Hardware, Sailboat Rigging And Marine Rope
Do your boat anchors provide the correct support?
If you spend your time on the water cruising, you need as many ground tackle devices as seabed conditions.
If the anchor is the wrong type, either you risk dragging it, usually in the middle of night, or having to find a spot with the preferred seabed conditions. Or you can take the straight
forward thinking ahead decision to have a range to suit the seabeds.
Actually the investment is worth it.
With the correct anchor you have:
- Less chance of dragging
- Less chance of loosing it to the seabed
- Happier crew through easy mooring
Knowing the seabed surface determines which hook to sling
With the wrong tackle your bound to get in to an avoidable and potentially expense fix! A bit late for "I told you so!"
Watch this video presentation!
Did you know about the 10% discount at West Marine right now?
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Leech Lines
June 12, 2009 by Chris Wethered
Filed under Sailboat Rigging And Marine Rope
All about character
Allowing precise sail adjustment. Leech lines run from the top of mainsails and foresails to bottom. Depending on what you want from your sail, you can tweak these lines it improve the sail characteristics. Wind dictates how well a sail curves. The curve of the sail relates to the efficiency of the boat to use the wind.
The speed differential of one side of the sail to the other is how the boat moves through the water. Same with airplane wings. These ropes tend to be pre stretched, so this won’t occur for the customer. Some sailors spend a lot of time perfecting the leech for the conditions. Used in relation to other “tweaker strings” this can be the difference of 1/2 a knot over the ground.
just to the right of the clew runs the leech line which offers tuning
What’s the difference?
That extra half a knot makes a difference! You can get from A to B quicker, making your crew happy to keep sailing. It’s always a shame to switch the engine on at the end of the day. Having the right leech lines in your sails means, less engine expense! So give yours a look over and discover whether you could get more from the wind!
Taking the lead starts here
You can buy more here. Provided by West Marine. They have the right product for you. Their forty years of being in business is clearly demonstrated in their customer service.
Take advantage! West Marine are offering a 10% discount, when you spend over $100!
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Looking for dock safety halyards
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Halyards
June 12, 2009 by Chris Wethered
Filed under Sailboat Rigging And Marine Rope
Is stretching slowing boatspeed?
Boat speed is determined by a range of factors. Stretched halyards are one of them. Because sail shape is linked to boat speed, your lines are contributing to the speed of your sailboat.
Of course they are designed for the task at hand, but they do suffer over time. Stretched lines mean weak lines. You can easily check them out.
Do the following:
- Look out for memory when you coil them
- Hold a couple of feet in your hand and see whether it falls towards the deck or stays in the air
- Look at the overall condition of the line, color, ease of flaking
Quick checks
These simply checks can help you determine whether you need to buy more halyards. This could be the key to improved boat speed! Better sail trim, improves boat speed.
Check out that sail shape - beautiful and fast!
Here's the practical advantage
By raising your average boat speed you will benefit. Suppose your out cruising with your family and you've decided to round it off and go back home. In order for the tide to be in your
favor you need that fraction more from the sails. So the sails are set and you've done all you can do with the vang. But the speed does not change! You can't get the sail trim to meet
Catch the tide!
with the prevailing wind and you wont catch that tide either! It's down to the depreciated condition of your halyards. So you motor in, instead. That's a shame when you could have sailed.
Good news
Here's the good news! You may need some of that! West Marine supplies halyards to suit all sailboats, you can browse through below and get the boat speed you deserve!
Want more for your money? West Marine are giving away 10% on orders over £100!
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Looking for dock safety halyards
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Anchor Line
June 12, 2009 by Chris Wethered
Filed under Sailboat Rigging And Marine Rope
Here are two question for you:
- What kind of sailing do you do?
- How often do you actually use the anchor line?
Knowing the conditions
If your in to exploring coves and beaches on a regular basis, then you will be aware of condition. Your ground tackle and it's line should be receiving a regular look over. After all anchor
lines are designed to stand thousands of pounds of strain, rather than sitting in a musty locker endlessly. If you haven't used the hook in some time, the least you should be doing is
Once over
soaping down the locker and the line. Uncoiling too, checking for any accumulated memory. Memory is a bad sign. Memory means that the nylon is in need of a proper stretch! Preferably:
attached to the anchor, which is embedded in the seabed! In order for the memory to be removed. Organize a trip! Otherwise the problem will only get worse!
A new, unkinked rope ready for duty
Your judgment is important here because if you think that the rope always coils in the same places and has been for some time, then you need to get another rope.
Dynamics and judgment
The conditions anchor lines are put through are tough. The dynamics of a boat at anchor are considerable. Imagine the swell, tides coming in and going out. The weight of the boat itself is measured in
tonnes! So if your gut is telling you that the rope is beyond use, then get another! The advantages of getting another far out weigh keeping your current one. With a new anchor line, you
have the choice to anchor. If you don't change over and decided to anchor, then your increasing the risk of something untoward happening. Boating is all about minimizing risk.
A topic West Marine have been familiar with for over forty years. Your peace of mind is assured, along with the prompt delivery of your products. Check the range below - today
Did you know about the 10% discount at West Marine right now?
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