ShrinkWrap Puzzler

[Paul D.]

Well it is the end of the season here on Lake Superior, even though the weather is so fine that we should be out in the islands. Here we are with our 33 and 36, all ready for the northern winter. The propane shrink torch was on its last leg and blurted out the flame like an untamed natural gas well. Backs were sore but somewhere in the distance, an eagle flew.

Can you tell which cheap bastard re used the shrink film from last year? (Hey, it is an already preformed tarp, man!)

[David van den Burgh]

What's wrapped around your furling foils? Halyards? Shrink wrap looks good, by the way

[John Danicic]

Wrapped up just in time I would say. Forecast for tomorrow is for 40 knot gales on the lake through Wednesday.

The yard man says he is going to put all the currently floating Cape Dorys in a row next to each other this year. 6 in all. That would be a great photo op when I return in the spring. Two other CD's have been on the hard for a few years and are in a back lot. In all we have 8 Cape Dories at our marina.

Here is a shot of what we have out now; three CD's. Two CD 36's and a CD33 in the middle. Next week, another CD36 and then two CD 30 will be there. Alas, I will be 237 miles away.

[John Danicic]

What's wrapped around your furling foils? Halyards? Shrink wrap looks good, by the way

Dave:

Thank you. We are proud of the job we do with the shrink wrap. Not easy to do but it creates a great interior space for spring work and keeps the snow and winter sun off our boats quite effectively. It is fairly cheep if you do it your self. I got the tools and the know how from the previous owner.

Yep, we wrap the halyards around the furlers to keep the yard peaceful all winter long at least our boats are quiet.

The CD 33 (left) has a large amount of shrink wrap piled up above the cover. Not sure why my brother did that. Probably had extra wrap to deal with. It is all relatively tight and leak proof.

[Paul D.]

David, I run messenger lines up for the halyards for winter. They are external so come out of the sheeves at the for and aft of the crane. I take each of these down the forestay and backstay, jib shackle end down forestay, jib halyard tail down backstay and the reverse for the main halyard etc. I wrap them around the stays so they form a tight spiral. I have not had any chafe or noise this way. I figure if it is good enough for car antenna designs then it works for me!

I pull the spinnaker halyard down completely with no messenger. This make me go up the mast and check the fittings each spring when I reeve it back through.

[Ron M.]

Cheap works for me........I re-used my shrink wrap for 5 years before accidentally slicing it bringing new counter tops below.
During the season kept it rolled up in a plastic garbage can with lid.

[Jim Cornwell]

What are you using for wintertime messengers, Paul. I've been using cheap "poly rope" from the big box store for the last number of years, but lately it's been getting consumed by UV in just one season. Time to reevaluate! Old fashioned cotton clothesline, maybe?

[John Danicic]

Jim:


I too have been using cheap, 3/16 inch colored line from a farm supply store. $3.99 for 100 feet. They are not labeled as to what they are made of or if they are UV resistant. That's probably because they are made from various materials at various times to remain cheap. I put a date on each messenger with a piece of tape when I start to use it and then replace them after one starts getting real chalky. This take 2 to 4 years. White clothes line seems to last the longest….maybe 5 years or so. The darker the colored line the faster it tends to chalk. I think I will start to replace my lines with "outdoor", white clothes line in the future. In all, I have 5 halyards to substitute with 3/16 inch messenger lines, (all different colors). Plus the flag and radar reflector halyard. Then there are the two lazy jacks lines. I use 1/16 inch nylon cord that comes on 500 foot rolls for these as the blocks are smaller and a larger messenger has trouble going through them. These messengers are replaced every other year. ….. So lots of messenger lines to work with. Since our boats are out of the water for almost 8 months, I feel this is a cost effective way to save the working lines from unnecessary UV exposure. It is not a bad job running the messenger lines on a nice sunny fall or spring day. Satisfying boat work.

[Paul D.]

Jim,

Like my brother I use cheap farm supply line for messengers and keep an eye on it. When I find some good parachute cord about 3/16 I like to use that. I agree with John that we get about 2-4 seasons before needing to replace.

I must have had some different clothesline because I had a bad experience with it when it chalked up early and then all of a sudden failed miserably. Anyway I usually rotate years I buy line so as to always have a good one. Yes, one year, trying to use the chalky messenger line one last time (cheap Slovenian bastard that I am) to run the main halyard, I broke it. The jib and spinnaker lines were down so yep, I needed to crawl up the mast in the spring without any lines. Not something I want to do again.

Still, I usually pull down my spinnaker halyard completely compelling me to go up the mast in the spring, get my hands and eyes on all fittings and spray the mast track and furler track with lube. This way I know what's going on up there and boy my sails come down fast!

I figure it takes me about 15 minutes to tie and run the messenger lines and then foul them on the backstay and forestays in the fall and about the same amount of time to reverse and reeve the halyards in the spring. Seems to stay very secure over the winter.

[Jim Walsh]

(cheap Slovenian bastard that I am)

When referring to others the term "cheap" is acceptable, when referring to oneself "parsimonious" is preferred.

[John Danicic]

(cheap Slovenian bastard that I am)

When referring to others the term "cheap" is acceptable, when referring to oneself "parsimonious" is preferred.

Yes Paul, if you were truly parsimonious, you wouldn't have bought a Cape Dory. I like, "hidebound" myself as alternative to cheap.

[Paul D.]

No, I am pretty sure I fit the description of cheap. Why else would I make the decision to use an obviously spent messenger line in order to save probably under a dollar? What's bred in the bone will out in the flesh.

[Jim Cornwell]

In the construction industry I'm a part of, everyone is fond of "cost-effective," which is just a euphemism for "cheap." Thanks for the advice!

[RLW]

My messengers are New England Ropes 1/8" x 50' Dacron cord, cut to length. Must be cheap...it's made in China!

[Jim Cornwell]

1/8" dacron cord would have ample strength and very low windage, but I've worried that it could jump out of the sheaves at the masthead and get jammed up there. No?