Leather Chafing Gear?

Chuck · Post by **Chuck** » Jun 10th, '06, 06:48

I have some dock lines (from PO) that have a piece of leather laced (sewn) around the line, where the line goes through the chock, that is very professionally done, and seems very tough. Do any of you know where to get this leather? Or a rigging shop that does this? I've thought about trying it myseld, but I know it will not come out this nice.
Thanks,
Chuck
Gulf Coast Fleet

"Only going to be 97 degrees today!"

Neil Gordon · Post by **Neil Gordon** » Jun 10th, '06, 07:08

You can get the kit at West Marine.

If you want to start with raw materials, try eBay. There are lots of listings for hides and some list scraps that could be more than sufficient for the sizes you'd need. You could try your local shoe repair shop, too, for insight into sources.

Steve Laume · Post by **Steve Laume** » Jun 10th, '06, 07:37

Chuck, I too have been impressed by the leather chafing guards on dock lines. That said I used old fire hose with wire ties to winter over in the dock this passed season. Not very elegant but effective. The rest of the year we are out on the mooring. I am not sure where you would find the leather for marine use or even if the curing process is different for one use to another but I believe it might be. Tandy Leather always used to be the source for leather and supplies. As for being able to get a good looking job on the dock lines yourself, I think you are overestimating the difficulty of the job. Although I have not done dock lines I have done leathers on a couple of sets of oars. On the oar leathers and probably on the chafe guards too you use a baseball stitch. It is exactly like lacing up a pair of shoes. It is just not that difficult to do. I think I have seen kits made up for lines with the holes already punched for dock lines. There is a company whos name escapes me now that makes wheel covers and all sorts of other chafing gear too. You will have a very sharp looking boat if you start stitching up all that leather. Seems like a perfect job for some quiet evening sitting around on the boat with a cold drink by your side, Steve.

Anthony P. Jeske · Post by **Anthony P. Jeske** » Jun 10th, '06, 09:19

You can purchase leather chafe guards from West Marine. They come in different sizes to fit the diameter of the line you use. After buying the first set from WM, I purchased a second set which I use as a template and now make my own. I bought a four prong leather punch from Tandy Leather, it makes the punching job go quickly.
I get one and a half to two years life from a set. That's a full twelve month year, as the boats are in the water year 'round here in San Diego.
Good Luck,
Tony

Oswego John · Post by **Oswego John** » Jun 10th, '06, 09:29

Chuck,

How do you get good at doing something? How do you get to Carnegie Hall?

PRACTICE,PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

Get your feet wet. Try doing leather work till you get good at it.

O J

Tom in Cambria · Post by **Tom in Cambria** » Jun 11th, '06, 00:05

You'll find them on page 164 of the Defender catalog. It includes a needle and waxed twine for 5.99$ Item 001165 for 1/2 inch line.

Neil Gordon · Post by **Neil Gordon** » Jun 11th, '06, 05:07

Oswego John wrote:How do you get to Carnegie Hall?

Carter can probably give as good directions as anybody.

jdhunter · Post by **jdhunter** » Jun 11th, '06, 11:31

Chuck,

Mike Little lives in our neighborhood and he has been doing rigging and boat work for 32 years here in Clear Lake. He is the service manager at Sea Lake Yacht Sales now. If you need whipping on the end of dock lines, chafe gear done, or even a wire rope spliced into braid he can do it.

J

Richard G. · Post by **Richard G.** » Jun 11th, '06, 13:36

I stop off at a couple of auto re upolstory (sp) places in the area. They often have leather seats that they are re doing and give me the old material. I cut the leather into strips and then stop off at the shoe maker to sew the sleaves that I slip over the dock lines and then a couple of stiches to hold them in place. I make the sleaves a little larger than the diameter of the line and then pull them inside out, so that the stiching is on the inside and protected from the sun. Needle nose plyers are a great help in this part of the process.

Chuck · Post by **Chuck** » Jun 11th, '06, 13:42

Hey,
What a great bunch of guys. Thanks.
Practice, practice, practice!!!!!
Neil, are you coming to the CDSOA meeting in Annapolis, in November? Be good to meet you.
Thanks JD.
Chuck

Neil Gordon · Post by **Neil Gordon** » Jun 11th, '06, 16:26

Chuck wrote:Neil, are you coming to the CDSOA meeting in Annapolis, in November? Be good to meet you.

Would be good to meet you, too. I don't have any plans right now, but you never know.

Carter Brey · Post by **Carter Brey** » Jun 11th, '06, 16:55

Neil Gordon wrote:
Oswego John wrote:How do you get to Carnegie Hall?
Carter can probably give as good directions as anybody.

Try 73.98 degrees west by 40.77 degrees north. If that doesn't work, just spend your entire childhood practicing 6 hours a day.

rtbates · Post by **rtbates** » Jun 12th, '06, 08:39

I buy leather scraps from Tandy. Leather not only looks very seaman it does the job of chafe protection better than anything else I've tried. I haven't tried fire hose yet.

mahalocd36 · Post by **mahalocd36** » Jun 12th, '06, 08:53

www.sailrite.com also sells leather in various weights by the square foot.

We were lucky to get some firehose this year from our local FD. Certainly doesn't look as shippy and nice but our neighbor said it lasts an amazingly long time. Haven't tried it yet.

The Cape Dory Board

Leather Chafing Gear?

Leather Chafing Gear?

Leather

Leather chafe Guards

Leather Chafing Gear

Leather Chafe Guards

Re: Leather Chafing Gear

Call Mike Little at Sea Lake

Chaffing Gear

Chafing Gear

Re: Meeting

Re: Leather Chafing Gear

scraps from Tandy

sailing leather