Arwen's meanderings

Hi everyone and welcome to my dinghy cruising blog about my John Welsford designed 'navigator' named Arwen. Built over three years, Arwen was launched in August 2007. She is a standing lug yawl 14' 6" in length. This blog records our dinghy cruising voyages together around the coastal waters of SW England.
Arwen has an associated YouTube channel so visit www.YouTube.com/c/plymouthwelshboy to find our most recent cruises and click subscribe.
On this blog you will find posts about dinghy cruising locations, accounts of our voyages, maintenance tips and 'How to's' ranging from rigging standing lug sails and building galley boxes to using 'anchor buddies' and creating 'pilotage notes'. I hope you find something that inspires you to get out on the water in your boat. Drop us a comment and happy sailing.
Steve and Arwen

Sunday 9 June 2013

Wooden dinghy cleats

A semi mass production of dinghy cleats continues....a mixture of traditional pillar cleats and then 'jam' cleats. The latter will eventually go along the sprit boom. The pillar cleats will replace those around the aft centre case area (for the rudder down haul and the mainsail halyard). I do them in batches of four or five when I can find a snatched hour in the garage. Rough cut on the band saw, they are sanded by the bandsaw sanding disc first and handed sanded after to a smoother finish. Screw holes are drilled and then countersunk before liberal coatings of wood oil. Every cleat is slightly unique, no two cleats are identical!
I will replace them as I go. In the meantime, thoughts are turning to the production of some wooden blocks. I am looking at different types, not least those produced by Joel for his navigator "Ellie". His are rather classy with brass straps. I'm wondering about Manila rope strops...but what's stopping me is all that sail twine binding and whipping around brass eyes that would also have to take place.....and with the Uk in the grip of a heat wave, well I'd rather be out sailing! So maybe they are a winter project!

Thoughts are also turning to when I can fit in an extended overnight voyage.  I won't have as much time, for various reasons, as I thought this coming summer holiday. I still want to do an over night up at the pool on the river Lynher. Also on the list is a launch at Totnes and a sail around to Torquay before a return to Plymouth via Salcombe. This is a 60nm or so trip with three nights I suspect. The first day, down from Totnes and around to Brixham. The second night back at Dartmouth. The third night around to salcombe. Well that is an extremely rough, not looking at any charts, estimate.

Long may the warm balmy summer continue into late August!!!

Steve



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