Reading Steve's 'log of Spartina' most recent post reminded me to update my SPOT personal locator beacon information. I added in details of the safety equipment carried on Arwen; details about her colour scheme and sails carried; and a brief summary of my normal sailing area and sailing experience. I also referenced it to the UK coastguard CG 66 database which has more details.
Meanwhile in the garage, block production continues. They are getting better in quality. I'm currently working on a triple block and a double block for the centreboard up haul. The rope grommets are made of 6mm hempex, a synthetic but realistic looking hemp. The thimbles are stainless steel. I did spend ages trying to make thimble out of copper pipe bashed between two ball hammers. It was a frustrating experience resulting in many, many.............many lopsided round thimbles. So I gave up and bought them. A failure in persistence!
Hopefully these will be finished this week and then I can make a few more single blocks for a mizzen mast and possibly to replace blocks under the bowsprit that tension it. I have plenty of wood, rope and sheaves to make several more but for what end? I could sell them on eBay I guess but I have issues with that. The quality isn't professional enough and the the weight limit on the hemp is about 400 kgs. So........I need to think about what to do with some of them. The rest of the wood I will keep. I have quite a few small off cuts which will form some nice mahogany pads for various deck tackle and fittings.
Steve
Meanwhile in the garage, block production continues. They are getting better in quality. I'm currently working on a triple block and a double block for the centreboard up haul. The rope grommets are made of 6mm hempex, a synthetic but realistic looking hemp. The thimbles are stainless steel. I did spend ages trying to make thimble out of copper pipe bashed between two ball hammers. It was a frustrating experience resulting in many, many.............many lopsided round thimbles. So I gave up and bought them. A failure in persistence!
Hopefully these will be finished this week and then I can make a few more single blocks for a mizzen mast and possibly to replace blocks under the bowsprit that tension it. I have plenty of wood, rope and sheaves to make several more but for what end? I could sell them on eBay I guess but I have issues with that. The quality isn't professional enough and the the weight limit on the hemp is about 400 kgs. So........I need to think about what to do with some of them. The rest of the wood I will keep. I have quite a few small off cuts which will form some nice mahogany pads for various deck tackle and fittings.
Steve
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