Cleaning the rigging
11/04/07 16:58 Filed in: La Coruña
We continue to have excellent weather. Fine and sunny but not too hot at around 18 c.
Today I start on cleaning and making some small modifications to the running rigging. I mistakenly left most of it rigged over the winter thinking that a regular fresh water rinse would do no harm. What I didn't consider was black coal dust and green mould.
I develop a system using three buckets. One with liquid soap (for woolens), one with fabric softener and one for fresh water rinsing. Each line/halyard is worked along the row. All the rope is in very good condition but dirty. The ropes come out of the third bucket nicely cleaned and with no sign of saltwater stiffness.
When the running rigging was originally supplied each line had an eye splice at one end with the other end being whipped. I don't like this arrangement as it is not conducive to easily reversing the rope at regular intervals so that wear is more evenly spread. This year I have decided to cut the eye splices off and reverse all the running rigging.
Discarded eye splices.
During the afternoon I attend to the port aft grabrail. This was removed in while we were at Dartside quay in September last year. It needed to be re-sealed to stop a small leak that I noticed last winter. I didn't get round to replacing the teak plugs over the screw holes so I finally did so today.
I receive a reply from Rocna Anchors in New Zealand. They suggest that the Dutch importer will be able to supply me and I duly receive quote from Holland. Two small problems. One, they have run out of anchors and won't have any before we leave La Coruna. Two, they only accept payment by bank transfer. This would be fine if one was at home but it is a real pain while cruising. Looks like I'll have to find a Spanish bank to do the transfer. It would be so much easier if they took credit cards.
Today I start on cleaning and making some small modifications to the running rigging. I mistakenly left most of it rigged over the winter thinking that a regular fresh water rinse would do no harm. What I didn't consider was black coal dust and green mould.
I develop a system using three buckets. One with liquid soap (for woolens), one with fabric softener and one for fresh water rinsing. Each line/halyard is worked along the row. All the rope is in very good condition but dirty. The ropes come out of the third bucket nicely cleaned and with no sign of saltwater stiffness.
When the running rigging was originally supplied each line had an eye splice at one end with the other end being whipped. I don't like this arrangement as it is not conducive to easily reversing the rope at regular intervals so that wear is more evenly spread. This year I have decided to cut the eye splices off and reverse all the running rigging.
Discarded eye splices.
During the afternoon I attend to the port aft grabrail. This was removed in while we were at Dartside quay in September last year. It needed to be re-sealed to stop a small leak that I noticed last winter. I didn't get round to replacing the teak plugs over the screw holes so I finally did so today.
I receive a reply from Rocna Anchors in New Zealand. They suggest that the Dutch importer will be able to supply me and I duly receive quote from Holland. Two small problems. One, they have run out of anchors and won't have any before we leave La Coruna. Two, they only accept payment by bank transfer. This would be fine if one was at home but it is a real pain while cruising. Looks like I'll have to find a Spanish bank to do the transfer. It would be so much easier if they took credit cards.