Split Pin Taping.
30/10/11 01:10 Filed in: Uruguay
Spent an hour hosing off all the salt accumulated during recent strong S-SE winds.
The standard method of taping split pins is to use electrical tape. Sadly, this tape does not do well in a hot climate. It starts to come off pretty quickly. Three years ago in Bahia I tried duct tape. This was more durable but when removed here, in Piriapolis, for a rigging check much of the outer layer had worn away leaving the membrane and hardened glue.
My latest idea is to apply electrical tape in the usual way but then add an outer layer of reflective silver tape. This silver tape is sold in Argentina and used to protect exterior insulation on domestic air conditioner piping. We shall see.
In most Hidrografia ports n Uruguay the standard mooring arrangement is two lines astern to a buoy/s and two bow lines to the dock. After some experimentation I use this type of hook with a stainless steel shackle. The mooring line is attached using a long lead bowline with a round turn on the shackle. For longer periods it would be better to splice a stainless steel thimble to the line.
I noticed that my hook did not seem to be hanging correctly. Pulling the boat back to the buoy I discovered that the Hidrografia had added a new larger shackle to the buoy.
They did so without removing my hook from the existing shackle first. End result, a dogs breakfast whereby my hook was jammed in place by the new shackle.
I had to get the adjacent boat to slack his line and then put a line round the bottom of the buoy to winch it up so I could ease the load and free my hook. A process which took 45 minutes in calm conditions. Tango India Uniform.
After tidying.
The standard method of taping split pins is to use electrical tape. Sadly, this tape does not do well in a hot climate. It starts to come off pretty quickly. Three years ago in Bahia I tried duct tape. This was more durable but when removed here, in Piriapolis, for a rigging check much of the outer layer had worn away leaving the membrane and hardened glue.
My latest idea is to apply electrical tape in the usual way but then add an outer layer of reflective silver tape. This silver tape is sold in Argentina and used to protect exterior insulation on domestic air conditioner piping. We shall see.
In most Hidrografia ports n Uruguay the standard mooring arrangement is two lines astern to a buoy/s and two bow lines to the dock. After some experimentation I use this type of hook with a stainless steel shackle. The mooring line is attached using a long lead bowline with a round turn on the shackle. For longer periods it would be better to splice a stainless steel thimble to the line.
I noticed that my hook did not seem to be hanging correctly. Pulling the boat back to the buoy I discovered that the Hidrografia had added a new larger shackle to the buoy.
They did so without removing my hook from the existing shackle first. End result, a dogs breakfast whereby my hook was jammed in place by the new shackle.
I had to get the adjacent boat to slack his line and then put a line round the bottom of the buoy to winch it up so I could ease the load and free my hook. A process which took 45 minutes in calm conditions. Tango India Uniform.
After tidying.