Lewmar Main Sheet Track
It was a very low tide this morning and the sandbank was exposed a lot more than usual. I dinghied over for a walk around.
Closer to the water it was more a sand/mud mix and fairly soft.
Looking back across the sandbank towards the marina around a mile away.
A dormant Petrobras drilling site. There are quite a few of these scattered around the bay.
Sea urchins cover themselves with shells when the tide is out.
Back on board I set about rigging the main sheet car. This Lewmar product was fitted new in July 2006 and has been washed regularly in fresh water since.
Some sheaves were a bit sticky and when I pulled it apart there was very heavy galvanic corrosion. One screw broke. This is pathetic and is caused by placing aluminium next to stainless steel without some form of insulation.
This mess, on a product sold for ocean use, only became visible after dismantling. It can be prevented by proper insulation which Lewmar have neglected to include.
There is an after market product called Lanocote but it is not available here. It is a grease like paste which if applied between unlike metals insulates against galvanic corrosion. Lewmar could do with some.
I cleaned and reassembled the car using lots of grease. An e-mail to the original supplier produced no response so the next step is an e-mail to Lewmar.
Closer to the water it was more a sand/mud mix and fairly soft.
Looking back across the sandbank towards the marina around a mile away.
A dormant Petrobras drilling site. There are quite a few of these scattered around the bay.
Sea urchins cover themselves with shells when the tide is out.
Back on board I set about rigging the main sheet car. This Lewmar product was fitted new in July 2006 and has been washed regularly in fresh water since.
Some sheaves were a bit sticky and when I pulled it apart there was very heavy galvanic corrosion. One screw broke. This is pathetic and is caused by placing aluminium next to stainless steel without some form of insulation.
This mess, on a product sold for ocean use, only became visible after dismantling. It can be prevented by proper insulation which Lewmar have neglected to include.
There is an after market product called Lanocote but it is not available here. It is a grease like paste which if applied between unlike metals insulates against galvanic corrosion. Lewmar could do with some.
I cleaned and reassembled the car using lots of grease. An e-mail to the original supplier produced no response so the next step is an e-mail to Lewmar.
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