BOAT GADGET
PIMPS
BOAT GADGET PIMPS....
USEFUL GADGETS TO FULLY PIMP YOUR SKIFF
Mast Head Fitting (Justo Martinez ESP)
PIMP MY SKIFF TIPS AND ADVICE FROM THE CLASS
Here is my solution for the mast head crane. My mast head crane with the hole (made from Ovington) breaks, so I started to think about a solution.
I use a small piece 4 mm dynema to tide the halyard. I have been sailing for three months with full cunni a few days and the halyard and the dynema piece do not have any damage.
A detailed step-by-step guide is now shown below …
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Instructions:
Just do what it shows in the pictures …
Instructions:
Just do what it shows in the pictures … or ask Justo via the forum here.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Ovington's Carbon Compass bracket available for the MUSTO Skiff
PIMP MY SKIFF TIPS AND ADVICE FROM THE CLASS
Ovington Boats has developed a custom compass bracket for the Musto Skiff to take the Tacktick Micro. A two piece carbon moulding makes for a smooth clean fitting that sits neatly at the base of the mast.
This is available now direct from Ovington via www.ovingtonboats.com
How to Progrip the Wings
(By Max Doehler, GER 403)
PIMP MY SKIFF TIPS AND ADVICE FROM THE CLASS
After 4 years of use, the original grey anti-slip tape on my wings was completely worn off. Therefore, I decided to take the time to change it for Progrip.
I believe ProGrip is superior to the grey tape because it provides better grip, it dosen’t wear out your clothes or skin. It also looks better and it is cheaper. But, it is less robust to damage.
Changing it only takes 2 hours. This is the instruction for all who those who like to stand safely on the wings again.
1. Remove all parts as footloops, bushing for trapeze elastic, end-caps etc..
2. With a hot air gun you can heat the old tape from outside in sections of approx 30-40 cm and rip it off. Alternatively you can use a hairdryer and plug it into one end of the wing. The wing will be heated from inside and you can use both hands for ripping. I would not recommend this with a hot air gun because the glued connection of inner and outer bar could be harmed.
3. If there are any leftovers of the adhesive, wash them down with acetone and an old cloth.
4. Cut the ProGrip at a little more length than needed.
5. Fix the ProGrip with a longitudinal edge at the wing. The surface of the bar has a different colour where it was under the old grip. You can use the borderline for orientation. Don’t fix the ProGrip around the bar at once. In order not to wrap the ProGrip, do not use too much power while sticking it on.
6. Once the ProGrip is fixed on one side, you can carefully push the remaining with flat hands around the wing. In order not to cause blisters, do not rod the material. If it is fixed at all, you can use more power.
7. In the end just cut off the overlapping parts at the bar ends and fix the fittings again. Ready!
The ambient temperature should be around 20 degree to guarantee a good crosslinking of the adhesive. While sticking the ProGrip on, the wing can be heated up.
On request I got the answer that the permanent pressure for a longer period should improve the ProGrip/bar-connection. Although, I don’t know if it’s right, I did it and I have left the wings in my cellar until the season starts.
There is one minor disadvantage of ProGrip. If you like to renew it, it is not that easy to rip off like the old grey tape. But, next to all the advantages – like good grip, long lasting and reduced wear of clothes due to soft surface – this is negligible.
You will enjoy it the next time on the race course when the others slip around in their boats while you can fully concentrate on good racing. ;o)
This tip was provided by Max – Musto Skiff – GER 403
Pimp For An Older Trapeze Harness (By Rick Perkins & Ian Renilson)
PIMP MY SKIFF TIPS AND ADVICE FROM THE CLASS
All good pimps should have somthing special hanging from the crotch …
This mod has been developed to attach the mainsheet tail to the harness.
Mode Requires:
- Lewmar Nab Shackle
Top Pic is Rick’s Harness / Lower Pic is Ian’s Harness
Instructions from Ian:
I use a clip on my harness so that I can control the main from the wire whilst going downwind without leaning in and I don’t have to worry about it through the gybe.
I don’t know how people manage without a clip – they must be much cleverer than me. But no matter how clever they are, I’m sure they would find a good clip to be very beneficial with only a couple of very minor drawbacks – so why wouldn’t you use one?
I’ve tried several clip arrangements and the best I’ve come up with is a modified Lewmar Nab Shackle attached to the crotch of my harness.
The clip is prevented from twisting so that if I always put the mainsheet into the clip the same way then I know which side to grab (i.e. the side going to the cleat rather than the take-away).
The clip is fitted on my harness below the trap hook so that it does not get catch when I hook-on.
The clip is held firmly so that it can pivot but not twist – that way I can clip and unclip the sheet with one hand – the only time I do this during sailing is when I capsize.
I take a Lewmar Nab Shackle and cut off most of the eye at the end then drill across the remaining legs of the eye to produce two small holes – which I then use to attach it to my harness with thin rope. See photos of the harness.
When you are using a clip is important that your mainsheet take-away is near the base of the mainsheet tower, rather than at the back of the boat – or you will trip up on the mainsheet.
I think the only down-sides of a good clip are:
- It takes a little practice to prevent getting caught up in the mainsheet – mostly during tacks.
- Very occasionally you still get caught up in it.
- When you capsize & recover it’s something else to do (that’s the only significant drawback, but it saves so many capsizes……)
The benefits are numerous – basically it makes sailing much easier – more reliable – and you can do things that you can’t do without a clip so it is faster around the racecourse too…
Rick adds … I echo Ian’s comments. I have mine on elastic to give a bit of give should I stand on the tail of the mainsheet or capsize. The downside of that is that it needs two hands to release the mainsheet during a capsize – another incentive not to do it!
Using TACKING STICKS
BY ANDY TARBOTON
Tacking sticks are as personal as your favourite shoes in my opinion – they need to feel just right! You need to have the confidence without having to look at the hook each time you cross the boat. When I first started experimenting with tacking sticks, I tried five variations before starting to narrow down on the key features of my preference.
Considerations
Tube diameter and length are very personal considerations, as well as handle position, type of ring and cleat, but at the end of the day, I have found them to make a significant contribution to my boat handling since making the change a few years back.
My Current Set Up
The current set of tacking sticks I use, I got from a local company, and they are made using 10mm OD tube, 400mm long, with the handle 80mm below the top. The ring is bolted through the tube and the area around it reinforced. A tension line runs up the inside of the tube to take the loads while on the trapeze and ties off at the cleat above the tacking stick.
I have the cleat immediately above the tacking stick so that it is always the same height above my hand when adjusting it. Above this, my coarse adjuster runs through a block and back down to end on the top of the cleat. Above this again, I have a fine tune take up to raise or lower the whole system depending on wind conditions for the day. This is primarily because I believe I would trip up or unintentionally uncleat the adjustment line if it were swinging around the deck, resulting in some more Musto Skiff sponsored swimming lessons.
The keen eye will notice some thin lines about a third of the way up from the bottom of the stick – again, the workings of a mad scientist getting lost in the dwellings of his head on a cold, rainy and windy winters day… These are the attachment points for the bungee on the rack, set about a third of the way up so that I am not trying to lever the ring into my trapeze hook with too much resistance from the bungee that would occur if I had the bungee at the bottom of the tube.
Additionally, I have the second tie off point higher up because I effectively reduce the bungee length on strong wind days to keep the tacking sticks from flapping around when I am trying to grab hold of them. I have experienced this when the bungee is set longer for light wind days and then the breeze has built, and hence the bungee has been slack with the lower hooks.
While I have taken a very obsessive approach to it, others have used electrical cable plastic tubing with grip tape around it, broken tiller extensions, or other brands of commercially available tacking sticks with equal effectiveness.
