PS Advisor: 03/06

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Mystery Line
I bought for a song some very fancy double braid from a consignment shop to make a new halyard for the old, wood Raven I just bought. The old halyard was very frayed. The new stuff is supposed to have very low stretch, which I guess is desirable. However, I can’t seem to cut it, let alone apply a good splice for the shackle. Cant even do it with a hot knife. What to do?

Don Byers
Chicago


First of all, all line is color-coded and, if patient, you can find out what it is by poking through catalogs like those from West Marine and BoatU.S. Youve obviously bought some line made entirely – core and cover – of one of the synthetics like Spectra or Dyneema. You can cut any line, but its hard work. Riggers tape where they want to cut, put one end in a vice, hold on to the other end to provide tension, and use an old knife. Sharpen the knife (you may have to do it several times) and saw away on the line. Weve been tempted to invent a hinged box with grooved, replaceable wood inserts of different sizes and a slot for a hacksaw, but the idea hasn’t worked its way up the priority list. It probably would be something like youd see in a medieval torture dungeon. And that Raven! In the hands of an athletic, four-man crew, it used to be the worlds fastest single-hull one design.

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Painting Lead Keels
I suspect that many boat owners share this problem: For the last several years, the bottom paint has been power sprayed off the lead portion of the keel during the decommissioning of my Tartan 31. The paint on the fiberglass portion of the bottom has been fine. I have tried several primers and application methods to no avail. How do I treat the lead to take and hold antifouling paint?

Frank Pryzbylynsky
Chicago


The seventh heaviest element (after neptunium, thorium, protactinium, actinium, radium, and bismuth), lead is a sort of soft, greasy metal. Thats why its used in gasoline, to provide some lubrication. So, getting paint to stick to lead often is a pain in the keel. Bottom paint tends to flake off in spots, especially when multiple coats pile up. (It happens, too, to iron keels and fiberglass hulls with ballast encapsulated.) Its not surprising, considering the alternate soaking and drying that bottom paint undergoes. Weve had good luck with scraping off the flaky clusters, washing, and rinsing thoroughly with soap and water (or clean with acetone), a light sanding, another wash down and, after a good drying, a single application of West System epoxy or, if you prefer, several coats of Interluxs Interprotect 2000E, which is an epoxy, too. The latter goes on easily because its thin and dries quickly. Both are stickier than paint, and sticky is what youre after. Next, with 80-grit paper, lightly but thoroughly scratch up the epoxy or 2000E, to provide good tooth for the bottom paint of your choice. Just do the spots. (For his first boat, a friend once bought a beautiful used Folkboat, built by Bill Abbot in Sarnia, Ontario. In just a few half-dollar-sized places, the paint had flaked off the keel. We caught him at the boatyard, just starting the terribly laborious job of removing all bottom paint – from the keel and part of the lapstrake hull. Stop! we pleaded. Just do the spots. Its hard enough to get paint to adhere. Dont take it off if its smooth.)

Darrell Nicholson
Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Supported entirely by subscribers, Practical Sailor accepts no advertising. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him by email at practicalsailor@belvoir.com.