Sails, Rigging & Deck Gear

Boat cleats are an elegantly simple yet essential piece of marine hardware. Yet, after scrutinizing cleats at the Annapolis and Miami boat shows, it appears that while there a few innovative designs and tried-and-true classic models, many builders are using sub-par installations. The shape of a cleat needs to take in the significance of how a cleat locks a line in place and yet still allows a crew member to control the easing or snubbing process. Proper topping and backing cleat plates can greatly improve cleats durability and long-term performance. Some hide-away cleats or pop-up cleats have water drainage issues and less-than-robust support structures. Other designs use the less-secure rings and eyes instead of proper cleats.

The devastating train of hurricanes that rolled through Florida in 2004 and 2005 gave engineers an opportunity to see firsthand what happens when a modern boats mooring points and lines are pushed to their limits. A post-mortem look at many lost boats revealed shocking design and construction oversights that contributed to the carnage. Buttonhole-size chocks made it impossible to add chafe gear. Sharp turns at chocks and hawseholes sawed lines until they broke. Tiny, poorly installed cleats yanked free from soggy, cored decks. Cheap cast aluminum cleats riddled with air pockets simply snapped.

Practical Sailor found that the full brightness that LEDs offer, coupled with a huge energy savings, a wide tolerance to voltage changes, and a very long expected lifespan, make LED a great alternative to incandescent lights for masthead tri-color. The tradeoff is the considerable heft of the price tag. Practical Sailor tested LED tri-color lanterns from Orca Green Marine (OGM), Signal Mate, and Lopolight. We also evaluated LED tricolor bulbs designed to replace those in the popular Aqua Signal Series 40 tri-color light. Those were bulbs from Lunasea, Dr. LED, and LED Shop.

Over the years, I’ve heard various timeframes for when to replace standing rigging, but I’ve never seen any empirical data to back up those recommendations. It would be very informative to know from a metallurgical/metal failure point of view estimated lifespans of the average wire used for standing rigging.

I have a Pearson Ensign 1962 now at a slip in New Rochelle, N.Y. This season marked the first time we had the luxury of keeping our boat at a slip. In order to maneuver through the marinas byways without worrying, I bought a 24-volt Minn Kota outboard (80 pounds of thrust) and two 12-volt batteries, which I hook up in series. Not only am I able to stop start, turn, etc., in the marina, but-to my surprise-in the calm sound water, I can nip along at about 3-4 mph with myself, two crew, and the 3,000-pound boat. The result is that Ive only used my 5-horsepower Mercury outboard once this year. My electric outboard doesn't stall; it has variable speed like no ones business; reverses with relative ease, and is less expensive-though more cluttered-than the self-contained electric outboards you recently reviewed. Am I part of a growing trend or just weird? If the former then it might be worthwhile testing electric outboards for boats my size (22.5 feet) and commenting on their applicability.

To keep from being pulled under in a collision between a tanker and my sailboat, I "pulled the ripcord" to release the snap shackle on my Standard West Marine Safety Tether . The tether release lanyard was outfitted with a series of balls. (See bottom photo at right.) I had rehearsed reaching for and feeling the release toggle many times so it would come naturally in an emergency. The balls have a distinct feel. There was nothing on my PFD or foul-weather jacket that resembled them. The replacement tether I bought from West Marine (ISAF Specification Safety Tether, No. 9553504) has a new toggle on the snap-shackle release lanyard that consists of an open triangle of plastic. This is dangerous, in my opinion! In my first few hours of using the new tether, in moderate sea conditions, I managed to snag the triangular loop on something and release the snap shackle. I am now replacing all triangular loop pulls with bead pulls that I have crafted myself.

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) and other regulatory bodies frown upon using PVC-coated 7x7 wire for lifelines. As you noted, this is because lifelines should be easily inspected for corrosion or other signs of possible failure. The corrosion that can take place under the coating is not just a saltwater issue. Air quality and other factors also can lead to corrosion. We suggest uncoated, 1x19 stainless-steel wire with swaged terminals—3/16-inch wire for upper lifeline and 1/8 inch for the lower. Uncoated 1x19 is easy to inspect, and even though the top wire is overkill from a tensile-strength perspective, it will be durable and almost as comfortable to lean against as the coated wire. It’s also more convenient to lash netting to than a smaller-diameter option.

Practical Sailor testers compared Tackticks improved Race Master system to the Nexus Start Pack 3, a hybrid wired/wireless system. The Tacktick Micronet wireless wind instrument, a compact system featuring wireless display and a masthead sensor, has a strong following among racers. It has proven to be a good choice for those sailors serious about improving race performance as it has many options for tracking performance on the course in real time. Its ability to work with a 12-volt system makes it a good choice for small boats. The versatile, expandable Nexus hybrid has an impressive and intuitive interface and a graphic analog wind representation. It provides all of the basic functions a cruiser or racer uses most, and testers found the analog wind display appealing.

Theres a reason why we recommend safety tethers-the umbilical cords that connect the jacklines on our boats to the harnesses on our bodies-be 6 feet long or shorter. Getting dragged behind a boat, even at the sedate speed of 4 knots, can easily drown a person. Unless someone is on hand to haul you on board, survival relies on a superhuman burst of adrenaline. Though rare, there have been some highly publicized deaths involving harnesses. The story of Harvey Shalsky, a sailor in the 1999 Double-handed Farallones Race, is familiar to most racers. Shalsky, racing with longtime partner Mark Van Selst, drowned while tethered to his J/29 White Lightning. Van Selst was unable to slow the boat or haul his partner in, and eventually cut loose Shalsky (who was by then unconscious) so that following boats could recover him. The hazards associated with a tether that cannot be easily released under load prompted the International Sailing Federation (ISAF, the council responsible for regulating offshore sailing races) to recommend this feature in tether designs. It is not a requirement, only a recommendation, and ISAF does not stipulate what method should be used for the release.

A follow-up to our evaluation of jib furlers with head swivels, Practical Sailor reviews roller furlers that use no swivel. For many years, the Flexible Furler from Cruising Design Inc. (CDI) was the most prominent player in this category, but some new products and innovative designs are offering more options for sailors looking for easy-to-install furling. Along with the CDI furler, we look at four roller-reefing systems: Alado A-2, Spin-Tec Triumph 2000, and Reefurl. Having no upper halyard swivel, these furling systems put the foil sections in compression and use an external halyard system to attach the head of the jib to a built-in halyard or a fitting at the top of the foil system. Although PS regards conventional roller-bearing furlers with top swivels (tested in August 2009) as the most sensible choice for serious offshore cruisers, these alternative jib furlers offer a cost-effective, easy-to-install option.