Sunday, July 7, 2019

Main Sheet Block Upgrade

Last year Gardens' mainsheet was rigged through a single block with a becket on the boom and a fiddle block on top of the centerboard case. A spring prevented that fiddle block from flopping around when there was little or no tension on the sheet.


That feature worked well. However, I had no way to sail without keeping a firm grip on the mainsheet. Sailing all day with a firm grip on the mainsheet resulted in serious cramping of my hands. The fiddle block, clearly, does not have a built-in cam cleat, and I did not include a cam-cleat in last year's temporary set-up.

High on the list of upgrades was a fiddle block with a cam cleat. Naively, I figured I could just swap out the new fiddle block for the old one. The two blocks are significantly different in size and, as I soon learned, the new block would not fit the spring. I searched for a suitable spring (local hardware stores, Amazon, McMaster-Carr, Grainger, etc.) without success. Without a spring - or something - to hold the block upright, the block will flop around noisily, bang up the top of the CB Case and generally be annoying.


A possible solution presented itself while I was cleaning out the garage a couple of weeks ago. Moving a collection of long unused pool noodles (we don't have a pool...), I wondered if a piece of pool noodle might work to hold the fiddle block upright. Well, in the shop, it does! A 1" slice of noodle (with a slit cut to facilitate installation) does just what I need it to do: hold the block upright and allow the block to move as needed. A couple wraps of tape secures the slit (electrical tape may replace the current masking tape...).


The block will soon be installed on the CB Case top. Almost ready for sea trials.

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Back to Work on Gardens

After ten weeks of back spasms, treated by chiropractic care, modern medicine and, at last, physical therapy, I am finally getting back to work on Gardens. I had hoped to have been sailing her by now, but we do what we can... My "winter" projects are just now getting underway...

Last year, Gardens sailed with a 12V 34Ah battery (for the trolling motor) just sitting unsecured on the aft seat. I didn't care much for that arrangement, so I built a battery box (shown as a work-in-progress).


But, there's not a significant difference between a battery sitting on the seat and a battery in a box sitting on a seat. I decided to use the space below the aft seat, replaced the access hatch with a larger hole, and installed a lip/rim/whatever to hold the box and pretty up the cut-out. Shown here in the early stages of the project.


The battery fits in the box.


The box fits into the cut-out. The lid is a nice, snug friction fit.


The trolling motor cables fit in the slot in the lid. And the whole thing is removable for access to rudder hardware.


Other projects in the works...