|
How to Make a Light Boat Heavy A boat needs cleats - to tie off to the dock, to hang fenders, to tie off stuff. Sadly, cleats got horns and horns are made to grab. I've had terrible luck with lines snagging cleats at the wrong time, so I am borrowing something from the canoeing world: Inwales. Inwales have a lot of advantages for my particular needs. I'm a pretty bad sailor, so my boat tends to lay on its side a lot. I like to be able to tie off my gear so it doesn't float away. Plus, it makes a nice place to grab for reboarding. On the downside, they are heavier than a few cleats.
Sticking with the Alowood, I made spacers an inch thick so I could easily get rope around it. I used 2 screws to hold them on as I was putting them on after painting - paint sticks to epoxy, but epoxy does not stick to paint. I did put caulking between the spacer and the bulkhead. They are about 9" apart.
(one of the best features of the Goose is the ability to store it on its side) You can see the finished inwales in the cockpit.
Closer view.
Next to add will be the skegs, 3/4 x 1 1/2 Alowood with the outside corners rounded off. No time to attach them this weekend.
Mike had come down from Astoria to help out. I wanted to try a different attachment point for the halyard, so he got to learn whipping.
John K came by with a flag staff for the top of the mast. It is very nicely done and John had even brought the little brass piece the staff will screw into. It takes a bit to get the socket to seat into the mast, and John had made this special tool to do it.
That's a nice flag staff. It is going to look pretty when we are sailing. That's it for the Goose this week. Next week: the Skegs. I need some help to get them on, I hope someone shows on on Friday.
|
