More furling pictures

Spin-Tec furlers are unique in that they use bushings instead of bearings, so there are no internal moving parts. The open drums virtually eliminate jams and are pretty slick looking. Initial report is that the units function smoothly and greatly add to sailing enjoyment.

I led both the jib and staysail furling lines along the starboard side of the boat. The line visible at the forward end of the staysail boom is the staysail outhaul and runs down the port side to a cleat.



We anchor quite a bit, so we're hopeful that the drums and lines don't interfere with handling the tackle. It's going to be a tight fit.

Roller furling pictures

Hurry up and wait

I spent part of the afternoon waiting for the marina crew to launch a couple of boats before they could bring Ariel's mast down to ground level so I could install the new foil, wire our new masthead tri-color, and give the mast a good cleaning. All I managed to accomplish was to run the duplex wire through the mast and tap holes in the masthead fitting to secure the tri-color. It's amazing how much time it takes to do so little.

Thanks to the design of the AquaSignal mounting plate, I had to modify the base to fit alongside the strap on the masthead. Fortunately, my local marine store was kind enough to let me use their bench grinder so I didn't have to make a run home and back. Now that the base is modified, I have to carve a new groove in the light bulb base to orient the dome in the appropriate position. It would have been nice if the manufacturer had included multiple notches to make it possible to mount the light baseplate in different configurations. This is an older unit, so perhaps they have changed the design.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to get the foil installed, finish the masthead light installation and wiring, and clean the mast before stepping on Thursday. It's raining now and it's supposed to continue into tomorrow. Hopefully that will change.

Ariel goes high-tech (sort of)

We swore we'd never do it; we're too traditional and it's potentially unreliable. The increased windage is a nuisance. And the expense . . . way too much. We'd rather invest the money in more important things.

Well, we did it.

Ariel is on her way to sporting - not just one, but two - roller furling units. We stopped by the Spin-Tec booth at Strictly Sail Chicago, intending to do some research, and we walked away with an order for furlers for the staysail and jib.

I assembled the foil for the jib today. It was fairly straightforward, although the directions are a bit sketchy in parts. The most difficult part of assembly was inserting and positioning five bushings in each foil section. The directions read "insert the first bushing until you feel slight resistance..." Slight resistance required a whole lot of grunting and brute force - even judicious use of a hammer and wooden dowel.

Tomorrow I'll reattach the headstay and foil, and get the mast ready for stepping on Thursday. No pictures - yet.

Snug under her cover

Ariel is officially put away for the winter. The boys and I got her covered this morning. I didn't bring my camera, so no pictures, but the cover is snugger than it was last winter due to a different approach with the frame.

The other night I sewed some reinforcement in critical spots and added a flap to the rear opening to completely cover the taffrail and stern of the boat. She's looking good.

A new harness

I made a few changes to my harness design and made one for Josh. Improvements include velcro shoulder pads and seized strap terminations. I built enough adjustment into the harness to fit Jake, so Josh won't outgrow it too soon.

A little sumpin' sumpin'

This is an in-progress film of our summer cruise covering the first half of the trip. It leaves off at the Manitou Shoal lighthouse, so don't expect more pictures/video after that - just enjoy the music.

Just fine

Ariel is fine. Her lines had stretched a little, but otherwise she was fine. Jake and I visited her today. We snugged up the lines, then went below and hung out for a bit. The marina is still a little sloppy, and the channel is moving at a swift four or five knots.