OCEAN PROOF HOW TO PREPARE FOR (NEARLY) ANYTHING

IN PART 2 OF THE SERIES, VICKY ELLIS LOOKS AT CHAFE, RIG PROBLEMS AND HOW TO KEEP YOUR CREW ON SIDE

- VICKY ELLIS

In this series we examine some of the more likely incidents that occur on long bluewater ocean passages, not necessarily the headline catastrophes. Here I’m going to look at some of the issues that may occur with the rig, and how to keep your crew – your biggest asset – on side, happy and healthy.

CHAFE IS THE ENEMY

Losing your rig migt be foremost in your mind, but before we get on to that, let’s look at something you definitely will experience: chafe.

Chafe is one of the biggest gremlins for bluewater cruisers. Keeping chafe at bay, checking for it and protecting against it with careful design, clever ideas and some anti-chafe protection will get you through a voyage unscathed. Without this, it will eat its way through halyards, sheets, sprayhoods and more in a matter of days, if not hours.

Jerry Henwood (best known as ‘Jerry the Rigger’) explains that a halyard with a small amount of play will roll a tiny amount backwards and forwards on it’s turning blocks with every wave and, in the course of a typical Atlantic crossing, could therefore move the equivalent of 8km while loaded. Shifting your halyards a centimetre or two a couple of times a day will help move the wear point on sheaves and jammers and prolong life

If you can’t bear the sail trim that this trick produces, then take some lengths of the thin yet tough anti-chafe Dyneema sleeve. It can be secured over the top of your lines in areas of wear.