Category Archives: Sailing

Attaching Clam Cleats To Sailing Dinghy Mast

Clam CleatDoing some dinghy mast repairs and am learning as I go. I have two clam cleats to attach to the mast.

Attaching Large Clam Cleat To Dinghy Mast

With the larger cleat I am using monel rivets. I sourced the monel rivets on ebay and they were delivered promptly. Monel rivets from eBay shop Lulham-Robinson Sailing

Attaching Small Clam Cleat To Dinghy Mast

The small clam cleat is proving a bit more of a tricky proposition as the nose of the pop rivet gun will not reach into the cleat to allow me to rivet the cleat to the mast! To overcome this I was advised my the friendly team at SuperSpars.com who manufactured the mast to use small nuts or washers on the rivet mandrel for the standard nozzle to pull against. This will work for the lower attachment location but not for the other where I will have to use a stainless steel self tapping screw.

Preventing Corrosion

To reduce the chance of corrosion at the junction of the monel rivet and the aluminium mast I am using LA-CO 240ml SlicTite Pipe Thread Compound sourced on Amazon. It seems to have the properties required though only time will tell. The SlicTite Pipe Thread Compound can also be sourced on on ebay

Cleat Attachment Tips

I found some nice Clam Cleat Attachment Tips on attaching cleats on the ClamCleat.com website.

Digital Wind Speed Temperature Measure Gauge Anemometer

I was looking out for a wind gauge that measured wind speed using the Beaufort scale. I spotted this little item on Amazon and it seemed to fit the bill. It was a great price but the Amazon Marketplace seller did not post to Ireland.

Not to be thwarted at this stage, I had them deliver to my Parcel Motel address in Antrim and the Anemometer was in my hot little fist within weeks for an extra €3.50 – posted from Hong Kong.

I have used it a few times now during sailing sessions and it it proving very handy, well pleased with my latest bit of kit.

Trailing A Dinghy Safety

Trailing A Dinghy Safety

Came across this great article by Rooster.com and decided to publish the link here to share it and as a reminder to myself for when the time comes to roll up my sleeves and get stuck into wheel bearings and such like. Rooster have also posted a “Replace your Dinghy Trailer Hub” video on YouTube which may come in very useful in the future.

The article covers:

  • How-To: Replace your Dinghy Trailer Hub
  • Tie Down Straps
  • Hubs, bearings & wheels
  • Trailer Lighting Boards

Read the full article here.
 

Watch the video:

Sailing Photos

Its nearly the end of the year and we are having our Sailing Club Christmas bash tomorrow. It got me rooting through some photos and I came across these from this sailing season which I thought I’d pop on-line.