How do you keep your balls round.

[jac]

So that's the obvious smutty title to draw in the crowds!!

Serious question.

My anchor ball is the bog standard 2 pieces of black plastic that slot together and came with a cone as well.

Slot the two pieces together and it looks vaguely ball shaped.(In theory) however I have a problem.

Despite many attempts, the two pieces often end up not making a 90 degree angle with each other, 45 if I'm lucky, result is a ball from 1 angle, an anorexic egg from another.

So does anyone have any good ideas for keeping it at vaguely 90 degrees ? My present thought is 2 small blocks of wood with an appropriate sized cutout at 90 degrees that could go top and bottom.


The problem also affects my cone, but as I rarely need to signal that I have an RYA examiner on board I'm not so fussed re that!!

 

[Deleted member 36384]

If you want round reliability then I you could make two circles out of 10 mm thick ply with a long slot in one half and a short slot in the other half. Make the width of the long slot a tad under the 10 mm so that it's a push fit over the other half.

 

[VicS]

Mine is made of 2 pies of ply slotted together.
Each slotted half way across.
No where near as thick as 10mm

 

[sailorman]

If you want round reliability then I you could make two circles out of 10 mm thick ply with a long slot in one half and a short slot in the other half. Make the width of the long slot a tad under the 10 mm so that it's a push fit over the other half.

why not slots of the same depth

 

[jac]

Was hoping to avoid making another one! Picked the plastic one up years ago and it still works - just a bit squished and needs encouraging to stay round.

 

[sailorman]

Was hoping to avoid making another one! Picked the plastic one up years ago and it still works - just a bit squished and needs encouraging to stay round.

some twats even hoist them horizontally so dont worry

 

[prv]

Agree with Sailorman that it's not that big a deal - your anorexic egg will still be recognised. But if the slots are seriously deformed (the plastic ones on both of my boats have had small blocks to try to hold the angles right) then perhaps you should drill a small hole in the edge of one "flap", and slots in the edges of the other three, and have a length of light cord passing through them all and thus encircling the equator. If the slots won't grip well enough on the cord, tie knots in it either side of them.

Pete

 

[alahol2]

then perhaps you should drill a small hole in the edge of one "flap", and slots in the edges of the other three, and have a length of light cord passing through them all and thus encircling the equator. If the slots won't grip well enough on the cord, tie knots in it either side of them.

Pete

Almost what we've done with ours. We just use 2 bits of whipping twine tied through small holes on opposite sides of the equator each with a knot in the end that fits into a small 'V' on the next circle. Works fine.

 

[Zagato]

It's easier if they can fold down for storage. I would just buy a new one for £6 or £12 for the set and take the cone back for a refund as they are always bent

 

[lustyd]

I think the trick is to take it apart properly when you stow it. Mine is 3 years old and not deformed at all with only the string holding it together and it shows a circle properly.

 

[prv]

I think the trick is to take it apart properly when you stow it.

Yep - every time you squash it flat with the slots still nearly-fully engaged, you bend the plastic so that it doesn't stand as straight next time. Trouble is that these things tend to go with the boat, so you inherit whatever the ignoramus before you did.

(Obviously the solution is to just buy a new one, but I'm loth to do that when mine is only slightly bent.)

Pete