Mirelle
N/A
Following on from Nigel Luther's thread about losing touch with the essence of boats I thought we might try a list of least desirable / most antisocial modern gadgets.
By way of a starter, I would like to consign in-mast reefing to Room 101.
Since I don't have it on my boat (a gaff cutter with in-mast reefing would be rather implausible) I have nothing to say about sail shape, effect on C of G, or anything like that.
No, its the unspeakable NOISE this contraption makes, which makes it just about the most anti-social gadget in modern sailing (along with wind generators!)
Walk into any marina and you are greeted with an ominous howling which makes you think that a hurricane is blowing. In fact the HOWLING starts at about 15 knots, and I wonder how many non-sailing wives and children have been put off the idea of a day sail by the howling of a mighty gale in the rigging.
In the early days of this gadget, the makers used to supply a sock which could be hauled up the slot to shut the thing up, but it seems people no longer want to bother with this.
Today, the tapping of un-frapped halyards, the howling of wind generators and, worst of all, in mast reefing provide each marina in the country with its very own
set of Hollywood-seamanship sound effects. Which may explain why so few people actually go sailing.
A boat that made any noise below F10 used to be considered a disgrace. No longer.
Down with noise pollution!
AARGH!
<hr width=100% size=1>Que scais-je?
By way of a starter, I would like to consign in-mast reefing to Room 101.
Since I don't have it on my boat (a gaff cutter with in-mast reefing would be rather implausible) I have nothing to say about sail shape, effect on C of G, or anything like that.
No, its the unspeakable NOISE this contraption makes, which makes it just about the most anti-social gadget in modern sailing (along with wind generators!)
Walk into any marina and you are greeted with an ominous howling which makes you think that a hurricane is blowing. In fact the HOWLING starts at about 15 knots, and I wonder how many non-sailing wives and children have been put off the idea of a day sail by the howling of a mighty gale in the rigging.
In the early days of this gadget, the makers used to supply a sock which could be hauled up the slot to shut the thing up, but it seems people no longer want to bother with this.
Today, the tapping of un-frapped halyards, the howling of wind generators and, worst of all, in mast reefing provide each marina in the country with its very own
set of Hollywood-seamanship sound effects. Which may explain why so few people actually go sailing.
A boat that made any noise below F10 used to be considered a disgrace. No longer.
Down with noise pollution!
AARGH!
<hr width=100% size=1>Que scais-je?