Rigging screw covers

[zoidberg]

This may be thought by some as too 'chi-chi' but I have a small acreage of tan-cured leather looking for something to do and am mulling over making some tubular covers for my rigging screws - lowers and cap shrouds.

Any experience of doing this? Any strong reactions to the idea?

 

[veshengro]

A couple of points to consider. Natural leather is slow to dry under many weather conditions other than plentiful sunshine and low humidity.
Permanently wrapping rigging screws. even stainless ones, in damp leather may invite corrosion to the covered screws and rigging wire entry points.

 

[Poignard]

They could look very 'tiddly' (see a dictionary of naval slang ) but veshengro's objections make sense.

How about putting them on in harbour, for show, and taking them off when you put to sea?

 

[geem]

You can't see strand failure if the bottleecrew is covered. The bottlescrews will stay damp and you will corrode the chrome on the bottlescrews

 

[Bobc]

You will encourage crevis corrosion and shorten the rig's life.

 

[GEM43]

Our boat, like many Scandinavian boats, had aluminium tubes covering the first 4ft or so of the rigging from the chain plates upward. I removed them when we rerigged, they just hide away problems and trap moisture, best done without. And personally I think it more aesthetic too.

 

[Boathook]

I had plastic ones once. Looked nice for the first year but ropes touching them made them look a mess.

Can also hide problems as others have mentioned.

 

[davidmh]

If you have rigging screws with an open body and split pins to stop rotation can you bend the pins back almost flush with the screw body and then wrap a single width of wire pvc tape around it to stop snagging of your clothes & skin, It does not hide anything and should not encourage corrision Perhaps the op could try a thin band of leather with the shiny side out.
David MH

 

[Fantasie 19]

Short lengths of plastic plumbing pipe of the right diameter split lengthways...

 

[zoidberg]

Huh! Ok, then. I'll find something else to go all tiddly about....

 

[Refueler]

Halyard / rope bags ? to tidy up those lines that usually clutter the cockpit / base of mast ?

 

[zoidberg]

Thanks, Refueler. I DO need somewhere to stow winch handles and balk at the prices asked by SIBS exhibitors.
I s'pose I could tie-wrap some brown leather around a couple of s/s grab handles, and stamp in a posh little monogram!

 

[Boathook]

The monogram !

 

[Poignard]

Huh! Ok, then. I'll find something else to go all tiddly about....

Turk's Heads. That's what you want, lots of Turk's Heads. Very tiddly, they are.

 

[ducked]

Make yourself some "palms"
Then make yourself into a sailmaker
Report back in a few years
Or get a trad gaff cutter
Probably lots of bits that could get legitimately leathery on one of those, and you could avoid stainless steel without defying convention, with all its tedious tidlinesses and corroded crevices.
Meanwhile, maybe a hand grip on the tiller and/or oars?
Oar protection in way of rowlocks?
Make yourself a yuloh, so as above only bigger?

 

[Roberto]

Fwiw, I have permanent leather covers over the two lifelines attachment points to the bow pulpit, to protect the nearby genoa fabric, and one over the backstay adjuster (as it is dangerously near my head when I steer), all there for decades -replaced when needed- without any ill effects. I also never tied the "additional half hitch" to fender lines and never lost one, I never had rope bowline knots come undone, etc. Not sure what I do differently but imho sometimes "collective wisdom" should be renamed "myth"

 

[zoidberg]

Make yourself some "palms" Then make yourself into a sailmaker Report back in a few years

Oddly enough, I already have two 'palms' in my bosunry bag, one LH and t'other RH. Which reminds me to 'oil' them sometime soon.

A yuloh would make an interesting project.....

 

[wonkywinch]

A gimp mask?

 

[zoidberg]

Not my colour, thanks....

 

[fredrussell]

Moccasins?