Swinging the lead

[25931]

Do you have a lead on board ?
Do you ever use it ?
Have you ever armed it with tallow to check the bottom ?

 

[Gordonmc]

Yes.
Yes.
No.
Used to check accuracy of the sonar.

 

[SeamanStaines]

I keep a lead line in the dinghy and will often use it to check depths after I have anchored to see if I can tuck further in to the shore, or come in really close and run a line. Never used tallow, if I cant see the bottom I am not interested

 

[Leighb]

I keep a lead line in the dinghy and will often use it to check depths after I have anchored to see if I can tuck further in to the shore, or come in really close and run a line. Never used tallow, if I cant see the bottom I am not interested

In our part of the world if you CAN see the bottom you are aground.

 

[[70521]]

In our part of the world if you CAN see the bottom you are aground.

And sometimes you still can't see the bottom.

 

[JohnGC]

Yes.
Yes.
No.
Used to check accuracy of the sonar.

+1

 

[Blueboatman]

Handy bit of kit when anchoring

 

[prv]

Don't carry a lead, but wouldn't hesitate to put a big galvanised shackle or some similar weight on the end of a length of sash cord if the situation warranted it. I have both of those on board. On Kindred Spirit I had a length of cord with metre markings on it, for making up an anchor trip line that just matched the depth of water, and this is what I would have used for a leadline. This thread has reminded me that perhaps I should mark the hank of sash cord on Ariam.

I did have a big pot of tallow on Kindred Spirit, but that was for greasing the leatherwork rather than sampling the bottom. I'm not sure I'd ever want to do that, it's a long way down the priority scale of navigational clues. I wonder if the pot of Duckhams Keenol I have on Ariam would do the job?

I have a cheapo AA-battery-operated portable fishfinder tucked away on Ariam. One way or another I have numerous GPSes on board, but a lot of the time depth is equally or more important than accurate position, so I thought why not have a backup for that as well?

Pete

 

[Woodlouse]

I've got one, and in the past I have used it in anger. It hangs up next to the walker log line.

I've never charged it with tallow for a sample of the bottom though.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

No, but a winch handle on a suitable bit of cord has worked fine! In fact, I've only ever used it to check the offset on my depth-sounder - it wasn't documented when I bought Capricious, and in the waters I sail in, it isn't immediately obvious what the offset is (turned out to be set to below the keel depths).

 

[Garold]

No, but a winch handle on a suitable bit of cord has worked fine!QUOTE]

+1

I thought about the ribbing that I had endured from mates and wife after using a winch handle as my sounding weight, when I read this thread.

However, now I can retort that there's another person out there who 'is just about to lose my favourite winch handle by using it for something that it's not supposed to be used for'. And he's a real sailor!

Cheers

Garold

 

[onesea]

Yes
Yes
Yes*

*I should find some more, its the same Tallow its had since I was a boy probably 3 generations old. Never used to test bottom in anger but often interesting to see what comes up...

 

[AntarcticPilot]

No, but a winch handle on a suitable bit of cord has worked fine!

+1

I thought about the ribbing that I had endured from mates and wife after using a winch handle as my sounding weight, when I read this thread.

However, now I can retort that there's another person out there who 'is just about to lose my favourite winch handle by using it for something that it's not supposed to be used for'. And he's a real sailor!

Cheers

Garold

Well, I trust myself to tie a good knot, anyway! And I don't use the Lewmar One-touch handle, either

 

[prv]

*I should find some more, its the same Tallow its had since I was a boy probably 3 generations old.

Not hard to find, on eBay. Apparently electricians use it to lubricate cables through conduits. Seems like it would encourage rats, to me, and I'm surprised they don't use some modern oil-based grease, but that's what the advert said and what is printed on the pot.

Pete

 

[Twister_Ken]

No, but a winch handle on a suitable bit of cord has worked fine! In fact, I've only ever used it to check the offset on my depth-sounder - it wasn't documented when I bought Capricious, and in the waters I sail in, it isn't immediately obvious what the offset is (turned out to be set to below the keel depths).

Don't risk a winch handle. Use a ring spanner.

 

[OldBawley]

I have a lead and have used it. We had no instruments whatsoever, I used the lead. Lead came with the boat, 1,5" diam, 10" long.
Letting the rope go through my hand, I remember burning my fingers. Now we use a depth sounder, the transducer fixed to the transom hung rudder. That way I can do without a trough hull.
I now use the lead as a dingy anchor. In the Med with its rocky harbour bottoms the lead is easier to recuperate than a grapnel anchor. We use a rigid dingy, mooring in a harbour, waves throwing the dingy against the wall. That is no problem with a soother ( Inflatable ) our dingy does not like that.
The lead is tied to the back of the dingy with a 6 yard long line. I climb onto the quay, tie the four yards long tow-line onto some mooring ring. Then with the lead in the right hand I shove the dingy away from the quay. With the dingy as far as possible away from the wall, I throw the lead as far as I can into the sea. NOT in the dingy, that would be stupid. In all but the worst waves, the lead keeps the dingy far away from the quay.
I used a small anchor in the beginning of our cruise, on more than one occasion, the anchor was stuck behind some ????? so I had to peel and go into the water to free the anchor and dingy.
Obviously lots of tourists had a laugh.
Once I swung the lead back and pinned my hand to the concrete wall behind me. A rebar sticking out of the wall went trough my hand.
On an other occasion I landed on a wooden pontoon in Göcek, Turkey. Some fishing lines going from the pontoon into the sea. I carefully rowed between the lines. Nobody in sight. Sitting on my knees, I tied the dingy to the pontoon, gave it a push, then stood up and swung my lead.
A dull “Buff” behind me, followed by a harder bang.
The owner of the fishing lines who had been dosing under some bushes on the beach had woken up and stood now behind me. I must have hit him on the head with the lead so down he went. Some luck he did not topple into the water.
Seconds later his wife and daughter came running up the pontoon, taking care of the poor guy.
As soon as I saw he was starting to look clearer I disappeared.
Swinging the lead is dangerous.

 

[Giblets]

*I should find some more, its the same Tallow its had since I was a boy probably 3 generations old. Never used to test bottom in anger but often interesting to see what comes up...

Any good plumbers merchants will have Tallow in stock.

 

[JohnGC]

No, but a winch handle on a suitable bit of cord has worked fine! In fact, I've only ever used it to check the offset on my depth-sounder - it wasn't documented when I bought Capricious, and in the waters I sail in, it isn't immediately obvious what the offset is (turned out to be set to below the keel depths).

The previous owners of our boat left the sounder offset at zero (probably never set it). It's a though hull device located next to the keel, so the display was neither "water line" nor "under the keel". I used the lead line to set the offset and check the calibration. I repeat the calibration check at the start of each year and every time a new crew member asks (well I get them to do it).

My preference is for the sounder to show depth under the keel + a small margin to take the offset to a convenient number. We draw 1.3m, our zero is 1.5m.

The lead line is also useful from the dinghy for checking depth in the boats swinging arc at shallow moorings and anchorages.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Don't risk a winch handle. Use a ring spanner.

I have winch handles on board; don't have ring-spanners! But tied with the right knot, the winch handle is quite safe.

 

[prv]

I have winch handles on board; don't have ring-spanners!

You must have some kind of spanners though, surely?

Pete