Choose boat gear with care

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34123, 8 April 1976, Page 10

Choose boat gear with care

A sheet of spray anti a boost ol power typify the excitement of power boat racing on Auckland's Waitemata Harbour.

You are not so old if you can remember when all deck hardware was galvanised iron, shackles came in two shapes and different sizes, and manila was the last word in rope. As recently as 20 years ago, weight was of little ! concern, but with the advent of completely reliable glues, marine plywood and glass reinforced plastics, there was a revolution in , ship chandlery. The boat-building explosion of the 1950’s almost caught the equipment manufacturers by surprise. The home builder i had to make do with the | limited range available or i make up his own patterns and have castings made at a! foundry. Now this has all been changed. It is possible to buy from proven stock ; lines the whole range I needed at least for the I smaller boats, with only a | few specialised items having to be made on the “one-off” basis for bigger i launches and keelers. One of the most important items of equipment on ; any vessel is of course, the J steering system. The two most satisfactory methods are rope, or cable and mechanical ! (push-pull type). For rope ■ or cable steering, you require a wheel with a drum attachment. This type of ' wheel is readily available in either 90deg. or 20deg. mounting position. To complete the steering arrangement, there are five or six pulleys with fastening saddles and tension springs along with the required length of wire or rope. Mechanical systems operate from a rotary’ actuator at the steering position which pushes or pulls the motor through a spherically wound cable. This type of steering, which is simple to install, gives a more precise con-

trol and eliminates the backlash that is sometimes experienced with rope or cable steering. On larger motors, it is the most satisfactory and the safest steering method. In deck hardware, some basic fittings are required to take mooring lines and anchor ropes. Remember that bollards are sometimes subjected to violent loads so that strength is an important factor. Cleats are often subjected to the same loads as bollards. Cleats should be mounted near the stern of a boat because they are essential for tying up along side a wharf, jetty or another boat. For safety gear the marine division of the Ministry of Transport or the Coast Guard should be consulted. •