The Old Ways are Good Ways
Why don't we respect the way things have been done in the past?
EXAMPLE 1
I read somewhere that in creating bungs it was not a good idea if you drilled a hole through the axis for the retaining string, as it would leak. Instead drill across the bung. Good idea I thought - never seen it before - but it would have the advantage of stopping them pushing the bung too far in.
Discovered the error of this argument - as the students tore the end off the cork bung leaving the remainder stuck in the hole. Of course drilling in this way had weakened it (not that cork is very strong anyway).
So now I have traditional arrangement with he string down the middle so that which ever way they pull on the string it will get the bung out of the hole, and they won't leak because the hole is not oversize (and besides I coated the string with silicone sealant)
EXAMPLE 2
We lost 2 crutches/rowlocks, as the students attempted to practise sculling over the stern. They were tied on but, unlike traditional rowlocks which have a decent collar just below the crutch, so that rope can be tied around them, these were of a 'modern' design with a sloping shoulder design so that the string just slid off.
EXAMPLE 3
It used to be that with rudders you engaged the rudder gudgeon on the bottom pintle and could then waggle the rudder around on this pivot to get the top pintle engaged on the top gudgeon. These days the fittings are identical requiring simultaneous lining up of both fittings. Not easy when hanging over the back of a boat with waves knocking the rudder around.
And so it goes on . . .
EXAMPLE 1
I read somewhere that in creating bungs it was not a good idea if you drilled a hole through the axis for the retaining string, as it would leak. Instead drill across the bung. Good idea I thought - never seen it before - but it would have the advantage of stopping them pushing the bung too far in.
Discovered the error of this argument - as the students tore the end off the cork bung leaving the remainder stuck in the hole. Of course drilling in this way had weakened it (not that cork is very strong anyway).
So now I have traditional arrangement with he string down the middle so that which ever way they pull on the string it will get the bung out of the hole, and they won't leak because the hole is not oversize (and besides I coated the string with silicone sealant)
EXAMPLE 2
We lost 2 crutches/rowlocks, as the students attempted to practise sculling over the stern. They were tied on but, unlike traditional rowlocks which have a decent collar just below the crutch, so that rope can be tied around them, these were of a 'modern' design with a sloping shoulder design so that the string just slid off.
EXAMPLE 3
It used to be that with rudders you engaged the rudder gudgeon on the bottom pintle and could then waggle the rudder around on this pivot to get the top pintle engaged on the top gudgeon. These days the fittings are identical requiring simultaneous lining up of both fittings. Not easy when hanging over the back of a boat with waves knocking the rudder around.
And so it goes on . . .
posted by Nigel Vick at
9:09 AM
2 Comments:
Hi Nigel. I made a replacement bung for the transom of a Jeanneau Newmatic from an old demijohn bung some 4 to 6mm Dyneema (or similar) and "hot-melt" glue.
Put a good (pull it tight with pliers) stopper knot in the end of the "string" loop and pass the other end through the bung from the narrow end towards the wide end (you want the "grab handle" loop on the inside of the boat in this case). Don't pull it all the way yet.
Get the hot-melt up to working temperature and coat thoroughly the length of the string that will remain in the bung. Then, before this cools, continuously apply hot-melt as the string is slowly inserted in the hole and finally fill any gaps and trim off excess as it cools.
What was even better about this exercise was once I'd made it we found the original bung! But we still use the rubber one with the string "grab-handle" for convenience.
For sculling my Wayfarer I use a galvanised rowlock. I drill a small hole in the end of each arm, the thread a piece of 2mm braid through the holes with the scull in place. The light line is loose enough to scull but tight enough not to ride over the blade or the stop (a piece of fancy ropework smothered in epoxy. The rowlock stays with the scull, can be dropped into place on the transoù easily. If the scull goes overboard it floats.
Of course a notch in the transom is the proper way to do things - nothing tobreak or get lost.
Gordon
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