| Moving to the mid-west from the Carolinas introduced me to
the use of a hoist. I was fascinated by this method of launching the
boat and was even more surprised that when I called the factory and asked
about a bridle, they assured me that it would be sent out the next day.
The first problem that I encountered was that the block that held the
cable away from my centerboard trunk would slip off until the bridle was
under load. I solved this by gluing a strip of Velcro onto the
block and the other side of the Velcro onto the centerboard. Now,
the block stays attached to the centerboard trunk until I begin lifting
the boat off of the trailer. |
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| My second problem, again was while the bridle was slack, the
fitting on the front caught under the deck and chipped the gel coat.
This problem was solved by sliding a plastic hose over the bridle and duck
taping it in place. This keeps the hardware of the bridle away from
the deck. |
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| During the 1995 Wife Husband Nationals held at the Lake
Norman Yacht Club, I slipped off of the deck. The wind was blowing
enough that with the mainsheet cleated the boat rolled over and
capsized. This problem was solved by placing friction strips on the
deck where the skipper and crew sit. |
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After a discussion on the Flying Scot list pertaining to
placing reflectors on the mast while the boat is on the trailer, Tim
Stombaugh placed reflective tape on the mast itself. His message
indicated that ".. this is the same stuff that they use on semis
..." Notice that he also has place some tape directly on the
top of the mast. |
| The Stombaugh's lost their tiller while sailing one
day. To insure that this did not happen again, Tim fabricated a
retaining pin that goes through the rudder head horizontally. Tim
agrees that this may be a little bit of over kill, but he also points out
that they have never lost the tiller since they installed the pin. |
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Richard Bruce Murray (FS 5375, Wavelength) came up with this
inexpensive and efficient crank float. No more cranks being lost
overboard. |
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| If you live in an area where you need a little
extra protection during the winter months consider purchasing a canopy to
cover your boat. Historically, a second cover was added on top of
the Sailor's Tailor cover shown on the boat. The plastic exterior
cover did not allow the moisture to escape if it entered the boat.
The canopy allows protection from the elements while also allowing air to
circulate around the boat. Originally, the height of the canopy was
around nine feet from peak to the ground. The canopy legs were cut
down to lower the canopy closer to the boat. This canopy was
purchased at Menards, similar canopies can be purchased at other home
improvement stores. I wish that I could say that I was clever enough
to come up with this idea first, but Andy McDonald (Thistle and Highlander
sailor) was the first to use this for winter storage at the Indianapolis
Sailing Club. |
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Everette Mills has placed reflective tape to the stern of
his Flying Scot. This adds a level of safety when driving at night
and pulling the trailor. |
| You have read all of the books on tactics and now you are
thinking about investing in a tactical compass, but how do you mount it? |
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These two pictures show how Bob New (Flying Scot 5145 - Blue
Blazer) solved the problem.
The compass is a Ritchie R90 mounted on a teak paddle. The paddle rests
on two small blocks screwed into the tabernacle. The paddle is
secured by a loop of shock cord that hooks to the underside. |
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Need an easy way to secure your lose shrouds and other stuff that collects
in your boat while you trailer to your next regatta? Here is an easy
and inexpensive way to secure anything that is lose. These cable
ties can be purchase at any Radio Shack. This suggestion was
provided to me by Richard Bruce Murray (FS 5375 - Wavelength).
Richard indicates that he finds Home Depot as the least expensive
source for these plastic ties. |
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If you trailer your Scot you may want to consider securing the bow to the
trailer ... just in case. Notice the spare tire mounted to the bow
post on the trailer. Photo provided by Richard B. Murray. |
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The pictures below provide ideas on how to secure your boom so that it
does not rattle around, protect your boom whoopie, provide an end cap for
the boom while trailering. Photos provide by Richard B. Murray. |
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If you have any novel or unique ideas on how to solve a problem that you have
encountered, please take a digital picture of your solution and email it along
with a description of the problem and solution to me, Fields
C. Gunsett, and I will posted it on this page.
