Re: Gaff Jaws - leather advice?
Thanks Paul and the others for your advice.
My jaws too are laminated mahogany ply, and fir mast, so the glass
wrapping sounds like the simplest for the boom.
I will try some token leather on the gaff and batten jaws and see
how it goes.
DonB
--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "prthober <prthober@y...>"
<prthober@y...> wrote:
My jaws too are laminated mahogany ply, and fir mast, so the glass
wrapping sounds like the simplest for the boom.
I will try some token leather on the gaff and batten jaws and see
how it goes.
DonB
--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "prthober <prthober@y...>"
<prthober@y...> wrote:
> Don,and
>
> On my Chebbacco I put a layer of 6 oz. fiberglass where the boom
> gaff jaws contact the mast. I had intended to leather the jaws butwill
> did not make them large enough. My jaws are made of laminated
> plywood. After a thousand miles or more of sailing there is only
> slightly noticeable wear on the mast and jaws. I expect that it
> be many times this amount of sailing before I need to do anyto
> maintenance. Neither the boom or gaff jaws seem to exert much
> pressure against the mast.
>
> Paul
>
>
> --- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "dbaldnz <oink@p...>" <oink@p...>
> wrote:
> > I am rigging my Micro Navigator, and would like to use leather
> > protect the wooden mast.leather
> > If anyone has done this, I would appreciate their advice on my
> > following assumptions-
> >
> > Boom - because the boom jaws do not move up and down, the
> > should be fixed to the mast?used
> > Gaff and batten 'jawlets' - the leather should be wrapped around
> the
> > jaws?
> >
> > Should the leather be stretched and tacked? Should adhesive be
> > to stop the leather moving?need
> >
> > What type and thickness of leather? I have found a source but
> > to know what is best.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > DonB
Don,
On my Chebbacco I put a layer of 6 oz. fiberglass where the boom and
gaff jaws contact the mast. I had intended to leather the jaws but
did not make them large enough. My jaws are made of laminated
plywood. After a thousand miles or more of sailing there is only
slightly noticeable wear on the mast and jaws. I expect that it will
be many times this amount of sailing before I need to do any
maintenance. Neither the boom or gaff jaws seem to exert much
pressure against the mast.
Paul
--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "dbaldnz <oink@p...>" <oink@p...>
wrote:
On my Chebbacco I put a layer of 6 oz. fiberglass where the boom and
gaff jaws contact the mast. I had intended to leather the jaws but
did not make them large enough. My jaws are made of laminated
plywood. After a thousand miles or more of sailing there is only
slightly noticeable wear on the mast and jaws. I expect that it will
be many times this amount of sailing before I need to do any
maintenance. Neither the boom or gaff jaws seem to exert much
pressure against the mast.
Paul
--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "dbaldnz <oink@p...>" <oink@p...>
wrote:
> I am rigging my Micro Navigator, and would like to use leather tothe
> protect the wooden mast.
> If anyone has done this, I would appreciate their advice on my
> following assumptions-
>
> Boom - because the boom jaws do not move up and down, the leather
> should be fixed to the mast?
> Gaff and batten 'jawlets' - the leather should be wrapped around
> jaws?
>
> Should the leather be stretched and tacked? Should adhesive be used
> to stop the leather moving?
>
> What type and thickness of leather? I have found a source but need
> to know what is best.
>
> Thanks,
> DonB
Thanks, Derek, a compliment for Wayward Lass always get my
attention....
There's a picture of her mast arrangement at www.chebacco.com in "new
articles", issue one, in "A letter from Jamie". The last picture,
labelled mast.jpg, shows the strips. My mast was getting a little
chewed up, mostly when I was reefed, as my reefing arrangement at the
tack pulls up on one side or the other of the jaws. (The first reef
line is attached on one side, and the second on the other.)
I used copper tacks, no glue, to attach leather to the inside of the
boom jaws. I also tacked some around the ends of both boom and gaff
where they bear on the mast, (where a tumbler would go). Richard is
right that when the gaff is raised there is very little chafe, but
I've found that when I'm motoring with the sails down, wave action
makes the end of the gaff chafe against the mast. I used pieces of
sailmaker's leather because I had some on hand, but latigo would be
better, I think.
It might have been overkill, but the combination of strips and
leather solved my chafing problem. You could always see what happens
with both mast and jaws bare -- Wayward Lass' jaws are hard oak,
while her mast is soft spruce. If you used harder wood it might not
wear so much.
Looking forward to seeing some pics of Navigator under sail.
Jamie
attention....
There's a picture of her mast arrangement at www.chebacco.com in "new
articles", issue one, in "A letter from Jamie". The last picture,
labelled mast.jpg, shows the strips. My mast was getting a little
chewed up, mostly when I was reefed, as my reefing arrangement at the
tack pulls up on one side or the other of the jaws. (The first reef
line is attached on one side, and the second on the other.)
I used copper tacks, no glue, to attach leather to the inside of the
boom jaws. I also tacked some around the ends of both boom and gaff
where they bear on the mast, (where a tumbler would go). Richard is
right that when the gaff is raised there is very little chafe, but
I've found that when I'm motoring with the sails down, wave action
makes the end of the gaff chafe against the mast. I used pieces of
sailmaker's leather because I had some on hand, but latigo would be
better, I think.
It might have been overkill, but the combination of strips and
leather solved my chafing problem. You could always see what happens
with both mast and jaws bare -- Wayward Lass' jaws are hard oak,
while her mast is soft spruce. If you used harder wood it might not
wear so much.
Looking forward to seeing some pics of Navigator under sail.
Jamie
--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "Derek Waters" <dgw@d...> wrote:
> Hi Don
>
> Jamie Orr's beautiful Chebacco has an elegant arrangement of
hardwood strips
> on the mast. IIRC the idea is to give a surface which will
withstand the
> friction and neither traps moisture nor requires weakening the mast
with
> tack holes. The picture I have seems to show the jaws leathered on
the boom
> but not the gaff. Maybe Jamie will comment?
>
> For my part, I've been thinking about putting a wrap of glass-cloth
at the
> affected mast sections. Somewhere, (perhaps from the local leather
store,
> where the manager is a sailor) I picked up the notion that a fairly
heavy
> latigo should do fine for the leathering on the jaws. Form it wet
of
> course. Tom Cunliffe recommends tallow as the lubricant - perhaps
anhydrous
> lanolin would work.
>
> Have you thought about adding a tumbler between the jaws? They used
to use
> hardwood, but a chunk of black UHMW would not offend the eye too
much.
>
> cheers
> Derek
I solved that problem by not solving that problem.
Leave the rope that holds the gaff onto the mast a little loose, and the
saddle just hangs there, and doesn't rub against the mast with any notable
force. All the wear on the paint on my mast at that spot was before I
realized the holding rope (short rope spanning tips of jaws, which is really
just there to keep the gaff jaws from snagging the halyards) was so tight
that when I raised the peak halyards I was jaming the gaff against the sail.
If you are planning extensive cruising, I would use the leather or
something. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry about it. Design for a loose fit, and
repaint every couple years.
Leave the rope that holds the gaff onto the mast a little loose, and the
saddle just hangs there, and doesn't rub against the mast with any notable
force. All the wear on the paint on my mast at that spot was before I
realized the holding rope (short rope spanning tips of jaws, which is really
just there to keep the gaff jaws from snagging the halyards) was so tight
that when I raised the peak halyards I was jaming the gaff against the sail.
If you are planning extensive cruising, I would use the leather or
something. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry about it. Design for a loose fit, and
repaint every couple years.
----- Original Message -----
From: <oink@...>
To: <bolger@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2003 11:00 AM
Subject: [bolger] Gaff Jaws - leather advice?
> I am rigging my Micro Navigator, and would like to use leather to
> protect the wooden mast.
> If anyone has done this, I would appreciate their advice on my
> following assumptions-
>
> Boom - because the boom jaws do not move up and down, the leather
> should be fixed to the mast?
> Gaff and batten 'jawlets' - the leather should be wrapped around the
> jaws?
>
> Should the leather be stretched and tacked? Should adhesive be used
> to stop the leather moving?
>
> What type and thickness of leather? I have found a source but need
> to know what is best.
>
> Thanks,
> DonB
>
>
>
> Bolger rules!!!
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01930, Fax: (978) 282-1349
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>
>
Hi Don
Jamie Orr's beautiful Chebacco has an elegant arrangement of hardwood strips
on the mast. IIRC the idea is to give a surface which will withstand the
friction and neither traps moisture nor requires weakening the mast with
tack holes. The picture I have seems to show the jaws leathered on the boom
but not the gaff. Maybe Jamie will comment?
For my part, I've been thinking about putting a wrap of glass-cloth at the
affected mast sections. Somewhere, (perhaps from the local leather store,
where the manager is a sailor) I picked up the notion that a fairly heavy
latigo should do fine for the leathering on the jaws. Form it wet of
course. Tom Cunliffe recommends tallow as the lubricant - perhaps anhydrous
lanolin would work.
Have you thought about adding a tumbler between the jaws? They used to use
hardwood, but a chunk of black UHMW would not offend the eye too much.
cheers
Derek
Jamie Orr's beautiful Chebacco has an elegant arrangement of hardwood strips
on the mast. IIRC the idea is to give a surface which will withstand the
friction and neither traps moisture nor requires weakening the mast with
tack holes. The picture I have seems to show the jaws leathered on the boom
but not the gaff. Maybe Jamie will comment?
For my part, I've been thinking about putting a wrap of glass-cloth at the
affected mast sections. Somewhere, (perhaps from the local leather store,
where the manager is a sailor) I picked up the notion that a fairly heavy
latigo should do fine for the leathering on the jaws. Form it wet of
course. Tom Cunliffe recommends tallow as the lubricant - perhaps anhydrous
lanolin would work.
Have you thought about adding a tumbler between the jaws? They used to use
hardwood, but a chunk of black UHMW would not offend the eye too much.
cheers
Derek
I am rigging my Micro Navigator, and would like to use leather to
protect the wooden mast.
If anyone has done this, I would appreciate their advice on my
following assumptions-
Boom - because the boom jaws do not move up and down, the leather
should be fixed to the mast?
Gaff and batten 'jawlets' - the leather should be wrapped around the
jaws?
Should the leather be stretched and tacked? Should adhesive be used
to stop the leather moving?
What type and thickness of leather? I have found a source but need
to know what is best.
Thanks,
DonB
protect the wooden mast.
If anyone has done this, I would appreciate their advice on my
following assumptions-
Boom - because the boom jaws do not move up and down, the leather
should be fixed to the mast?
Gaff and batten 'jawlets' - the leather should be wrapped around the
jaws?
Should the leather be stretched and tacked? Should adhesive be used
to stop the leather moving?
What type and thickness of leather? I have found a source but need
to know what is best.
Thanks,
DonB