Shroud protectors

[chemprof]

Just a quick note to let you guys know that I'm really still alive -- This summer my wife and I have spent 5 out of 7 days up at Huntington Lake (our home lake). We've been sailing almost every day and even managed to take the Sailing I course from UCLA at the Marine Aquatic Center in Marina del Rey, CA. They had Capri 14's, so we got to do capsize drills using their boat -- so far we've managed not to capsize ours (YET!).

Anyway, I'll give a full report of the sailing later. For now I wanted to let you know that I've stumbled upon a great solution for protecting your jib sheets from those nasty shrouds and chain plate hardware. (I know you can wrap the metal with rigging tape, but mine kept getting abraided after only a day or two.)

Use a plastic shower rod or closet rod cover. They are a split plastic tube that can easily be put onto a standing shroud -- no need to derig. Here's a link:
h**p://www.spaceageplastics.com/show_cat.php?catid=14
although mine came from a closet remodel job.

They don't ride up, they cover the entire hardware set right down to the deck, they can even be grabbed during a puff or while at the dock. Mine are white and about 24" long.

Smooth sailing to all. I promise to be more faithful to the forum after they drain the lake in September.

[numbers]

I put pvc water pipe on mine

John

[bt224]

Originally Posted by numbers

I put pvc water pipe on mine

John

Same here, works great.

[Curtis Hume]

West Marine sells the shroud protectors with snap-in end cap.

[chemprof]

I know about PVC -- perhaps I didn't explain how the rod covers work so you can't see their advantage. Envision a rectangle of vinyl, perhaps 8" by 24", that has been rolled into a tight "diploma" like cylinder, about an inch in diameter. This vinyl diploma or cover is easy to put on your shroud while it is rigged. The diameter is such that the cover falls over the adjuster and stays there by gravity.

The cover has been durable, has protected the jib sheet, gives a secure hand hold (if you sail like I do!), looks professional, and is easily removed.