Mast is finished and looks wonderful. Now if it would only stop raining I could take her for a sail.
My regrets at buying the cheapest version of polytarp for the sail is continuing to build. I was determined to stay with the philosophy of 'thriftyness' for the PDR but I should have bought the $60 polytarp rather than the $20. The stresses on the eyelettes used at the top of the sail and on the downhaul are showing already, with the poly tearing after only one and a half outings (half an outing due to broken mast). The tears were happening with the plastic eyelettes and the metal ones, so I don't think eyelette material has had anything to do with it. I've gone fully plastic now.
To compensate I've put in a couple of tough canvas patches on those two parts of the sail. Hopefully it will solve that problem.
If you're wondering what the white bits are along the stitching, I used masking tape instead of pins to keep the seams in place for sewing. I figured after the first time in the water they'd get wet and fall off. Surprisingly, they are proving a little more tenacious. Probably outlast the polytarp.
Nice work Patch. Envious at your productive labours.
ReplyDeleteI was just re-reading this. The stress on the plastic eyelets was a factor in things coming apart and metal, force-crimped (i.e. hammer and a serious bashing) is a better fix on the higher stress holes than the press-together plastic ones. E.G. use stainless steel eyelets on holes such as the down-haul.
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