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Old 03-06-2014, 05:53 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sastanley View Post
Mo, When I was young and stupid, I enjoyed being on the boat, in the sun, for a tan with no shirt on. Since vitiligo became my sun enemy (the same skin problem Michael Jackson had) this big grey device was the best investment ever on my cruising boat.



And, no way to look up at the masthead fly unless I install a window, so I am saving my neck too...

I may take your advice and add some tell-tales on the shrouds...low enough I can see them from under the bimini...maybe right about at the height where that piling is!! My Dad always had tell tales on the backstay & main (cap) shrouds on the boat (in addition to the masthead fly)...maybe those old salts knew a little something (but I'll never admit it.)

I won't stop sailing & boating, but I am now forced to rub on sunblock every day on the boat, wear a big brimmed hat and I also usually wear SPF 50 clothing. At least the newer synthetic fabrics breath and it is not so oppressive wearing long sleeves in August as it used to be.
Shawn, the bimini is nice...have thought of it but didn't want to go through the expense and then not like it. The boom is pretty low on my boat so I figured if I go there I'd make a major change and raise the boom, new main to fit, dodger higher..all in one shot. It's a 5K proposition easy!!

Did make a sunshade from sunbrella last year for when at anchor or on the dock. It works really good and allows a marginal amount of freedom going forward as well. It's only practical when the boat is at anchor though.

This past summer I did the hat change and that made the difference. Prior to that I took ibuprofen regularly... (|We military medics used to call Ibuprofen "airborne smarties")

My shroud tell tales are generally about 8 feet off the deck...that's as high as I can reach. I have tell tales on all sails as well. As we know the wind at the top of the stick can be a little different than lower down on the boat in light air. To be honest, when racing in light air my eyes would be at the top of the stick to notice every change, thus reacting immediately to what I saw. Won allot of races like that...a little lift here and there that would go unnoticed by a competitor until I crossed up wind and they drop back every time they miss a lift. Found tell tales on the shrouds less "telling" in light air. As the wind increases both positions work fine. You guys get more light air than I so I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.

Pic of the boat with sunshade on...down the shore one weekend last summer. It's no good to try and sail with though. I have to release the main halyard and attach to webbing in center of sunbrella to "tent" it; main sheet released and boom moved to toe-rail. Light line secured the forward corners and bungies on the stern corners allow some flexability.
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Mo

"Odyssey"
1976 C&C 30 MKI

The pessimist complains about the wind.
The optimist expects it to change.
The realist adjusts the sails.
...Sir William Arthur Ward.

Last edited by Mo; 03-06-2014 at 10:15 AM.
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