sailboat seamanship 179
Next, pull out 5 or 6 fathoms of anchor line and inspect for chafe. Th en
coil it back down into the locker. If coiling three-strand line, twist your wrist
clockwise a quarter turn as you lay down each bight. Th is
keeps the line free of twists, called hockles. Finally, dig
down beneath the coils and make sure the bitter end of
the rode is permanently tied to the eye at the bottom of
the locker. (Anchoring is covered in Chapter 11.)
Check the seizings on your shackle pins.- Furling drum, furling line, and sheets. Like a roll-up window shade,
furling gear needs to work smoothly, without jamming. Our number two
component tends to bind up at the most inopportune times—and that oft en
means a trip to the foredeck to fi x the problem.
Inspect the genoa sheets at the clew for proper bowlines and indications of
wear. (Sheets should be connected to the clew with bowlines, not with shackles. If
you have ever received a blow from a shackle in the clew of a fl ogging headsail, you
already know why.) Check the integrity of the clevis and cotter pin on the furling
mechanism. Look inside the drum to see if the coiled line comes off the drum
evenly. Follow the furling line aft , checking for chafe or binding. Inspect the cockpit
furling line cleat and get the coil ready to run free when you set the headsail. - Lifeline integrity. Th ese fl exible rails keep you and your crew aboard. Th e
ends of the lifeline make or break the integrity of this component. Check the
lifeline ends at bow and stern pulpits and gates along the sidedecks. Lifelines
end in turnbuckles or pelican hooks. Check turnbuckle sleeves and swage
fi ttings for bending, distortion, and missing cotter pins. Check pelican hooks
to make sure the bail is fi rmly in place over the hook. Tape or lash the bail in
place. Check along each lifeline for broken wire strands, called meathooks.
Check the integrity of the lifelines at the end fi ttings and along the expanses between stanchions.