Yachting USA — January 2018

THEINVENTORS:Ya c ht i n gg loves interactive readers. These “gilhickies” were ideas or inventions sent in from enthusiasts all over.

FILLING ITS PAGES

ARE MACGYVER-

STYLE INVENTIONS

COOKED UP BY

READERS TO MAKE

THEIR LIVES

ON THE WATER A

LITTLE EASIER.

JANUARY 2018 YACHTING 21

two parts of the same rope,” according
to The Art of Knotting and Splicing, a
publication deFontaine proclaims to
be the “bible of rope work.” The rack-
ing seizing was not a reader invention,
of course, but Gadgets and Gilhickies’
overarching theme was a sav vier life at
sea, and deFontaine’s goal was to share
anything of use. Francis Palfrey Jr. wrote
in to praise the seizing’s usefulness on his
sloop, Cygnet. “Its principal use is where
a temporary eye is needed and the line

cannot be spliced,” he wrote. Looking to

learn it? Step-by-step instructions are

below. ¶ Bill Crowe’s shield for a din-

ghy’s rail when pulling in an anchor and

chain appeared in August 1968. “Like

many worthwhile ideas, it is relatively

simple,” deFontaine wrote. Indeed, as the

invention is essentially a piece of metal

folded over the rail (see full details below),

we’re going to have to agree with deFon-

taine about the simplicity, and about the

while that it’s worth. Who wants to scuff

up that rail? ¶ And that’s what this column

off ered: relatively simple ideas that can

go a long way on the water. So we ask you,

Yac ht i ng readers, what are some handy

on-the-water tricks you’ve discovered?

Take the next step: [email protected]

CURRENTS HERITAGE

BRAGGINGRIGHTS

If your Sunfi sh goes 12 knots

but no one tracks it, did it

really go 12 knots? John

Perrin didn’t seem to think so.

The yachtsman created his

own speedometer for his craft

using a pitot pickup, a stabiliz-

er and a contralog speedome-

ter from Airguide Instrument

Co. Then Perrin created a

daggerboard to accommo-

date the device. He used pine

shelving but suggested using

Philippine mahogany instead.

THETIESTHATBIND

Above is a racking seizing,

a type of sailing line work.

Make a small eye at the end

of the seizing cord (a tucked

eye or eye splice); pass the

other end around one line and

through the eye; make 10

to 12 fi gure-eight turns, tight-

ening each as you go (fi gure

A); add two cross-frapping

turns around the cord, be-

tween the two lines (fi gure B);

and tie the end with a hitch

on the two cross turns.

PROTECTTHESPECS

Howard Barnes decided he

was unwilling to keep sacrifi c-

ing his glasses to Poseidon.

He took a refrigerator shelf,

cut the outer frame from the

inner wires, bent the frame

upward as shown, tied a pole

(any type works) to the frame,

and added some copper

or Monel insect wiring to the

back. Glasses weren’t the only

object his device snatched:

Barnes saved a wristwatch

and a dinner fork too.

HOWTOBESTORM-SAVVY

A 1930s strong blow

found deFontaine getting a

handy tutorial on how to turn

the jib on his Herreshoff Fish

into an emergency storm try-

sail rig. It saved deFontaine’s

skin and, he heard later, a

grateful reader’s as well.