What to do with really old yacht equipment?
Discussion
I am (slowly) sorting out my late father-in-law's house and I keep finding what can best be described as mostly nautical antiques. He was a very enthusiastic sailor and owned and sailed a 1937 13 ton Hillyard Ketch until he died (aged 89). Some things I can identify and we will be keeping, some I can identify but while said equipment works, it is next to useless for its intended purpose in the moden world - such as direction finders, mechanical logs and other pre-GPS era stuff. There's probably a lead to swing in the bottom of the box somewhere too. There are other items I can't identify at all, but clearly they were saved for a reason. I doubt very much there is any value in any of it, so I assume the reason was "it might come in useful for something".
I initially wondered if any of it would be of interest to a museum of some kind, but the local classic boat museum wasn't that interested - presumably not old enough for them. So I am open to suggestions - I hate throwing stuff away that might be useful or interesting to someone.
I initially wondered if any of it would be of interest to a museum of some kind, but the local classic boat museum wasn't that interested - presumably not old enough for them. So I am open to suggestions - I hate throwing stuff away that might be useful or interesting to someone.
The RNLI have 'boat jumbles' at various places around the coast to raise funds (Yes, I know the RNLI aren't flavour of the month with some people right now). You could contact your nearest station and see if there is someone who would put the stuff on their stall with all proceeds to the local station, otherwise Sea Cadets/Sea Scouts may do similar.
Otherwise there are plenty of people restoring old yachts who might want period equipment, plus pubs and restaurants on the coast who would use them as decorations. Try eBaying some of them if you can be bothered. I once sold a Seagull 105 outboard to Australia, which the buyer then used as a decoration on the end of their desk. That was after I had spent a good deal of time getting it running, too!
Otherwise there are plenty of people restoring old yachts who might want period equipment, plus pubs and restaurants on the coast who would use them as decorations. Try eBaying some of them if you can be bothered. I once sold a Seagull 105 outboard to Australia, which the buyer then used as a decoration on the end of their desk. That was after I had spent a good deal of time getting it running, too!
If you can stomach the effort you may be surprised what people will pay; big and heavy things go on gumtree, everything else on ebay. Mechanical logs(I assume you mean a trailing log that mounts at the back of the boat with a propellor on a string) fetch reasonable money as they're reliable and I don't think anyone makes them anymore.
ecsrobin said:
Beaulieu has a big boat jumble once a year a perfect place to sell on old gear.
that is just what i was going to suggest too ..... edit - the sumlog (mechanical log) and stuff like that still have uses.
Still keep a Sumlog and an RDF onboard, (although that may be due to my piss poor wiring and the tendency for electrical storms to knock out our more modern electronics which happens worryingly often !!!)
Edited by XJSJohn on Thursday 10th May 08:19
Steve_D said:
dirkgently said:
XJSJohn said:
the sumlog (mechanical log) and stuff like that still have uses.
Lengthening your starboard tack for one. 
Steve
XJSJohn said:
Steve_D said:
dirkgently said:
XJSJohn said:
the sumlog (mechanical log) and stuff like that still have uses.
Lengthening your starboard tack for one. Steve
Steve
XJSJohn said:
the drag from the towed log pulling from one side at the stern can assist in helping a boat point that little bit higher, and we have never done that on long passage races Sir, ..... never ......
Having trouble understanding that. The angle of the boat through the water is not the limiting factor in pointing higher, it is the angle of the sails to the wind. You can get the same effect as the drag from the towed log by nudging the rudder over, still won't make you point higher though, you will just pinch and lose power. What am I missing?Pics of the marine stuff please!
Hold on I may have got it - if the boat is close hauled on starboard on say a heading of 270 degrees (ignoring leeway for the moment) the dragged log could cause the boat to point to say 275 degrees. Its course is still 270 degrees because you cannot get it the sails to point any higher, but it is now crabbing through the water and the increased water pressure on the left hand side of the keel and hull pushes the boat to windward. Is that it? You would have to let the sails out to stop them pinching, but the new windward movement of the boat moves the apparent wind back so you can trim them in again.
Is that it?
If so, the boats forward speed would be sacrificed, there would be a lot more drag, but it might inch its way to windward. Not sure what the net effect would be.
Is that it?
If so, the boats forward speed would be sacrificed, there would be a lot more drag, but it might inch its way to windward. Not sure what the net effect would be.
Ayahuasca said:
Hold on I may have got it - if the boat is close hauled on starboard on say a heading of 270 degrees (ignoring leeway for the moment) the dragged log could cause the boat to point to say 275 degrees. Its course is still 270 degrees because you cannot get it the sails to point any higher, but it is now crabbing through the water and the increased water pressure on the left hand side of the keel and hull pushes the boat to windward. Is that it? You would have to let the sails out to stop them pinching, but the new windward movement of the boat moves the apparent wind back so you can trim them in again.
Is that it?
If so, the boats forward speed would be sacrificed, there would be a lot more drag, but it might inch its way to windward. Not sure what the net effect would be.
More or less; it's possible that against an otherwise matching boat it might make a difference, but it's equally possible it might, just as you say, make it slower too.Is that it?
If so, the boats forward speed would be sacrificed, there would be a lot more drag, but it might inch its way to windward. Not sure what the net effect would be.
Ayahuasca said:
You can get the same effect as the drag from the towed log by nudging the rudder over
That's true and it's why some racing sailors will trim for a little bit of weather helm going upwind.The theory is that the lift off the rudder by having it a couple of degrees off-centre will make the boat crab upwind slightly, outweighing the extra drag on a VMG basis.
NickCQ said:
XJSJohn said:
the drag from the towed log pulling from one side at the stern can assist in helping a boat point that little bit higher, and we have never done that on long passage races Sir, ..... never ......
'I always store my spare bottled water on the starboard side...'NickCQ said:
Ayahuasca said:
You can get the same effect as the drag from the towed log by nudging the rudder over
That's true and it's why some racing sailors will trim for a little bit of weather helm going upwind.The theory is that the lift off the rudder by having it a couple of degrees off-centre will make the boat crab upwind slightly, outweighing the extra drag on a VMG basis.
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