Only buy tow straps with looped ends from now on. I keep a looped end strap and a shackle for my truck hitch in the truck. These are quick and easy to deploy and no knots! I tossed my tow strap with useless hooks.
Only buy tow straps with looped ends from now on. I keep a looped end strap and a shackle for my truck hitch in the truck. These are quick and easy to deploy and no knots! I tossed my tow strap with useless hooks.
Yeah, that strap is toast, cut it up so no one else tries to use it. Safety first!
When you attach your NEW strap, use a clevis. Less wear on the strap & easier to get off the truck if tangled again.
Well not sure how old you may be but crewed on IOR boat in the Detroit area (mostly Lake St Clair) in the middle late 70’s early 80’s) before moving to Mobile Alabama area. Here owned and raced J-24, J-28, J-80 and J-33 In PHRF Classes. Last boat owned was a Nonsuch 30 which we cruised and did fun races and some PHRF. Sold Nonsuch a couple years ago and am now without a boat.
I do remember IOR. Mostly because I raced on old boats left over from those days.
I spent a lot of years racing aboard a 1971 Cal 39. In general, I got into Great Lake boats about the time you got out of them.
In the club we have a couple of Nonesuch. I've been aboard a 26ft and it seems huge down below. A 30ft must be enormous.
I never raced out of Mobile. Closest is a Santana 30/30 out of Southern Yacht Club, Lake Ponchitrain
Nonsuch 30’s are very big probably comparable to boats 10 feet longer. The Nonsuch 36 seems like an aircraft carrier. Bought Nonsuch when I finally got tired of trying to constantly arrange crew and replacing last minute cancellations for the J-33. We typically sailed with 8 or 9 people. Nonsuch was fun but not as much as the race boats.
What club do you belong?
I raced out of Sandusky Sailing Club.
We have a hot J33 at the club, Knee Deep. It used to be the Burlson family boat out of Bayview YC/Detroit and has a lot of Mac Race experience. A couple of the crew over there used to crew on the S35.
Crew cancelations! Yeah, the Schock 35 owner has taken to now single handed racing. This summer, in his first ever race solo race which was 312 statute miles long; The Lake Erie Solo Challenge, he finished the race first in 2 days 7 hrs and that had him finishing 8 hrs ahead of the next boat (a J33)! A genuine horizon job as a rookie! It's a lot of boat for single handing considering that we used to race with 8. Its also a boat that really misses the 1,500 pound of Meat stacked up on the rail.
Nonsuch: I just figured you got tired of going to the bow for headsail changes. No. I'm kidding. They are exceptional cruisers. Thems Canucks built a great boat.
Do they still have Put In Bay race week for the sailboats? Would like to go to the vintage car races there. Spent many a weekend there In misspent youth.
Bay Week, still exists at PIB. As with all sailboat racing, attendance is down but it is still a great event.
Car racing is back at PIB with this year being the 11th year. I have not attended the car racing even though it is in my back yard.
As for mis spent youth. I spent a lot of weekends running the bars of PIB. In our early 20's a buddy had a Hunter 26 sailboat big enough for sleeping 4 (6 if you were all real cozy.) We trolled the bars over there a lot.
Actually, at the age of 20, I had been working as part time, summer help for Coca-Cola out of Toledo. A couple summers of that, so about 22 yrs old, they asked me if I wanted to be a salesman for the summer (air conditioned car- little lifting) instead of a delivery driver (non-ac truck and all lifting.) I said sure. I would be covering what they called seasonal accounts. I figured this meant golf courses and ice cream stands, etc. Turns out that my territory was Put-In-Bay, Kelley's Island, Catawba Island, and the Marblehead Peninsula. At the ade of 22 they made me go to PIB every Monday weather I wanted to or not -- for 4 years! I had a great time. I "learned a lot" about how business on the islands work. It was also in this time that I started to race sailboats on Weds nights in Sandusky Bay (since I was already out that way.)
I am reminded of this video that has a clip in the middle of some old jalopy racing on the ice of the bay.
NOHOME said:
Aaah, beat me to it.
Yes, Put-in-Bay still has the annual road races but they have been moved from August to later in September. Last year was an all-time record with over 150 cars! Still small-bore only. The event is held at the airport. Lots more than just the race with a parade of cars and a car show. Overall great time!
If you get it undone, it might be useful again, but between the fraying and now the weakening of the strap due to that monster mess of a hitch, I would not trust it. When those things go, people and things get hurt
Toyman01 said:Ahh, a hatchet knot. I've tied a lot of those over the years. Getting it out of a strap will be a challenge. You might be able to get a fid and drive it into the knot to work it loose. It will not be easy.
Fid. You can make a wood one out of a good broom handle and a belt sander.
Rule of thumb, knots are for rope. Bowlines in particular, are for pulling things out. I've never pulled one so tight I couldn't get it loose.
The best way to hook up a strap is with a shackle. Mostly because getting knots out of straps is a PITA.
You'll need to log in to post.
