While it probably doesn’t cover everything, you may find the following ten point checklist useful to get your boat in top shape for the season…
1 – Check your gudgeons for signs of wear…. Replacement gudgeons are just £5.95 each
2 – Check your traveller for wear, especially at the edges where it rubs the alloy traveller eyes. Our spliced Dyneema traveller is still just £17.50.
3 – Has your centreboard brake seen better days? Replace it for just £1.95
4 – Protect the front top of your centreboard slot from wear with our wear protect pad. It also provide increased friction at the front to help keep your centreboard down.
5 – Check your control lines for wear, especially where they pass through the cleats. Also check where they rub up against the kicker fitting as this can also wear away your lines. Most control line ropes have an outer cover and a core, and the cover can suddenly give way when it is excessively worn. The signs of impending failure are a ‘fluffing up’ of the cover where it has been subject to wear in the cleating area, or where it has snagged. We have a wide range of pre-cut control lines for your outhaul, downhaul and kicker, as well as rope by the metre.
6 – Have a look at your tiller extension universal joint for the first signs of any cracking…
7 – Mast wear – reduce wear of both your boat and mast with mast wear strips and mast step protection disk.
8 – Check your kicker key for signs of distortion/cracking where the flat top disk meets the shaft. The MkII rig is especially tough on kicker keys. We sell stronger kicker keys from both Harken and Allen from just £4.95
9 – Check your downhaul primary line for signs of excessive wear.
10 – Often neglected as it is a bit hidden away – have a look at the small black fairlead on your kicker assembly and look to see how grooved it has become. Turn it around to get more life out of it, or buy the new one which is made by Harken with a slightly harder plastic for just £4.45.
Finally, check that your hiking strap doesn't need replacing. If it does we have Zhik hiking straps from £34.95