Don't trust Dad,...

[TomY]

Last week we launched our sons $1 dollar boat. We built a wooden A frame to step the mast which stores on saw horses, on deck. We've used 'Sky hook Jr." several times, with no problems. The boys, on deck, stay out of the way incase the spar drops (we assume that could happen).

This time,...I was in a hurry rigging the A frame, and swapped the two lines we had. One the 'guy' and two, the hoist. Shouldn't be a problem except, the hoist is nylon.

With plenty of help above and below, I noticed the stretch seemed excessive but we carried on. The spar lifted off the deck and the boys below, were trying to steer it around, but it wasn't getting much higher.

At one point I thought the bumper was coming off my truck. The A lowered, and lowered. Finally, the leg attachments at the wharf, pulled out and the spar ended up going away from the boat,...and into the harbor. "Splash".

Embarrassed but no one hurt, despite being a little gun shy of our rig, I ran to my boat for a length of dacron,... We re-rigged, and up she went, without a hitch. I thought it was best to do this immediately. Sort of like getting back on the horse after he throws you.

My son, who is newly hired a financial analyst in Boston, did a little analytical work on Sky Hook Jr. He sent me this little sketch. Yep, that's exactly what happened.

The guy is now a piece of easily recognized yacht braid, the hoist 3 strand dacron.

Plus I think in his analysis he's found: It's best not to trust Dad, unconditionally,...

 

[Rick Webb]

In these circumstances you tell the kids, " I did that on purpose to show you what not to do".

 

[jssailem]

@Rick Webb Like an armadillo taking advantage of a half filled long neck on the side of the road, Your insight is spot on.
These are teaching moments not catastrophes.

 

[Rick486]

It really is the natural order of things. As we age, the young begin very slowly to take charge. It is up to us to be gracious, and graceful, in relinquishing the lead as Tom shows us here...

 

[Will Gilmore]

It all serves to bring a family together, although, yours, Tom, appears pretty close already.

My own kids have learned to ask my advice, but don't take it blindly.

- Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Jacktar]

Just as a added note, I have some scars that remind me of a not too smart way to do certain things, like a database you know?

 

[Al Schober]

Previous boat (40 yrs ago?) had a deck stepped mast. Made an A-frame that sat inside the toe rails and reached a bit above the spreaders. Frame was guyed fore & aft, and allowed the mast to be raised or lowered. All rigging & attachments were on board - no dockside stuff. I and my 12 yr old son were able to raise or lower the mast. I'd work the winch and he'd guide the butt of the mast. Gave a great feeling of independence from the boatyard pirates.

 

[All U Get]

Nice set-up, timing the tide and having flat water to fit everyone's schedule is a real challenge, You done good. How do you have the guy at the top of the a-frame.

 

[NotCook]

My definition of "Experience": Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want!

 

[Al Schober]

Guy at the top of the A-frame? No need, just a block! Hoist line to the mast, through the block, and then down. In my case, it came down to a snatch block then back to a winch. Crank the winch and the mast goes up. Person at the mast base moves it forward and the winch gets eased, keeping the butt at a manageable level until the mast is down completely. Finally, remove the A-frame. Up is just the reverse. Trick with up is getting the stay lines for the A-frame through the proper triangles of the mast rigging.

 

[All U Get]

When I did some rescue work we would use a ladder over the edge of a trench with two lines anchored to the sides to make an A frame. Then from the second rung we would hang our 4;1 blocks to lower into the trench for the basket. Keeping the ladder vertical was the key so that most of the weight was carried by the ladder and not the lines to the A.