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Randy’s Thistle
Resources
Whenever I see a mistreated Thistle I am
appalled at how it has been left. Sometimes an owner has lost interest (and
should probably sell the boat to someone who will race it and take better care
of it), but sometimes new owners simply have not learned some of the tricks to
taking care of a Thistle. Your Thistle will be faster and will retain more
value longer.
Always leave the boat with
the drains open and the portholes open, so the tanks can dry out. Obviously you
want them closed before you put the boat in the water. Moisture is terrible for
boats; both polyester and wood will soak up water if water remains on their
surfaces for extended periods of time. Even
if the tank is perfectly dry, and perfectly sealed consider what may happen in
changing temperatures, and the resulting suction or pressure on the tank.
Prop up the boat so that
it drains. I prefer to prop the bow up high so that it drains out of the
transom drains, and frequently stick a piece of carpet under the transom and
raise the boat until the transom touches the carpet. I use a saw horse or short
step ladder to rest the front of the trailer on.
Keep the hatches, drain
bungs and other loose gear in one place, so you know they will always be there.
On my bag boat I keep all this stuff in the starboard spinnaker bag.
Leaving the board resting
on the trolley or trailer may damage the leading edge, and you want your slot
gaskets left flat (in the normal closed position), so they do not take on a
permanent bend.
Lay the rudder in the
boat; I put the tiller along the hull-tank join in the bottom and lay the blade
tip over the far tank. I believe this reduces the chances of damaging the
trailing edge of the blade. I also buy or make a rudder bag and put the rudder
blade in the bag as one of the first steps in derigging the boat.
The boat should be covered
with a good top cover that shields the boat from UV radiation. If the cover has
holes in it, fix it or replace it. Use a line or a pole to form a a ridge to
support the cover so that water does not collect in it.
Rinse salt water off the
boat, rinsing out blocks, lines and once in awhile, inside the tanks. If the
tanks ever leak, you get salt in the tanks, and you want to rinse that out from
time to time.
If you have very tight
shock cords, ease them off when packing up the boat. Shock cord left taught
will not last as long.
After sailing, and after rinsing out or washing,
and drying your sailing gear, put it back in a gear bag. Little is more
frustrating than showing up at the sailing club on a a gorgeous day, only to
discover that you left your sailing boots or some other piece of important gear
at home.
For
more information, you can email me…
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