We probably all know it’s useful to have access to tweezers when you’re maintaining the boat. I am the happy owner of two pairs, cranked ends about 15cms long.
Then at the Rankings I saw these… I hope the original application was not medical. They’re huge!
When you get going with your radio sailing, just occasionally you are going to need to replace your deck patches. The trick to make positioning them easy is the use a washing up liquid solution just strong enough to leave a film across the surface before you apply. Then you just need five hands to get them on – ha ha ha !!
Have you thought about how cut a stock of new patches? Rolls of sticky back sailcloth in all sorts of colours are available from the likes of Sailsetc
https://www.sailsetc2.com/index.php/deck-patch.html
Then you need some templates. I found that to cut templates in thin ply is insanely challenging to get precisely right, symmetrical, even corners etc. So in an attempt to find a way forward, I asked my expert seamstress wife how a dressmaker would approach the problem. The answer is that you go through an intermediate paper pattern stage.
(See photo) To get the symmetry and corners to match, fold the paper in the bow to stern axis down the middle. Then make your marks, cut it out and test it on the boat hatches. Re-do this as many times as you need to get the angles, sides and corners just perfect.
We decided then to transfer that shape to sheets of plastic off the back of an old A4 notebook (see the item on “Rig Trimming Tool”….used the same plastic sheet for this) Something thin enough to cut accurately with a scissors, but last a jolly long time in wet conditions and lumpy toolboxes. …Trace the paper pattern on to the plastic sheet, cut with the scissors and you have your template. Easy!! Should last longer than the boat!
Loads of us come into radio sailing from Dinghy and Keelboat racing, and bring our toolboxes with us… not unreasonably thinking that several decades of tools will see us through anything!
Well, here’s the thing – you quickly learn your toolbox needs adapting!!
The very first thing I was recommended to buy was one of these:-
Just £10 on Amazon, delivered the next day!! And would you believe it, I’ve used it every single sailing day along with the day before and the evening after. Incredibly useful !!
While sailing, I’m told that on Flysky transmitters there is basic telemetry available that reads the remaining battery power on board – you know, a display with four marks very roughly corresponding to full, half full, and the two quarter points. Nice – want to try that!! Maybe latest Futaba’s have it too -I’m not yet sure. I seem to remember I’ve also read that this telemetry feature doesn’t work with all types of battery – try it and see, I guess.
By looking at the box, you get the idea of what it does straight away. Just plug in the on-board battery, select the battery type (important!! see above ) … and press go. Takes just two seconds.
It gives you the exact battery percentage remaining. Fantastic! You’ll want to use it on the battery going in to the boat, coming out of the boat, during charging and just before packing for race day! It has also taught me that the set of batteries I am using have widely varying depletion rates. Interesting. Just £10.
Datchet Radio Sailing - Making It All Much Easier !! 