Here is an old proverb that seems so appropriate to sailing:
For want of a nail the shoe was lost
For want of a shoe the horse was lost
For want of a horse the rider was lost
For want of a rider the battle was lost
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail
I noticed that a short (about 3”) length of 1/8th inch bungee cord was riveted to the triple cam cleat unit near the gooseneck on the boom to keep the two reef lines and the outhaul from slipping when the cams are engaged. The bungee cord holds the levers up when the cams are not in use. The cord was frayed at one end where it went over the edge of the unit.
Suppose the boat is too close to a lee shore. The engine is started and put in gear to avoid that lee shore, but nobody checks the lines and, as so often happens, one is overboard and fouls the prop. The engine stalls. The main cannot be raised to help you get out away from the shore, the wind keeps pushing you closer . . . and the inevitable happens. You go aground, hopefully without any damage to your yacht.
Check the little things. They can be as important as that horseshoe nail.
Steve Colgate
Chairman, Offshore Sailing School
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