Prepare Your Dinghy for the Start of the Season

Whilst dinghies may be smaller than many of the craft that take to the water at the start of the season, they need just as much attention when it comes to repair and maintenance. If you're negligent in giving your dinghy the 'once over', you may suffer consequences later on with costly repair bills, the inconvenience and hassle of having to put things right and the prospect of an insurance claim - which may not be covered if poor maintenance has caused the damage.

In order to help you keep your dinghy and trailer in prime condition and so avoid future problems, Towergate Insurance - one of the UK's leading dinghy insurance providers - offers some tips.

Rigging - a common claim is the mast coming down due to rigging failure. Although there's no formal requirement to undertake rigging checks, it's worthwhile doing so. Look out for signs of corrosion on the blocks, pulleys, shackles, hooks, clamcleats etc, plus replace any sheets, control lines, halyards and wires that look worn or frayed.

Try not to put rigging away soaking wet and regularly pay attention to blocks. Look out for slow-running sheaves, shackle elongation, extreme rust, metal stretching and stress cracks in the metal or plastic cheeks. Cleaning your block thoroughly will prevent most problems. Avoid leaving blocks damp with saltwater. Lubricants such as Teflon or dry silicone are good at keeping dirt out of the mechanical workings.

Consider what the dinghy will be used for and change the rigging accordingly - for example, the demands of sea racing differ to lake cruising. If a dinghy is raced hard, the standing rigging may need changing after two seasons (level of wear will dictate).

Sails - do they have any tears or nicks? Because of the lightweight nature of Spinnaker sails they easily tear and a small hole can become a larger problem if ignored. Check thoroughly and patch if necessary.

Hull - are there any scratches, grazes or dents? It could make the difference between the boat being watertight or not. Repair where required and also put the rudder and centre-plate through their paces.

On the move - are you reliant on your trailer getting you from A to B? Despite their importance, trailers are often overlooked during a pre-season check. Are the bearings lubricated with waterproof grease? Does the ball-hitch work (locks down the tow bar) and is the breakaway cable in place (keeping the trailer attached to the vehicle if the ball-hitch fails)? Trailers have been known to detach themselves from their vehicles leaving dinghies careering across lanes of oncoming traffic.



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