In most parts of the country the sailing season is almost over. Your sailing gear/clothing is ragged, your running rigging is showing wear, your hulls may need some resurfacing, your spare parts box is depleted, you lent your rivet gun or your electric drill to somebody and never saw it again, you have shackles and shackle screw pins but none of them match up, your trampoline has holes in it......

So let's start a wish list of things you would like for Christmas. And let's keep it reasonable. Unless you have very rich relatives, do NOT ask for a new boat. Let's keep it to something that can be sent by UPS or FedEx or the United States Postal Service.

After this thread is full of suggestions, when your spouse or friends or relatives ask what you would like for Christmas, maybe you can refer them to this thread.

Personally, for my own wish list, I would ask for shackles. I LOVE shackles, and I think you can never have enough of them, in all shapes and sizes. Shackles are expensive, but I would much rather have shackles than jewelry.

Just a curious question for Mary:
Have you ever worn shackles as earings?

For my "wish list", I'd want a new trapeze harness. All of mine are from the early '80s and definately look the part. Serviceable, but way worn out... just like my sails.

No, I don't wear jewelry much, but my ears are pierced, and I would love to have little shackle earrings. Good idea. I am going to search the internet to find shackle earrings. I think I have seen them somewhere before.

Also, does anybody know where to find those Hobie necklaces (the little sailboat on a chain)? It is really hard to find catamaran-related jewelry.

Mary,

I have both a monohull and catamaran on my chain. Both were gifts from my wife, but I'm sure I can find where they were obtained. They came in handy. While down in Mexico, I used them to convince the captain of a 65' sail/charter to let me have the helm. I guess only a sailor would wear that kind of stuff.

BTW, I need new sailing gloves for my whole family. Wife, Son, Daughters (2). Heck 5 pairs of gloves, that ain't cheap either. (I like the shackle earring thing, but my wife prefers diamond shackles... )


Clayton

I want an F28R for Xmas.., just a small one. What do think the chances are that I have been THAT good this year?

Clayton, I ran into a guy 10 years ago that has gloves called Sailing Angles. I tried them and have never used anything else since. Prices aren't that bad either.

Check out the various brands, however at:
Gloves

Take care,
Rick

[quote]Just a curious question for Mary:
Have you ever worn shackles as earings?

one of the girls at my boat shop grabbed a small pair of shackles off the shelf and popped them in her ears. they have been there for about a year now and she loves them.

No, I haven't. I think I would have to drill bigger holes in my ears.

Mary - I have a necklace made from a shackle. It is my favorite. I wonder if I could get a small shackle in my navel piercing....hmmmm. Nah. I think it would need to be re-pierced with a bigger needle to fit the width. Would be neat though.

Rick - Sailing Angles gloves are the best. I've had my current pair for a year, and I crew on a spi boat no less. However, I do wear a pair of these obnoxious gardening gloves made of knitting and textured rubber palms over them to help grip the sheets better.

As for Xmas wish list. I want a head-cam so I can wear it while racing/sailing. And a lap top.

Tracie

For christmas i want someone to pay for the honeymoon in June that I don't think I will get with my fiance cause we poor and I would have ot sell my boat to afford it :-(

By the way, all you gals talking about shackle peiceing are kinda freakin my out, thats a big hole, I hates needles. hahha

Mary,
Many years ago I took a shackle to a jeweler and had him make a pair of gold earrings. It was a cool present. Later I found some tiny blocks made for radio control sailboats, they look just like harken bullet blocks. Each one has something like 28 working parts! She adds the blocks now for special occasions.

Rick

Mary (I mean Rick!) : shackle earrings and other over-priced nautical jewelry are sold by AGA Correa. I get their catalog every year right before Christmas. I guess I meet their demographic somehow.
http://www.agacorrea.com

Wow! What prices. Maybe if I get those for Mary, I might be able to get my F28R!
Rick

I have searched the internet for nautical jewelry, and I have never found anything I like, including AGA Correa. Shackle earrings for $475? I don't think so. Actually, the ones for $360 look better.

Anyway, I am not interested in jewelry myself -- I just want shackles that can be used on sailboats. Let's not confuse the person who is looking at my personal wish list.

Sorry Mary, but I guess I have to break the rule about not asking for a new boat. Pending a sale tommorow I will be boatless for the first time in my life(Had a sunfish at age 5 or so)Americore is sending me to California, I knew my keel boat had to go, then I decided it was to much to ask my Jeep to tow my Hobie 18 from one coast to another. I am hoping to find another cat out there by december, but it may be longer as Americore pay is not that great. I am excited though, the Channel Islands are hopefully in my future. I feel naked, I hope you all don't mind me hanging out the site for the next few months, even though I guess I am not a catsailor anymore, at least not for now.

Why would a Jeep have trouble towing a TheMightyHobie18? My first car was an '89 Wrangler. I bought it specifically to tow my catamarans and be able to beach-launch without getting stuck. I couldn't even feel the boat and trailer behind the Jeep.

Not long distance, but I've towed loads in excess of 6000#s with my '89 Comanche, which has the same drivetrain and gearing as the Wrangler

They were both 6-cyl manuals. If your Jeep is a 4-cyl it might be a little different...

It tows the boat great, I even used it to haul out my keel boat on a yard trailer a few times, which is extremly heavy. Its a '96 V6 and has been back and forth across the country a few times, as well as into Mexico and Canada, I think this will be its last distance trip as it is starting to show some of the typical old car, high mileage symptoms, I don't want to put any extra strain on it. Even though I can't really feel it towing the boat, I do notice a loss in gas mileage which will be significant at this distance and these gas prices. Plus its 2 more wheels to go flat. I thought about it for a long time, I really wanted to take it, Im sure the TheMightyHobie18 would be a great west coast boat for me
but I guess I'll just have to start looking once I get out there, as my boat has already been sold, so sad. Sorry to get so far off the Christmas list subject.

Eh, the good ole 93 troop towed a 4000lbs keelboat 18 hours from NC to Key West. That trip was psycho.


For christmas this year, I need the following:

A N6.0 NE Chute
A sewn-in tramp spin bag
Personal EPIRB
GPS
Handheld VHF
Hundreds of Flares
and a bunch of sponsors

Mary,

Maybe you already know it, but there's a Wichard snap shackle that is so tiny that it could probably be used as a bijouterie (or jewelry). It can be found in their website: Wichard part Nr 2470

Ronstan makes (or used to make) a similar one in bronze (# RF6000), but although it is for sale in West Marine, I did not find it in Ronstan's catalog.

The bronze version would be very easy and relatively inexpensive to gold plate and sell as a fashion item, for key chains, earrings or whatever. I always wondered why the manufacturers don't do it by themselves.

Cheers,

Stop, stop, with the jewelry thing. I don't want any jewelry. I don't like jewelry. I don't wear jewelry. All I wondered was where you could find those catamaran pendants for necklaces. Nobody has come up with the answer to that yet.

Clayton, did you find out where to get the catamaran pendants?