Page 53 - SOA 109

Improving Piffen

10mm Anchor chain
I didn’t trust the rusty 8 mm anchor chain, and in fact preferred a 10 mm
one, so I had to change the gipsy on the winch as well. The Simpson Law-
rence S-L Hi Speed 510 anchor winch is
an old model and the producer was not
in business anymore. But on the web I
found SL Spares (in Paisley, Scotland)
who sent me a 10 mm rope/chain gip-
sy. Mounting required loosening the
whole winch from under the deck,
quite a job. So now we have a 10-meter
chain plus 50-meter line, which is fine
for mainly Dutch inshore and coastal
waters. Christine doesn’t like anchoring very much because she loves to go
ashore and have a walk or cycle ride whenever possible, but occasionally
when I’m sailing on my own, I love an anchor spot overnight so I’m happy
with the more trustworthy system!

Other improvements
Here is an overview of other changes and additions which readers may feel
to be useful for them as well, especially in case they have an urge, like me
apparently, to keep on improving (when will it ever be enough?)

• Before crossing the Channel and North Sea the installation of a VHF/
DSC radio was necessary and later on I installed an extra microphone
unit (Raymic) and speaker in the cockpit.

• Much later I added a multi-function display (with GPS and electronic
maps) and an AIS transponder (with antenna splitter); both very pleas-
ant especially with low visibility and/or heavy traffic, of course. Exams
were needed for the specific radio certificate which is compulsory for
having an AIS transmitter and using DSC on the VHF, including a practi-
cal test which was quite fun to do!
• Folding pad eyes on the aft deck to tie down our dinghy, which other-
wise remains in the fore cabin too often. For the life raft I had already

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