There is a fashion catching on in Topsham for fitting pipe lagging onto the cockpit guard wires instead of dodgers. We find that with normal guard wires on a long offshore leg one tends to loop an arm over the wire to hang on to and this results in bruises on the inner arm. The plumbers lagging held on with duct tape makes a very comfortable arm or back rest but looks like either a boxing ring or a play pen. The only problem is without dodgers you can't see the boat name as easily. Maybe that's an advantage! [}:)] When it stops raining I'll go out and take some pictures.

Kate

---

Kate,

It is an optional extra on the 235 factory list to have the guard wire covered to make a back rest.
However I have found that after a bit of use, the wire cuts through the lagging. I have replaced my lagging with new and pushed through a length of 1/2 inch reinforced garden hose pipe before putting both back into the canvas covers. The preformed lagging is made to fit this size pipe. It has worked really well.

Graham Ebb
235/25 Blue Jazz

The best I've seen but haven't yet got around to it is to use wide webbing - like car belts. You need to make up shorter wires and get suitable D ring type ends. I hate dodgers - you can't see out!

Geoff P21/30 Cygnus

BRILLIANT idea, Graham - I'm going to put an inner sleeve in mine now before they cut through - thanks!

Stephen Godber
235/51 "Exodus"

---

Further to Graham Ebb's suggestion on this thread I've looked around to find which garden hose I can afford to remove a few metres off and have discovered something equally suitable!

The pipe lagging that Parkers use as guard rail padding is designed to insulate 15mm alkathene waterpipe, and guess what I found in the cellar?

This is equally as good as garden hose, I'd suggest, and possibly even better as it is stiffer and thicker walled - either way, a great suggestion Graham, and it will save my foam from chafing through!

[img][/img]


Stephen Godber
235/51 "Exodus"

---

Looks like a nice neat job Stephen, lets hope you get plenty of good weather to test it out this summer. Glad to be of some help.

Graham Ebb
235/25 Blue Jazz