Ancillaries​​
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Turning Poles
Turning Poles are very useful for turning your yacht around when it reaches the opposite bank or for keeping your yacht from tangling in the rushes or trees, sailing of this type is known as free sailing and is only suitable on purpose made yacht ponds with fully accessible sides.
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You can make your own turning poles from a cane or a fishing rod, or even by using a thin broom handle, ideally you need a rubber buffer on one end to stop you from damaging your yacht and to provide purchase when you push off the boat.
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Star Yachts used to make their own turning pole this was fitted with a cup hook at one end and was used for retrieving the yacht from the water however these are nearly impossible to find now.
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Tethers
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Tethers must be used when sailing where you may lose your yacht for example on the river, canal, the sea or on a natural lake or river. You should tie your tether off at the bow of the yacht and use a suitable handle to reel in and let out the cord. This method of sailing is more like flying a kite than sailing and can impede how the yacht sails, the larger the yacht the more successful this method is as the power generated from the sails pulls out the line more steadily.
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There are a few different types of tether handle that you can use, try a crab line although water the line is a little stiff it still works. There are also kite handles these have longer more supple cords on them and work well. some people use a centre pin fishing reel fitted to a handle of a fishing rod with the line threaded through the eyelets of the rod, this also works well. There are purpose made wooden handles available made by Haycroft Pond Yachts, these can be bought on eBay. Other companies provide different types of spool arrangements and some vintage spools come up from time to time.
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Cradles and Stands
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A yacht cradle is usually made from wood it is a good idea to bring a cradle or stand with you to the waterside this will help to stop your yacht blowing over whilst it is rigged, if you do not have one lay the yacht over on the grass but be aware people may step on it.
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Towel
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An old towel is a very useful item for drying off your boat after sailing, remember if you sail in the sea, wash your yacht down using tap water to rinse off the salt which will corrode your fittings.
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