The Resourceful Sailor Goes Baggywrinkle

Article by Joshua Wheeler

Baggywrinkle – Made from old nylon 3-strand dock lines.

“What did you call me?” In classic Resourceful Sailor fashion, I took a different approach to protecting the sails from the spreader tips on Sampaguita, a 1985 Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20. Unable to locally source spreader boots that fit, I looked to marlinspike techniques and said, “What if I used baggywrinkle?” those big fuzzy things that you might see on the standing rigging of traditional schooners to protect the sails from chafing when off the wind. The result was effective and reusable. It does require some time investment but is by no means difficult.