I'm locked out of my boat and have to cut the small pad lock off the
companionway.

If I invest in a bolt cutter, will it be useful as emergency gear in
case of a dismasting or do I need a different tool to cut S.S. rigging
wire quickly?

--

Roger Long

In "Roger Long" writes:

I'm locked out of my boat and have to cut the small pad lock off the
companionway.

If I invest in a bolt cutter, will it be useful as emergency gear in
case of a dismasting or do I need a different tool to cut S.S. rigging
wire quickly?

If the cutter is good enough for the padlock it will cut the ss-wire
aswell. I would expect the padlock to be hardened so that it is tougher
and if you buy the cheapest bolt cutter you might get a dent in the
blades of the cutters while cutting the padlock.

- Lauri Tarkkonen

The situation now is you have to get inside your boat.
First borrow a good bolt cutter and get a hacksaw with a bi - metal blade.
I do not know the type of padlock you have. Usually on boat they are not
very big and are preferably made out of brass. If the bolt cutter does not
cut through you will have to finish off the job with the bi - metal blade.


As for your question is" If I invest in a bolt cutter, will it be useful
as emergency gear in case of a dismasting or do I need a different tool to
cut S.S. rigging
wire quickly?"

A good bolt cutter may do the job?? To cut the rigging quickly on a
dismasted boat a special tool loaded with a 22 Caliber round is the best
device to use. That's what the around the world racers are carrying.
Other cutting tool maybe available.







"Lauri Tarkkonen" wrote in message
...
In "Roger Long"
writes:

I'm locked out of my boat and have to cut the small pad lock off the
companionway.

If I invest in a bolt cutter, will it be useful as emergency gear in
case of a dismasting or do I need a different tool to cut S.S. rigging
wire quickly?

If the cutter is good enough for the padlock it will cut the ss-wire
aswell. I would expect the padlock to be hardened so that it is tougher
and if you buy the cheapest bolt cutter you might get a dent in the
blades of the cutters while cutting the padlock.

- Lauri Tarkkonen

The other repliers to date have brought an interesting question:

I have both the bolt cutter (came with the boat) and cable cutter (bought
because it wasn't on the boat), 24" handles. Having already bought the
cable cutter, I don't know if I'd buy the other, but...

How much are the explosive cutters, and where does one find them?

L8R

Skip, not yet ready to hit the refit again, but champing at the bit

--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

In "Skip Gundlach" writes:

The other repliers to date have brought an interesting question:

I have both the bolt cutter (came with the boat) and cable cutter (bought
because it wasn't on the boat), 24" handles. Having already bought the
cable cutter, I don't know if I'd buy the other, but...

How much are the explosive cutters, and where does one find them?

You mean really explosive?

- Lauri Tarkkonen

L8R

Skip, not yet ready to hit the refit again, but champing at the bit

--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

One of the most popular Sail Rigging shop in Eastern Canada are using the
Felco cutter every day.
They have to be selected to the right size of cable to be cut.
Check the following site for more information.
http://www.felco.ch/fr/produits/Gamme.asp?IdGamme=1
I just finish talking to the manager of this rigging shop and he stated that
Felco cutter are used every day. They will cut fine as long as you have the
correct size to match the cable to be cut.
In a workshop environment Felco cutters work fine. Having been dismasted
once the manager stated that after having survived a storm you seldom have
enough strength to use a Felco cutter. A good hacksaw with a high quality
blade works as good.
I myself prefer the B- Metal saw blade.


"Lauri Tarkkonen" wrote in message
...
In "Skip Gundlach"
writes:

The other repliers to date have brought an interesting question:

I have both the bolt cutter (came with the boat) and cable cutter (bought
because it wasn't on the boat), 24" handles. Having already bought the
cable cutter, I don't know if I'd buy the other, but...

How much are the explosive cutters, and where does one find them?

You mean really explosive?

- Lauri Tarkkonen

L8R

Skip, not yet ready to hit the refit again, but champing at the bit

--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

In "Denis Marier" writes:

One of the most popular Sail Rigging shop in Eastern Canada are using the
Felco cutter every day.
They have to be selected to the right size of cable to be cut.
Check the following site for more information.
http://www.felco.ch/fr/produits/Gamme.asp?IdGamme=1
I just finish talking to the manager of this rigging shop and he stated that
Felco cutter are used every day. They will cut fine as long as you have the
correct size to match the cable to be cut.
In a workshop environment Felco cutters work fine. Having been dismasted
once the manager stated that after having survived a storm you seldom have
enough strength to use a Felco cutter. A good hacksaw with a high quality
blade works as good.
I myself prefer the B- Metal saw blade.

Havin experienced one dismasting and having to get rid of the mast
before it came throught the hull because in the waves the mast with the
sail and boat seemed to live separate lives with desire to meet once a
while, I would say that a hacksaw is very slow device. I have about 30
inches long tongs for pressing "nicro sleewes" for wires, with cutting
jaws as well. Besides I am quite a positive you need a bunch of blades
for your hacksaw before you have some five or six wires cut apart,
because when you have it half a way done, it is very easy to crack a
piece of the blade or break it completely.

- Lauri Tarkkonen

I know it's not what you were asking, but my experience is that it's much
easier to cut a brass padlock body in two with a hacksaw than it is to cut a
hardened steel shackle.

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
I'm locked out of my boat and have to cut the small pad lock off the
companionway.

If I invest in a bolt cutter, will it be useful as emergency gear in case
of a dismasting or do I need a different tool to cut S.S. rigging wire
quickly?

--

Roger Long

Roger Long wrote:
I'm locked out of my boat and have to cut the small pad lock off the
companionway.

If I invest in a bolt cutter, will it be useful as emergency gear in
case of a dismasting or do I need a different tool to cut S.S. rigging
wire quickly?

Cut the hasp, they're generally a lot lighter duty than a
padlock. Dremel tools with fibre reinforced cut off wheels
will go through thin s.s. like butter.

It will have to be a pretty good bolt cutter to cut through
rigging wire 1/4" thick.

Evan Gatehouse

Cut the hasp, they're generally a lot lighter duty than a
padlock. Dremel tools with fibre reinforced cut off wheels
will go through thin s.s. like butter.

I second the Dremel tool proposal, very efficient in my experience and
a useful tool for many other purposes, just be careful to wear safety
glasses.

Since I have the dubious benefit of a dismasting experience, my
recommendation for shedding the rigging quickly is to knock out the
clevis pins with a drift pin and hammer. It's much quicker than
cutting unless you have one of the explosive gizmos, and can use it
properly in adverse conditions.