How do you protect your rings ?

[ozskipper]

If you dont have a windlass leave a pair of gloves in the anchor locker to use when raising and lowering the pick. In 35 years of sailing I have never had a ring cause me any problems on any sheet or halyard though. So, I really don't think it is an issue.

Long hair, on the other hand, is much more dangerous in my opinion. (I have seen it get caught in deck winches and back stays).

I assume from the post that you are the male of the relationship -with only a band. Your wife with a larger sharper diamond ring will certainly need gloves for sheets and so forth.

[DeepFrz]

Don't tempt fate, take them off and leave them at home. Besides, nice gold jewelry and diamonds can get you in a lot of trouble in many parts of the world.

I got my ring caught on a packing crate one time and it crushed it against my finger. Luckily just a bruise but it came off my finger, never to return, except on special occasions when we were going out.

[krafthaus]

Put the rings on when you go out. For all the reasons mentioned, store them somewhere safe when you're on the boat.

By the way, rings will get scratched over time, no matter how careful you are. Take them to a jeweller and they will polish them up for you without a problem, and that will keep them looking good as new.

[colemj]

True ring protection requires a hobbit.

[Starbuck]

Yeah, but he lost a finger, too.

[Target9000]

Can Dani (my wife) count as a hobbit? She is pretty short.

Okay I need to hush before I really get myself in trouble.

[Dhillen]

Like you, we got married and went on our honeymoon cruise. Also, like you I had never worn any jewelry before. Right away my brand new wedding ring started to get scratched and scuffed up. But so did my hands. In fact, the more calluses, bruises and scratches I got the more I enjoyed myself. We sailed three years from Malaysia to Spain, the two of us. I rebuilt the engine, the windlass, the windvane and just about everything else wearing my ring. It never caused me a problem. The only thing I protected myself from was lowering and raising the anchor - I wore gloves for that but with 300 feet of 7/16 chain I needed it.

Now, when I look at the scuffed up ring sitting here at work it brings back all those memories. I don't want to lose that or the experience and I don't want to take it off. The other posts offer some great advice and I have to admit have made me think a bit too. But me, I'm for keeping the ring.

Good luck.

Dhillen

[Danibug]

Originally Posted by colemj

True ring protection requires a hobbit.

HAHAHA...rotfl! yeah... I'm not sure if i'm short enough to qualify as a hobbit.

This is all great advice. I opted for the plain gold wedding band so we can leave the the diamond ring at home in a safety deposit box when we go cruising as not to bring any major jewelry with us on the trip.

I hadn't really given any thought to the dangers of wearing a ring and being on a boat. I have never really worn any rings except these in my life so this is all new.

Definitely going to find a place on the boat to keep our rings unless we go out.

And never tempt the barracuda.
Dani

[Cruising Couple]

Gorgeous rings! However, you have been great advice here -- do not wear the rings when sailing -- neither of you. You can imagine how devastated your wife would be if she pulled on of the prongs and lost her diamond.

Worse yet, if the band got caught on something and he weight was pulling the other way. When I worked in the ER, we cut off many rings that nearly ripped off the finger during an accident as described.

Gold is soft and the highed the karat weight, the softer it is. For this reason, I gave my husband a titanium wedding band with only a small amount of gold in the center. This is for wearing when he is not sailing. But, he would scratch a gold band just working on the boat or during day-to-day activities.

I loved the idea of one poster who said they bought simple silver bands to wear when off the boat during cruising trips.

BTW, Congratuations and best wishes!
Darby

[Cruising Couple]

Oh .... and please caution your wife to wear small stud earrings, no hoops or wires when on the boat.

OUCH!

[hellosailor]

Either stow the ring, get a small ornamental box/jar to keep it in while aboard, or get a short necklace and hand it on the necklace. You can loop the necklace through the ring to capture it, without having to open the necklace. It's stronger that way too, without any clasp.

Of course a ring on a necklace can still foul and tear off, unless you've got a shirt on that keeps it covered safely.

Jewelry and machinery (and a sailboat is just one large open machine) don't always mix well.

[w1651]

Originally Posted by Target9000

So....

I just got married.

And I have a new good problem to have. I've never worn any jewelry before in my life. I don't like watches, rings, necklaces, etc... But now I have on this ring. And without thinking I rushed up to the deck to haul up the anchor and the ring goes click clank on my anchor chain. Oops. I don't want to scuff this perfect ring.

How do you protect your rings? Do you wear gloves? I thought about taking it off but on a honeymoon cruise that seems sacrilegious? Also what happens if your fingers are swollen and you just can't easily slide it on and off. I have big fingers and slim knuckles so the ring is sized such that it doesn't easily come on and off.

I'm thinking of wearing my mechanics gloves when doing rough stuff. How do you solve this problem?

Anchor chain huh! Riiiiiiiight!

Just ask for the key to the ball and chain when you get to the docks. There's no where to run to when on your boat sailing anyway...