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Happy Spring, everyone! There have been some good wind days here in Alabama over the last couple of days, but never coupled (yet) with warm and dry weather. Sometime soon there should be a good sailing day!
My next plans for the boat are to do a little sewing on my mainsail to get a better shape (take out the broad seaming on the leech), and build a little plug (for use when sailing) that lies flush with the outside of the hull that I can snap into the Hobie drove clips the closes off the through-hole for the drive. If either (or both) of those things help sharpen up tacking angles, then I will probably back off on my plans to rig a jib.
Guy, I've been thinking about building a hollow mast for awhile -- can you post some pictures? I would really be interested in how you decided to do it! Did you go the birdsmouth method, or some other way??
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Good to hear from you Chuck.
I am sure any shape you can add to the mainsail will help upwind performance enormously, but not sure the blanking off the well will. I had an outboard motor well on my last boat and I did what you are proposing. It stopped water coming into the cockpit when in a seaway which is an advantage but I didn't notice any improvement in upwind performance. Anything you can do to lighten the mast must help with heeling though.
All the best for 2024. Keep us updated on your progress.
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Guy, I've been thinking about building a hollow mast for awhile -- can you post some pictures? I would really be interested in how you decided to do it! Did you go the birdsmouth method, or some other way??
I'd like to see pics also Guy, if available. Our Texas partner built his mast 'hollow' out of Douglas Fir I recall. (I've added a couple pics here from those he'd sent me.)
Simply routered out hollows in the planks he then glued together, leaving solid where need be for fasteners eventually. I don't recall asking him what the result weighed, DF being heavier than the Sitka Spruce I used. Forgotten what mine weighs by now but if you wish I'll weigh it when I take my kit down out of winter storage.
Chuck if you're confident in modifying your sail your efforts should be less than what I went through to add weight to your daggerboard as I did. Last year's lack of motivation leaves me still wondering whether the 9 lbs / 4kg hung down beneath my hull will affect healing moment much; physics being in charge, 9# @ -24" ought to be worth maybe ~ 5# half way up my mast? Cutting total weight's a better choice IMHO than adding of course, but we do what we do to 'see what happens' before attempting something else, yes?
(Need to re-up for notice of new posts... I've been missing out on what's been posted again despite the 'Stay subscribed' box being checked off.)
Last edited by spclark (13 Mar 2024 1:23 pm)
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Wheels:- I have been struggling with the challenge of making some wheels which can be fitted and removed when on the water (stored in the front locker) to make launching and recovery easier. I have settled on a design which uses the daggerboard casing to secure the wheels in place. The critical thing was to ensure that the wheels 'floated' just below the water surface at the right inclination. This I did with polystyrene at the top and a small amount of lead at the bottom and the whole assembly is attached to a rope which is dropped down the casing and then fished out with a boathook and attached to the wheels before the wheels are lobbed overboard. Here it is:-
1. Wheels folded to fit in locker.
2. Wheels and securring lugs extended.
3.Showing rope attachment.
4.Wheels pulled up under boat
5. Showing inclination of boat when on wheels. A bit stern heavy but with my forward ballast this should be ok.
Not tried it in anger yet, so wish me luck!
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Clever!
Contemplating similar need summer before last, I found this device via Google, from NZ:
Yet to try it though... still 'NiB' on a shelf in garage, keeping company with Nora Jane under roof.
Unboxed the various parts would fit in forward locker like your fabrication Martin, a necessary capability if one wishes to carry it on-board w/o being hindered by the space it'd take up when assembled.
Website: https://www.railblaza.com/products/c-tu … kz-wheels/
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Also available from Fyne Boat Kits.
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