Back on the water!

General chat about boats
Rupert
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Location: Cotswold Water Park

Back on the water!

Post by Rupert »

Well, she floats - after 30 years off the water, she didn't leak a drop except through the daft little Holt bailer, and that only a dribble. Very slow, though, which probebly has a lot to do with the sail, and my ability to keep a flat bottomed boat going in light winds.
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Rupert
Nigel
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Location: Thornbury SC, Bristol

Re: Back on the water!

Post by Nigel »

Nice one Rupert!

Btw, I have a MS sail, mast & boom tucked away in the shed somewhere. The sail is in the usual condition (did they come worn out as new?) and the bottom mast tube has a slight bend in it (maybe to fool people into thinking the kicker works) but if it is any use to you, give me a shout.
GAv
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Re: Back on the water!

Post by GAv »

I never got this plastic hull back on the water, albeit the woman whom came up from Southend was glad of it to replace her old leaky worn out one.
[img]http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5059/540 ... [img]Sorry picture scanned hence graining
Last edited by GAv on Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Rupert
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Location: Cotswold Water Park

Re: Back on the water!

Post by Rupert »

Just bitten the bullet and ordered a new sail from R&J. Due some time in April...
Rupert
Pat
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Re: Back on the water!

Post by Pat »

Just bitten the bullet and ordered a new sail from R&J
Remind me to dock his handicap :-)
Rupert
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Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 8:40 pm
Location: Cotswold Water Park

Re: Back on the water!

Post by Rupert »

I was beaten by several hundred yards on the water by a Comet Zero yesterday...
Rupert
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PeterV
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Location: Locks Heath, Hampshire

Re: Back on the water!

Post by PeterV »

Getting the excuses in early are we!

Nice looking boat Rupert.
PeterV
Finn K197 & GBR564
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Rupert
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Re: Back on the water!

Post by Rupert »

PeterV wrote:Getting the excuses in early are we!
Yup!
Rupert
Rupert
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Re: Back on the water!

Post by Rupert »

Took her out in a bit of breeze today. Upwind was a nightmare with a sail that spent the whole race stretching out of shape, but offwind was great! We had a reach the length of the lake, and it caught the Radial like it was standing still. No nosedives, no wobbles, rock solid, even in the gybe.

Tacking was strange, though - I had to gain a lot of speed back before trying to point again, or I went nowhere. Partly the sail, but I think the totally flat bottom must have a lot to do with it. Don't remember the same trouble in Toppers, mind - not to this extent, anyway.

All in all, though, good fun. Looking forward to a new sail and to see how it goes then, and then to learn to sail it in no wind.

By the way, the Minisail has no name. Any thoughts?
Rupert
Nigel
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Re: Back on the water!

Post by Nigel »

As it has no sliding seat, how about "Dunplankin" :lol:
JimC
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Re: Back on the water!

Post by JimC »

Rupert wrote:Tacking was strange, though - I had to gain a lot of speed back before trying to point again, or I went nowhere.
What's the board like? That sounds supiciously like the daggerboard stalling out to me: is there a strange sort of soggy feel to how she steers?
Rupert
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Re: Back on the water!

Post by Rupert »

I have thought about that - the daggerboard is a typical 1970's small symmetrical plank with curved chamfers, Combine that with a flat bottom and a sail with a belly like a pig, and it was never going to pick up speed well! I shall have to work on my technique, as the plan is not to change her too much.
Rupert
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jpa_wfsc
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Location: Oxford (Work) Coteswold Water Park (Sailing)

Re: Back on the water!

Post by jpa_wfsc »

Rupert wrote:I shall have to work on my technique, .


.. and you learned how to roll tack in a firefly! Shurly no probs then. The pump out of the tack would make all the difference.

La*ers have the same problem and they are quite flat underneath... they are very easy to stall out of a tack. So is the comet trio. I think there must be something going on with water flow accross rather than allong the hull, combined with a smallish area board for the sail size. A very large roll, but not too fast, combined with progressive main sheeting works on both of those, combined with not rushing the tack too much.

j./
Rupert
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Re: Back on the water!

Post by Rupert »

John, the hull for part of its length is actually a tunnel, and this, the board and the sharp corners with the flat bottom make it feel very different even to the previous minisail I had. Certainly not like a Firefly at all... Once I get the new sail I shall go and do some solid practice!
Rupert
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jpa_wfsc
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Re: Back on the water!

Post by jpa_wfsc »

I thought the hull was one design, flat bottomed?

Obviously not if yours is a tunnel.

Any excuse for air to get at the board and it will cause cavitation - tunnel hulled boats should have two boards, two rudders....
j./

National 12 "Spider" 2523
Finn K468 'Captain Scarlet'

British Moth, 630, early 60's 'Pisces'

!!!! Not CVRDA !!!!
Comet Trio - something always ready to sail.
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