Back on the water!
Back on the water!
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.
Rupert
Re: Back on the water!
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.
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.
Re: Back on the water!
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
[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.
Re: Back on the water!
Just bitten the bullet and ordered a new sail from R&J. Due some time in April...
Rupert
Re: Back on the water!
Remind me to dock his handicapJust bitten the bullet and ordered a new sail from R&J
Re: Back on the water!
I was beaten by several hundred yards on the water by a Comet Zero yesterday...
Rupert
Re: Back on the water!
Getting the excuses in early are we!
Nice looking boat Rupert.
Nice looking boat Rupert.
PeterV
Finn K197 & GBR564
Warsash
Finn K197 & GBR564
Warsash
Re: Back on the water!
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?
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
Re: Back on the water!
As it has no sliding seat, how about "Dunplankin"
Re: Back on the water!
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 wrote:Tacking was strange, though - I had to gain a lot of speed back before trying to point again, or I went nowhere.
Re: Back on the water!
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
- jpa_wfsc
- Posts: 1188
- Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2005 9:52 pm
- Location: Oxford (Work) Coteswold Water Park (Sailing)
Re: Back on the water!
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./
Re: Back on the water!
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
- jpa_wfsc
- Posts: 1188
- Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2005 9:52 pm
- Location: Oxford (Work) Coteswold Water Park (Sailing)
Re: Back on the water!
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....
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.
National 12 "Spider" 2523
Finn K468 'Captain Scarlet'
British Moth, 630, early 60's 'Pisces'
!!!! Not CVRDA !!!!
Comet Trio - something always ready to sail.