Wooden Minisail

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cweed
Posts: 222
Joined: Mon Jul 13, 2009 10:14 pm

Wooden Minisail

Post by cweed »

on Apollo duck
http://sailingdinghies.apolloduck.co.uk ... aid=177862
The brochure picture suggests with sliding seat, which was the Sprint (?)
Rupert
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Location: Cotswold Water Park

Re: Wooden Minisail

Post by Rupert »

I've emailed to find out more. No reply yet.
Rupert
Michael Brigg
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Re: Wooden Minisail

Post by Michael Brigg »

Very interesting. Great price, and possibly a perfect intro classic for a junior.

A shame my hands are tied.

These always look a blast. Are they a one trick pony though? All the publicity pics have them on a screaming reach. You never get to see if they performed well coming back upwind. Anyone out there with experience of one. Do they have less pblicised canine properties?
Michael Brigg
Rupert
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Re: Wooden Minisail

Post by Rupert »

Pretty much, Michael, as the rig was so uncontrolable the boom would bend and the sail end up looking like something off a squarerigger in a film - all billowy! However, in lighter breezes upwind is pretty good. I'm contemplating this one at the moment. She is without sliding seat, by the way. If I do go for it, there may be a Tonic or 2 for sale, and a very battered Snark...I should be getting some photos at the weekend.
Rupert
GAv
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Re: Wooden Minisail

Post by GAv »

The Minisprint Minisail had the sliding seat, I briefly owned a plastic one and concur with the handling comments.
Apart from the intergral moulding to house the sliding seat, the transom is different on the Minisprint, and on mine the main kept catching under it to'wit with my weight, led to that sinking feeling, as half the hull was under water. In my enthusiasm I hastily tried it rerigged on the kicker pulley, which led to a feeling of imminent pitchpoling, so that got rigged properly. I sold it and got another wooden Streaker to do up instead.
Later i got a conventional 'big topper' like Minisail, but that was only a hull and I never got it together and sold it on to someone needing to replace a knackered hull on their leaky boat so havent experienced sailing one of those.
Last edited by GAv on Tue Nov 23, 2010 7:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
johnconradlee
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Location: United Kingdom

Re: Wooden Minisail

Post by johnconradlee »

My minisail is of the standard Richmond Plastics orange/white fiberglass variety. I think sitting out aids were legal on all minisails/sprints provided they were removable, so technically I suppose you could have racks, although I've never seen one (and sounds impractical on a boat with 4" of freeboard). I don't have a sliding seat, although they sound rather fun.
The Minisprint was the self draining transom-free more sporty variant. These came with better spars and a pivoting centre board. I'm using Minisprint spars and they are definitely less awful.
I'm still learning how to sail mine and I would describe sailing performance as erm "interesting".
Not terrific up wind (this probably has a lot to do with my sail being ancient and of the pre sail batten variety [i think the class rules were changed shortly before the class imploded as a last ditch effort to keep up with L***r]). Flies on a reach, it's like finding an extra very scary hyperdrive button. Down wind quite quick, seems quicker than a period L***r I was racing the other day. You do need to be sat on the virtually on the transom though to prevent it from turning into a submersible especially in any chop bigger than 9". Last weekend down wind was impossible (I got very wet trying and lost the L***r). I'm going to cut 6" off the tiller this weekend so I can sit further back whilst retaining the ability to steer.
John Lee
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Minisail 2666

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davidh
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Re: Wooden Minisail

Post by davidh »

JOhn...

where were you sailing? Was this inland or on the sea?

Without wanting to cast doubt the sailing ability of anyone, getting a singlehander downwind has to be one of the sports great challenges. Despite the length of boat from bow to mast, the Contender has form for 'going down the mine' and if you are sailing a boat that has this trait then you could be stood on the rudder only to find that you're again doing a good impression of U-96 (das Boot). Although it can mean an extra gybe(s), sometimes it pays to broad reach rather than run downwind in a boat like this, steering over the waves rather than running into the back of them (a surefire way to start the examination of the centreboard).

if you've not tried this it might be worth a go.....lots of fun too!

D
David H
Rupert
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Re: Wooden Minisail

Post by Rupert »

I think Steve Cockerill's Downwind sailing DVD would be very well worth a watch for a Minisail sailor, despite it being in Lasers. Sailing in waves and switching from broad reaching to by the lee depending upon wave formation would help stop the nosediving. Reaching, though, is certainly the Minisail fun bit. The only cvrda Nats I did in one was windy, and upwind I would watch the rig bend all ober the place, and then off wind I'd catch up with all the boats which had passed me on the beat. Running was somewhat scary even on a lake!

All this talk is certainly making me think more about buying one, and selling the Tonic, even though the Tonic is certainly the faster boat.
Rupert
johnconradlee
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Re: Wooden Minisail

Post by johnconradlee »

Well in answer the answer to where I was sailing is neither, I was in Portsmouth harbour. The it was a north easterly and the tide was still coming in, which explains the short sharp sea. I was broad reaching at a point where the boat went over most of the waves but realised I needed to gybe to get to the mark. In order to gybe I needed to briefly head down wind on the way through. I'm not sure what happened but it was very wet and the boat was upside down. By the time I'd stopped laughing and righted the boat the l***r had escaped me. In hindsight maybe I should have done a sissy gybe and tacked around the long way.
John Lee
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Minisail 2666

"A boat is a large hole in the water into which you pour money"
cweed
Posts: 222
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Re: Wooden Minisail

Post by cweed »

I had a Sprint quite a few years ago, but I wasn't aware the seat carriage was moulded into the deck as commented above. Mine was 'secured' by 4 bolts and wing nuts, 2 per side.
In my youth, a friend was thrown off the sliding seat of a minisail by wave motion and had resulting concussion when he hit his head on the mast or boom. I don't know if this is a common hazard of sliding seats, esp. with scow shaped hulls?
Rupert
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Re: Wooden Minisail

Post by Rupert »

My Sprint had the moulded seat. Can't say I was ever thrown onto the boom, but I was washed off it by the rollers coming into Cardigan bay a few times, and I did have it disappear from under me, too, leaving me in that cartoon moment of sitting on thin air for what felt like an age before falling in the water! Lake Bala in Feb, too, I seem to remember...brrr.

I suspect IC sailors have tales which would make the toes curl of seat based accidents, though!
Rupert
Michael Brigg
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Re: Wooden Minisail

Post by Michael Brigg »

Rupert wrote:I suspect IC sailors have tales which would make the toes curl of seat based accidents, though!
Especially after application of pro-lube! :lol:

Ed??...
Michael Brigg
roger
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Re: Wooden Minisail

Post by roger »

Michael Brigg wrote:
Rupert wrote:I suspect IC sailors have tales which would make the toes curl of seat based accidents, though!
Especially after application of pro-lube! :lol:

Ed??...
No that was a certain journo with Unit 7 :twisted:

It may have happened to Ed as well. It certainly happened to me after my brother lubrcated the seat on the Hornet, I dont know what he used but it was way before the days of pro lube.
Hornet 191 Shoestring,
Hornet 595 Demon awaiting restoration
Hornet 610 Final Fling
Hornet 353
davidh
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Re: Wooden Minisail

Post by davidh »

Okay, hands up, yes, it was me! For those who have not heard the story, (surely there can't be anyone out there that hasn't - but just in case) I was just getting Unit 7 back on the water and was struggling with the plank. Ed, Roger and others - the sailors that have planking experience all had one golden rule - DO NOT PRO- LUBE THE SEAT.

I of course knew better and sprayed on the ProLube with abandon. Sailing at Baltic Wharf in breeze, I thought I'd get a bit more righting moment as per the Int Canoes and tried to hang my ar*e out over the end of the plank. The wind increased further, I was slow to uncleat the main, the boat heeled sharply and without my feet on the gunwale to stabilise things the seat shot away and down to leeward, with me sat on it. My head hit the boom, leaving a large and ugly lump on the forehead and me feeling very dazed and unsure where or who I was. I just about made it ashore where a hot shower and some self medication with a point of 'Seven' (a strong local brew) in the pub improved things. It was though a nasty bash that could well have had serious consequences. So yes, planking can be an issue.....

As to the boat handling issue - you have my sympathies. The waves can be quite big but as long as there are faily long there is not too much of a problem. Short, sharp waves are far more difficult as you can easily use them to good effect (to surf down,making gybing all the more easy as you're going faster).

The only thing I would say is that with practice, the problem can be eased. Think more in terms of making a 'carve' gybe - like a windsurfer - or a better analogy, skiing down a steep slope. Turning dead downwind (or downhill) is BAD news. It is harder in a boat with transom sheeting but it can be done.... from a fast broad reach to a fast broad reach with just the carved gybe in the middle - the boat should not even come off the plane else the pressure will build up sharply in the main. It is less of a problem in twin sailed (conventional) boats but single handers ARE an issue - but get it right (which you will) and I'd have to say that from a singlehander viewpoint, it is less problematic that the wheelbarrow turn

D
David H
Rupert
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Re: Wooden Minisail

Post by Rupert »

I'm off to look at her on Monday, weather allowing.

The owner says she really isn't as shiny as in the pics, mind.
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