Ian McColgin
05-31-2006, 10:11 AM
Marmalade's been in the water nine days and sailing every day for a week now.
We're in love.
I've yet to make a proper reefing system - something that can be operated entirely inside the cockpit. I spent $10 on some polyprope to make a boom mounted system to hold me over but it's a huge pain. Even when I have her hove-to about 4 points off the wind (and she really prefers to lie a-hull, the boom moves about too much to make setting a reef from full sail really practical or safe. Plus all that string dangling during a reefing evolution makes for a real Charlie Foxtrot.
I have on order 300' of line, 9 cheek blocks, 11 fairleads & 6 jam cleats to make a system where the clews lead forward to the mast and, each paired with its tack, leading back over the coach roof to the port side of the companion. I may have to add some turning blocks to get them around the skylight.
Then at least I'll be able to reef with the sail comfortably luffing even if it's well out.
My other bother is the sheet and traveler. Partly, the sheet is right up at the max for the double block that rides the traveler. And partly it's got a weird little twist. So it clogs and sticks at awkward moments. The rig is 5:1 single ended. I'm thinking that if I hang a block on the boom end to make it double ended it will be a cleaner lead at 6:1 pulling one end and 3:1 if hauling both.
Like the cat launched recently in Falmouth, Marmalade has stern cleats and two vents that manage to find loops of mainsheet. I'm going to make a bronze timonoguy to shed that problem.
A huge annoyance for this year is that even with the rust scaled off the centerboard, it sticks. The problem turns out to be the size of the pin connecting the wire pendent to the board. I think the board will move more easily as I use the boat - wear a groove - but the board is such a nasty bit that I'm going to replace it. When I do that I'll also find a way to more the worm gear reel winch to atop the CB case, which will involve some thought as the pendent lead moves aft as the board goes down, making it hard to level wind from there. Maybe an arced bed with captive rollers for the winch . . .
For now, I get the board down with three graduated f^@#sticks, each a bit longer than the last. I can now show about 4' of board, which is about right.
But the learning curve is great fun.
Over the weekend we did something I've been thinking of for 25 years but not done because my boats were too big - we pulled up to Baxter's for cocktails and fishfry. That made me feel quite grand and yachty.
I'm finding her weatherly performance with full board better than I expected. In the right wind and flat sea she can tack through 90 degrees and not be pinching. I expect that in rough air I'll need to plan the tacks to hit the eye of the wind at a wave crest and that I'' need to keep her sheets started a bit.
Yesterday I had the great pleasure of tacking the channel past Kalmus without worry about traffic or running aground, and then on to a victory lap in the Inner Harbor and visits to both the Cove Behind Pine Island and Uncle Robert's Cove, as well a run out the sneaker channel (the old natural channel) between (disappearing Egg Pine Island and Great Island. She turns so readily that we can dance up to visit a friend and pretty much stop hove-to for a chat.
She does not have an excessive weather helm but it's a powerful weather helm. Even with a carefully adjusted becket holding the wheel, she really does not want to travel ahead without full cooperation from a helmsman. What she does, however, is a perfectly wonderful semi-heave-to with the boom out a bit and the helm down. And despite being a good 5 to 6 tons, she gathers way easily. So when I go below to fiddle, she's cool.
I really do miss Granuaile's provision for hanging in the mizzen lee shrouds and doing the manly sailor thing. Ah well. All love involves compromise.
G'luck
We're in love.
I've yet to make a proper reefing system - something that can be operated entirely inside the cockpit. I spent $10 on some polyprope to make a boom mounted system to hold me over but it's a huge pain. Even when I have her hove-to about 4 points off the wind (and she really prefers to lie a-hull, the boom moves about too much to make setting a reef from full sail really practical or safe. Plus all that string dangling during a reefing evolution makes for a real Charlie Foxtrot.
I have on order 300' of line, 9 cheek blocks, 11 fairleads & 6 jam cleats to make a system where the clews lead forward to the mast and, each paired with its tack, leading back over the coach roof to the port side of the companion. I may have to add some turning blocks to get them around the skylight.
Then at least I'll be able to reef with the sail comfortably luffing even if it's well out.
My other bother is the sheet and traveler. Partly, the sheet is right up at the max for the double block that rides the traveler. And partly it's got a weird little twist. So it clogs and sticks at awkward moments. The rig is 5:1 single ended. I'm thinking that if I hang a block on the boom end to make it double ended it will be a cleaner lead at 6:1 pulling one end and 3:1 if hauling both.
Like the cat launched recently in Falmouth, Marmalade has stern cleats and two vents that manage to find loops of mainsheet. I'm going to make a bronze timonoguy to shed that problem.
A huge annoyance for this year is that even with the rust scaled off the centerboard, it sticks. The problem turns out to be the size of the pin connecting the wire pendent to the board. I think the board will move more easily as I use the boat - wear a groove - but the board is such a nasty bit that I'm going to replace it. When I do that I'll also find a way to more the worm gear reel winch to atop the CB case, which will involve some thought as the pendent lead moves aft as the board goes down, making it hard to level wind from there. Maybe an arced bed with captive rollers for the winch . . .
For now, I get the board down with three graduated f^@#sticks, each a bit longer than the last. I can now show about 4' of board, which is about right.
But the learning curve is great fun.
Over the weekend we did something I've been thinking of for 25 years but not done because my boats were too big - we pulled up to Baxter's for cocktails and fishfry. That made me feel quite grand and yachty.
I'm finding her weatherly performance with full board better than I expected. In the right wind and flat sea she can tack through 90 degrees and not be pinching. I expect that in rough air I'll need to plan the tacks to hit the eye of the wind at a wave crest and that I'' need to keep her sheets started a bit.
Yesterday I had the great pleasure of tacking the channel past Kalmus without worry about traffic or running aground, and then on to a victory lap in the Inner Harbor and visits to both the Cove Behind Pine Island and Uncle Robert's Cove, as well a run out the sneaker channel (the old natural channel) between (disappearing Egg Pine Island and Great Island. She turns so readily that we can dance up to visit a friend and pretty much stop hove-to for a chat.
She does not have an excessive weather helm but it's a powerful weather helm. Even with a carefully adjusted becket holding the wheel, she really does not want to travel ahead without full cooperation from a helmsman. What she does, however, is a perfectly wonderful semi-heave-to with the boom out a bit and the helm down. And despite being a good 5 to 6 tons, she gathers way easily. So when I go below to fiddle, she's cool.
I really do miss Granuaile's provision for hanging in the mizzen lee shrouds and doing the manly sailor thing. Ah well. All love involves compromise.
G'luck