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Building the CS 17 #338


Neil Brander

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A lot of folks worry about this and they really needn't get so concerned. Most of the major boat and mast manufacturers, have been building rigs with stainless fittings, track, etc. with no insulation and get 20 years of service out of it. I've personally replaced and repaired 30 and 40 year old rigs, built like this and some corrosion can be seen on the worst cases, which typically are moored or berthed in salt water, but for the most part, it's not something to get all fuzzy about. If really worried, a Teflon washer under each fastener, can solve the concerns. As to this particular paint, well I don't think paint is well suited at this task, unless the film thickness is quite a bit thicker then typical. A well dogged fastener can easily breach a paint coating as it's tightened. The edges of the hole in the track, are often raised and this will likely breach any coating, when a fastener mashes it against the mast.

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  • 2 months later...

Hello All,

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I am happy to say that my boat (the Ketch Me) was launched last Tuesday and I took my second sail on her on Sunday.Ā  She is a pleasure to sail - quick and responsive.Ā  It is a lovely payoff for the two years of hard work.Ā  She seems a perfect boat for my situation.

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Since I'm a new sailor I have a more experienced friend joining me on the sails and helping me learn what is needed to single hand the boat.Ā  He suggested to additions:

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A line running from the the head of the Main that would allow the sail to be quickly brought down once the halyard is released

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And, A line from the aft of the rudder to allow it to be quickly brought up when beaching the craft etc.

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What do you all think about these modifications?Ā  Make sense?

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Thanks,

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Neil

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I have a line on the rudder to raise it for beaching. I really like it because when I run the bow onto a beach in shallow water and the waves cause the stern to buck up and down, it won't pound the tip of the rudder into the lake bed. It also keeps me from worrying about snagging the tip of the rudder on something when backing the boat down a ramp or into my driveway, etc.

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A downhaul line running from the top of the main might be handy, but I'm guessing it might be tricky to get it to work smoothly if you have sails on tracks (which can bind a little as they pile up against each other). It might also add some hassle because you'd have to be careful the line doesn't snag on anything whenever you raise the sail, and it might also flap noisily in the wind. (If I'm picturing it correctly, it would be an unsupported line hanging free for the full height of the mast, like the line for raising a flag on a flagpole, right? Think about the sound a flagpole makes in the wind.) When I lower the main, I sheet in the mizzen to hold the bow into the wind, then I release the main halyard and go forward quickly to pull the sail down hand over hand, guiding the folds of the sail down into the cockpit and catching the sprit as it comes down so it doesn't mar the boat. For a long time, I also had to hold the tail of the halyard so it wouldn't re-engage in the cleat as I pulled the sail down, but last year I installed line keepers (diagram here: http://www.zimsailing.com/clam-cleat-line-keeper.html) which work like a charm to keep the tail of the line from re-engaging. I've since installed keepers on the centerboard uphaul and the mizzen halyard also.

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Neil: I was taught it was the other way around. Always raise the aft most sail first and drop it last. Raise the mizzen and sheet it in. The boat will then weathercock into the wind and waves and ride like a duck. Then raise the main (or if a sloop.....the jib or other headsail) and let it luff until you are ready to go. With the mizzen up and sheeted in, you can also let the main go (luff) and hove to, which in my mind is about as important a thing to learn to do and get right as there is in sailing. Its a safety maneuver that allows you to stop and safely "park" the boat while in open water. Cat ketches do with with ease and is one of the primary reasons I'm building one for cruising.

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As for the line, I've seen a number of guys recommend the same thing for my existing sloop as far as the head sail is concerned. They suggest rigging a line that goes up the forestay with the jib, so it can be hauled down in an emergency. I tried it a couple times and it fouled on something every single time. It was in the way and more trouble than it was worth. Not to say getting the sails down in a hurry isn't important. It is. I can think of few times when out sailing when I was more concerned than the time my mainsail slugs fouled and I could not get the main down in a strong, and building, wind. When you let the halyard go, the sails should drop on their own and it's important that they do so. Fiddle with the slugs and track or whatever else until they will raise and lower with ease. Usually that will mean rounding the corners of any track ends, but whatever it takes, they need to slide up and down with ease. No downhaul needed.

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I've never had a problem with dropping the sails in a hurry. Usually once your in irons, the main comes down fast, sometimes with a little noise from the wind flapping the sails. For track lubricant I use jig-alo dry lubricant from Walmart (orange can), that is clothing friendly, and far cheaper then the equivlant from West Marine. Occasionally the sails bind on the track (such as this weekend at Pocket Yacht Palooza in Port Townsend while demonstrating sails), but raising slightly then dropping again usually clears it.

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From all your posts I've concluded:

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An up haul for the rudder is a good idea

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A downhaul to lower the main is problematic and either lubrication or working with the track to smooth and round is a better option (or just pulling the sail down hand over hand and using line keepers - I like that idea)

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The Mizzen is raised first and lowered last

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Thanks all

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Yep, definitely raise the mizzen first, and lower it last. The mizzen holds the bow into the wind and stabilizes the boat very nicely (like a giant weather vane).

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Even in very heavy winds, when I'm ready to drop the main, I just sail to a place with plenty of clearance leeway (the boat will float backwards slowly as the mizzen holds the bow into the wind, so I always make sure I have at least 100 - 200 yards of open water to leeward/downwind). Then I sheet in the mizzen snugly to hold the bow steadily into the wind and release the main sheet so the main sail will swing freely instead of trying to draw/pull. Pointed into the wind, the main sail will swing back and forth over the cockpit. (Be sure to leave the main sheet completely free to run--no kinks or tangles--or it can snag and begin to draw, which can spin the boat and capsize you if you're not paying attention). As the main sail swings, it may also flap and flog around a bit, but not enough to hurt anything as long as you don't let it do it all day. When the main sprit is in line with the cockpit, I release the halyard so the end of the sprit drops gently down into the footwells. Then I immediately go forward and quickly pull the rest of the sail down hand over hand, flaking it neatly until it's all the way down. After that, getting the mizzen down is fairly easy too, and essentially the same process. After a little practice, it should feel very natural and manageable

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks, I think I'll try that today - weather permitting.

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Now for the next question:

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I'm getting around to thinking about oars.Ā  Yes, I know, I probably should have thought about them a while ago.Ā  But, honestly I just wanted to finish the build in order to have the boat available for this summer.Ā  Anyway,Ā  how do you stow a pair of 9 foot oars in a 17 foot boat?Ā  It seems that they would come past the CB by about 2 feet, and be a constant source of annouyance.Ā  I've searched the site, but have found nothing that adresses this specific question.

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Thanks

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  • 10 months later...

Here is a photo of 'Lively tubes under fwd deck.

Can Dale or anyone tell me the dimensions of the PVC pipe for CS17 oars or a website with oar plans? I am at stage of wanting to cut holes in foredeck for this design and wondering what size PVC pipe. I don't own oars yet and don't want to rush into buying some plastic ones.....

Thanks!

post-3404-0-81489300-1404253287.jpg

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