Fintan Murphy

Hi guys, I went sailing twice last year (once just motoring), and finally got the chance to take the weekender out this year. Good news, a year under the tarp in the back garden had no ill-effects (WBP ain't that bad) Bad news, I still have to finish the hatches, repaint it, do bits and bobs. Unfortunatly the fairies didn't do it over the winter). But, if the weather is good enough to work on the boat, then it's good enough to go sailing. ;D So me and my mate John went out on Sunday for a leisurely sail, or so we planned Forecast was for " mild breezes", so we were looking forwards to a mooch around the harbour. What we got was probably a consistant force 5. Once we went down the channel, and had the first cup of tea, I decided to put in a reef. Am I glad I did! Hull speed all the way. Watching the big boats heel right over was fun. Luckly we are both good examples of ballast, so she sailed fairly flat. John was reporting a good bit of weather helm, so I left the mainsheet out a tad, which improved things significantly. A cruise ship Independance of the Sea, of the Royal Carribbean line came in, Man is that a big mother :o We finally turned for home and were trying to sail against the tide, upwind. Fun for a while but we weren't getting anywhere fast. Eventually fired up the iron sail to get the rest of the way home. Observations after a year of non-sailing 1. This is one tippy boat. I have ballast in the forehatch to stop the pounding, but do not stand on the side when you are getting off, she will tip right over. 2. She can't point worth a dam. I must revisit Tim Dieberts Centerboard idea, because it really has merit 3. On a similar note, she crabs like a very crabby thing. The amount of slippage is annoying when you are trying to work your way windwards. Tim, here I come. 4. I love sailing ;D 5. I am going to be happy to keep this boat for another few years yet. The limitations can be worked out, worked around, or just lived with. I have no need for a bigger boat for the amount and type of sailing I do ( or am allowed to do - no weekends away for me ) Also I noticed that I was fairly frightened at the start. I will fire a motorbike around the place at good speeds, but I was nervous on the boat at about 5knts. I finally worked out why. I was on the sheets and John was helming. As soon as we swapped over I was fine. Control Freak?...... me?..... never! ;D So, anybody got a link to Tim's website where he details his centreboard and ballast?

Frank, Thanks for the post. Sorry I haven't replied before but things are a bit busy. I have forwarded it onto the guys that are going and they thank you too. We must definitly get to the chop house and attractions mentioned. Now that we've made up our minds, and booked the flights, I am really looking forwards to it. All his brothers are coming from Cork, and there will be a pre wedding bar-b-que the night before. Some secrets and tales will come out of the closet that night I can tell you. Like the time he investigated the whistling toilet at the port in the Canarys. It was whistling due to the fact that the wind was blowing up a very long sewer pipe that ended in said toilet. The rest I'll leave to your imagination.

Yea, the old video gets my vote as well. Have it on the desktop and still watch it every so often. By the way Wayne, are you any relation to Burt Monro?

Well, looks like it's all set. We are flying from Dublin to Chicago, arriving Sunday 21st June. Staying in chicago until Wednesday, then driving down to Cincinnati. The wedding is on Friday 26th. Driving back to Chicago on the Sunday to fly back to Dublin. Irene asked if we should fly from Chicago to Cincinnati, but I fancy the idea of a leisurely drive down the 300 miles. It will have to be by car, as there are four of us. A big, open-topped 'merican car methinks! Has anybody any recommendations of "must sees" in Chicago or Cincinnati, or between the two?

Guy goes into the emergency room with his two stumps of hands "What happened?" said the attending " I cut off all my fingers in a table saw" Says the guy "You know, with modern surgical techniques we can sew them back on, good as new, why didn't you bring them in with you?" said the attending. "And how was I going to pick them up?" exclaims the guy

I thought most accidents happen with hand tools. People have great respect for a table saw, or chop saw etc. But will pick up a chisel and use it with abandon. What's more dangerous than a sharp chisel? A blunt one. But I agree, anything that removes the risk of accidents has to be a good thing.

I was thinking about the motorcycle tour, and a harley was an option (would like to ride one, but not own one). But my mate or his wife doesn't ride (he doesn't have a car licence either) , so it would have to be a car. But one of those wide, heavy, open-topped 'merician cars is tempting. The Harley would be good practice (what is it they say, the best way of converting petrol to noise, without any horsepower or forward momentum ;D ) because of my committments in July......... My brother lives in Melbourne, Australia, and is the captain of the Australian Indian Motorcycle Club. He has about 7 of them last count, (lucky bastard). The International Indian Rally is in Scotland next year and the Oz club are shipping about 22 bikes, with 34 Ozzies to London. From there they are coming to Ireland and I am leading them on a 12 day tour, ending up in Belfast for the ferry to Scotland. So, you think bits will fall off a new Harley, wait till you see 22 Pre-war Indians going around Irish roads (Needless to say, I am either riding my new Honda Transalp, or BMW K100RS, both of which shouldn't miss a beat).

You see that is one of the issues..... Most of his family,(who I am very friendly with), for one reason or another (mostly money or holiday time) can't go. Most of her family cant go either. So we may be the only ones who turn up! Personally, I'd have preferred the caymens, or even Georgia, but it ain't my wedding. And Frank, I've only found out, through a very good BBC series documentary by Stephen Fry, that there were more German immegrants to America than Irish. I suppose they weren't as loud and extraverted as us. If you get a chance you should try and catch the documentary, he travels to all the states, going around in a black London cab, and has some of his typically wry observations.

Didn't you know that he has roots in Offaly in Ireland! http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2008/1122/1227293429221.html "His late mother Ann Dunham was a descendant of Fulmouth Kearney who left Moneygall, Co Offaly, for the US in 1850" We always claim kinship to American Presidents (which isn't difficult when so many millions were scattered to the wind, and with that Catholic, no contraception ethos, well, you know the rest : ) Also a Creationist Musuem Thats it! I'm going ! Seriously guys, thanks for all the ideas, I will have to sit down with Irene and go through the posts and options, and a large map of America. I am one (of the five) Irish people who have never gone to America, so I have a lot of studying to do. I reckon we will be able to get there for a week, so that will narrow the scope of the trip. Regardless of expense, hassle, etc. I would like to be there for the wedding, as (hopefully) he will only be getting married once. To a girl from Georgia. The mad thing is that he is actually living in the Caymen Islands, and is getting married in Cincinnati because "it is cheaper", and is halfway between Georgia and Ireland. So he has actually managed to piss everybody off, from both sides of the family. His brother suggested that we borrow his house while he is in honeymoon ;D

One of my friends is getting married next june. Trouble is it's in Cincinnati. I am debating whether to go or not ,cause it ain't going to be cheap, and I will have to take a week or two off to make it worthwhile (I already have a prior committment in July which needs two weeks holidays as well). So it pretty much eats up all my years holidays. So, anyone know if Cincinnati is worth while visiting? I know my mate will understand if we don't go. Most of his family arn't going as they can't afford it. Flights alone are about

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I spin by here every now and again, and what do I find, the LRM. Thatl will be looping around my head for the rest of the day. Thanks Konradical.

yes, I did a cutter rig as well, but didn't use it as, although it looked good, it was a nightmare to tack, as the jib couldn't easily get around the staysail. To be honest, not worth the trouble, unless you can increase the gap between the two sails, so the jib will tack easily. On be on the Vacationer as you could be easy, but on the Weekender I would have to make a longer bowsprit and run the risk of creating lee helm.

Yep, that's the one. No doubt you are still as trim and healthy That's the good thing about wet suits, they have a lot of expansion (or so I've found )

Yea, I remember that picture of you trapezing on a cat, with one hull flying. I can still see it in my head. Made me want to sail cats. I came by as Coolguy emailed me about the Stevensons (my contact details are on their website). I haven't visited in a while. The weekender is still there, but the weather and time isn't. I got out twice this year, once for 1/2 an hour, and last week for the day. No wind so I spent most of the day motoring around the place. I must get out again soon. But with house renovations, work, new hobby (kayaking), and the rest, there just isn't the time.

Scott, would you believe that the picture you posted is the exact one that I printed out and stuck on my wall at work, to encourage me to finish the boat a few years ago. Whenever anyone came up and said "I hear you are building a boat", I'd point to your picture and say "Yes, exactly like that one". Get her in the water... its worth it.

I'd agree with Dave, if you can buy one cheaply do. I didn't have that option and made one. Not too difficult to make, but unless you can drill stainless, you will have to get that done. And you have to round off one end of the pipe alot so that it doesn't foul the boom when it swings from side to side. So if you can buy one, do. Or if you have loads of time on your hands, build a gooseneck (boomneck?) which looks very salty.

Poking my head above the rubrail again! Just been too busy with the new house to even look at the boat (which is in my in-law's yard). Spent the last two weekends in the attic, putting down insulation. And will be spending the next few weekends doing the same. It's not the putting down that takes the time, it's the pulling out of all the old rubbish, wood, dead rats, etc. that does it. Once I have 4" between the rafters, I have to run the wiring for the security lights, then put 6" across the rafters. Then ventilate the attics and wire up the sensors and security lighting. With 2,000 square feet of attic, that takes a while :shock: After all that is done, the next job is to make and fix the tiller on the boat, and put on the motor mount. THEN I'll get sailing again! Hopefully, it'll be before the end of the summer. :roll:

Same here, I tow the weekender with a 2 ltr. 4wd Rav4 manual. No problems whatsoever, even though it's a short wheelbase. Just make sure the tongue weight etc. are correct. You can calculate the weight of your boat and trailer using a method of weighing at the tongue with a bathroom scale, then weighing again about a foot back, or moving the boat a foot, or something like that. Then some magical calculations are involved, giving the weight of the boat and trailer. I know it's in the archives, or google, somewhere.

Hope it's not too late to suggest..... don't spend a lot of time fairing and sanding before fiberglass, as you'll just have to do it all again afterwards You don't want the surface to be too smooth, as you want a key for the epoxy to grab onto.

Thanks Wayne, it was definitely 18 minutes well spent. It should keep me going until I can get the boat back in the water. I really liked the blue skies as well

Thanks Buck, I will probably go this route, provided I can get the 45degrees. I have two inspection hatches on the lazarette above the seats, so this will have to be figured out. Still should be easier than extending the rudder over the deck. And as we've all found out when building the boats, if we don't like it, we can always change it.

Thanks Buck, I will probably go this route, provided I can get the 45degrees. I have two inspection hatches on the lazarette above the seats, so this will have to be figured out. Still should be easier than extending the rudder over the deck. And as we've all found out when building the boats, if we don't like it, we can always change it.

Guys, thanks for the inspiration to work on getting the boat ready for the coming year. The weather here has been beautiful. We went Kayaking on Saturday, a bit cold, but crisp and sunny. I could have put the boat in the water, had the tiller been ready. :? I can sense everybodies ears pricking up at the mention of an 18 minute version :shock: Any chance of putting it up on the website? I'd certainly take the hit of the download, if the 3 minute version is anything to go by.

Buck, great video, and just the incentive I need to get the boat ready for the coming season. Although the weather here is soo good here at the moment, I could have put "Three sheets to the wind" in the water last Saturday. We went kayaking instead Anyway, to my question. I see from the video that you have a tiller extending out of the lazerette. I am going to replace the wheel this year with a tiller (easy choice, since the existing blocks ripped out of the wheel mechanism last year :roll: ). I was going to extend the rudder over the transom and fit a tiller above the deck. This will also mean changing the central block to a "horse" arrangement. I saw your set-up and though it would be easier to arrange. It will also mean that I have no problem mounting the motor, which will swing up over the deck when not in use , the same as Wayne's in the video. How do you find it? Is the tiller too low, or just right? Does it interfere with tacking when you cross over, especially with two in the cockpit?

Congratulations Roland! as you described it, I relived the feeling all over again. That sort of welling of pride when it sinks in (excuse the expression) that you actually build this vessel you are sailing along in. As regards the wheel, I had similar problems and decided to ditch it for a tiller. Could never get used to the fact that you never knew which way the rudder was pointing. Pictures man, pictures!