Fintan Murphy

Dam, y'all done it again. :roll: more sailing pictures, with me still beavering away, trying to get in the water. The trailer maker arrived last night (only 1 month late). He measured the boat and when asked for an ETA, said "ring me in two weeks to remind me". It does not sound promising Tim, that looks like a seriously fun two days. I hope to be able to emulate you later on this summer, and I have just the friend to join me.

Mike, Mike, Mike, will you stop doing that :roll: It's hard enough trying to finish the boat without people posting tantilising pictures of what you are missing while it's still on the hard. The worst thing is that it looks like the boat will be finished before the trailer is made So I will be waiting on the good graces of the trailer maker. Man, that looks like Fun with a capital F.

Thanks lads for the thoughts. I was working on the boat last night and had the mast up. It's hard to convince Irene that you are actually working on the boat, when all see sees is you sitting on a moaning chair, staring up at the mast with that far away look in your eyes. You have to explain to her to suppress her natural instinct to talk to you in this situation. It's along the same lines as asking a mechanic if he knows what's wrong, when he has the bonnet open and is looking at the engine. Anyway, revised plans are afoot. I've connected up the forestay from the mast to the eyebolt where the clubfoot is connected in the plans. (Just to clear up confusion, I will be using jibsheets, not a clubfoot). This is going to be the main, and only, forestay. I am going to have the (outer) jib on the furling system, with a halyard. This is going to be connected to the eye where the forestay would be connected as per the plans. Because of the (small) size of the inner staysail, I am going to just hank that onto the forestay (and not use a furler), and raise and lower it via another halyard. This gives me the ability to just use the jib if I am sailing on my own. It is the same size and position as the plans, so will retain the same sail area. When I am sailing with a buddy, or I am on my own and feel like it, I will raise the staysail and go cutter. Pictures will be forthcoming. Captain Jake, do you have any problems with the halyard on the furler twisting up when you are rolling, or unrolling the sail? In that it is easier for the halyard to twist rather than the shackle to swivel?

Well, I've made two sets of furling gear, and come up with the same problem that Captain Jake had. When they are used as the mast forestay, they are under too much tension to work well. So I have decided to put in a seperate forestay that will be tighter than the furling lines (wires). By the way, initially I am clipping the furling lines (wires) to the mast and bowsprit. I am not going to have them on halyards - this may change, but for the moment it's simpler. So I am thinking as follows. The jib, I am clipping onto the front eyebolt as per the plans. This is attached to the mast at roughly the position as per the plans. The forestay will be clipped to an eyebolt just forward of the clubfoot eyebolt plan position. This will also to to the eyebolt that the shrouds are clipped to. The inner jib (staysail?) will attach to the boom where the clubfoot eyebolt is as per the plans. This is attached to the mast at an eyebolt about a foot down from the standing rigging eyebolt. My main concern is that I have not left enough of a "hole" for the jib to tack through. It shouldn't get cought up in the forestay, but it might. My other concern is if I should reduce the sail measurements as per the plans as I may induce lee helm by increasing the total sail area in front of the mast. If I was replying to myself I would say to go with a sloop rig and forget about the cutter option, but I think that there is something about a gaff rigged cutter, that just looks right. :roll: What I'll probably do is "suck it and see", and make alterations as things don't work out. But I'd appreaciate the knowledgeable input of the board.

Thanks again everybody. In the video I noticed the technique used when tacking was to change sides before instigating the tack, and then duck down so the boom comes from behind you. As the sail had filled (backed), it lifted up the boom a bit so it cleared their heads A different technique than what I am used to, but seems to make good sense with such a low boom. By the way, I had a good time meeting Steve Downes and his wife Jan (and their sisters in law and husbands). He is an exceptionally nice guy, and probably a bit of a perfectionist. I must admit I ragged him a bit when he told me that he had disassembled part of the boat as he saw that it was 1 inch out of alignment. I told him that by next year, 1" out is more than acceptable. At least it is in my boat

Thanks again Dave, Nearly there, after 4 years on and off. I mounted the boom last night - it is low and will make a mistake while jibeing an interesting experience.

Dont think I hadn't thought of it , but I don't think that would go down too well with his wife (or mine for that matter :shock: ) Just to get this straight, if the leech edge is cut (which it has to be, if the luff is the prefinished edge that it lashed to the mast), then it has to have duck tape on it. Of course, I won't be putting grommets on it in any event. Thanks again,

Another quick question if I may. Do you use ducktape along all four sides of the mainsail, or do you leave the leech bare? It's not completely obvious from the plans or video and I just wondered what everybody else has done. Thanks,

Thanks lads, I've run the shrouds using one wire each side (clamped at the mast eye) and it looks Ok. when I actually tried it I found that it would not work the other way anyway as they would have bent around the mast. Thanks again, Today I am meeting up with Steve Downs who is over to Ireland on a tour with his wife and inlaws.

Happy Birthday Alex. Now you've had birthday wishes from two continents! I'd say when most of us were 10, there weren't computers, never mind the internet. You are growing up in a very interesting age.

Hi all, I have the chainplates in place and was wondering about the shrouds. I think that the plans say, although they are not too clear, that they ran a wire from one side, through the eye on the mast, and down to the other side. They then put a clamp at the eye on the mast. So what I want to know is, is it better to have a single wire going from the front port chainplate, through the eye, to the front starbord chainplate, with a clamp at the eye. The same them being done for the aft chainplates. Or would it be bettter to have the wire going from the front port chainplate to the mast, and back to the aft port chainplate, with a clamp at the mast eye. The other wire would obviously go from the starbord front chainplate to the starbord aft chainplate. My gut tells me that the first is more resilient,as if one goes, the other is holding both sides of the mast, but then, with the clamp at the eye, it shouldn't matter. Or does it not make a dam bit of difference and I'm obsessing over minutae. :roll:

Tom, as others have said, we all have gone through this lull. What helps me is to clean out the workshop. There's nothing like a shiny clean workshop to make you want to mess it up with sawdust again And then, as Bill said, you do one little job, then another.... What I also promised myself was, when it stopped being fun, I stopped doing it. I have enought pressure and deadlines at work, this is supposed to be a hobby. After a couple of days/weeks, it looked like fun again. And anyway, it's not going anywhere, it will still be there when you get back to it. Just make sure it's protected from deterioration.

My 2 cents worth, a naked Frank, lying on the bed with a rose between his teeth, and the pillows strategically placed on his person. To be rearranged at will by Jan :oops: By the way, Pleeeessse do not post pictures if you proceed with this idea.

Congratulations, when I was a year and a half into mine I still had three years to go. :oops: I hope you will see sense and stop breathing in all those outboard fumes soon. Sail is the only way to go. Marvel in the quietness and calm, as you ghost through the water. Not upsetting the wildfowl with your passing, and seeing the odd seal pop up and have a look (something that never happens with a motor by the way). Having to master the forces of nature, or rather, coaxing them to do your bidding, rather than simply pulling the cord and pointing where you want to go. Am I convincing you yet? Lovely looking boat by the way. Look forward to launching pics

And I hope the builder doesn't read this forum :oops:

I couldn't find a drum for my new system, as all electrical cable now comes in cardboard drums. I guessed straight away that these wouldn't last too long in a marine environment I came up with another solution. If you can get your hands on a printer ribbon for one of the large highspeed dot matrix printers (e.g. Printronix), they will do the job. They are usually used by finance or accountancy firms. The spool is about 4 inches in diameter and has a large central hole, where it sits on the printers ribbon axel. The inside diameter is about 1.5 inches. I made up a wooden plug (using a holecutter) and epoxied it in place. Next I through-bolted two fittings (can't remember the name, but they might be called pad-eyes), one either side of the wooden plug. On one I attached the swivel clip, and the forestay is clamped on the other. In other words, if you can't get a spool, and the associated plastic parts in the original (brilliant) setup, try and get a printer spool and wooden plug.

Thanks bob for adding a little reality to the idylic life. When it's blowing a gale from the east, and it's cold, wet, and miserable, I'm glad of my nice warm cosy office, with all my nice office mates. Where I can come in at any time up to 10am, and leave after 4:30 pm (not 4am like yourself :wink: ) And when the sun shines, I can take a few (paid) days off to ramble around in the woods, go walking, boating and other pleasurable activities. Far away hills are always green

Rub it in why don't ya :evil: I'm back in the office tonight from 7pm to 10pm, just finishing my final project for my college course this year. I'm looking at the finished product, best work of fictional data I've ever produced From next week its BOAT WORK AGAIN YIIIIIIPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEE :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: With any luck I'll be in the water by July. (That's if we don't buy the house we looked at today - although since I seem to be running a ratio of 1 house that Irene likes to every 10 we look at, and she likes this one - I may feel it would be worth it.)

I initially thought of my recently departed grandmother, and was going to call my weekender the Alice G.. But to be honest, I didn't think the boat would do her memory justice (she was a much more polished performer ) I then went though a few Celtic names, but I thought most of them sounded a bit pretensious for a small boat , and didn't distill the idea I was trying to convey. And then, one night with a few friends, we hit on the perfect name. In Cork slang, the word for your house is, guess what, your Gaff. And the nickname for an amusement arcade we idled many a happy hour away in when we were younger, was The Gaff. I was amazed it hadn't come to me sooner. She is to be called My Gaff.

Brilliant boat, and paint scheme Alexander. I'm glad my niece and nephew don't see this, or I might have another project on my hands. :roll:

Barry, absolutely brilliant idea (once I understood it). I knew I'd go roller furling at some stage, and this allows me to incorporate it from the beginning. I'll be making the sails next month, and I'll incorporate the wire in the jib. I was going to go the PVC route, over the existing forestay, but this is much more elegent.

Dave R1, no, Irene would never wear a hat like that. But I wish we were on the boat behind it 8) One thing I must do when the weekender is finished is to trailer it up to the top of the Shannon and spend the week sailing down. Maybe next year. I haven't touched the boat since last September, as I was caught up with the (night) college course, but my last assignment is due in a months time. Then it's full speed ahead with the finishing. There's about a month of work left with the rigging and sails, then it's launch time Dave (The other Dave), I must look up the books, and maybe bring them along on the trip. Sitting on deck, glass of wine in hand, with nothing to do and all day to do it. Ahhhhhhh.

Greg, I was wondering what happened. My reply arrived before your post (which appeared to be written by a married, red headed, 9 yearold.) :shock: People might think I'm talking to myself (Ahh, is it yourself Mr. Murphy, and you with the big head on you?) I haven't told her of my ultimate plan :twisted: Which is to take a month off, go to America, hire a bike and travel around, getting to sail on as many weekenders as possible. Do you think she'll buy it :?: German/Irish heritage...... now there's a mix of contrasting outlooks Ve vont it done NOW :!: Ahh, calm down lad, it'll be ready in a minute No, do it NOW :!: There's no need to get your knickers in a twist. What did you want it for anyway ? My brother used to have one of those, when was it anyway, I think it was last year, or maybe the year before, but it doesn't matter when it was, cause the wheel fell off on him, and wait 'till I tell you what he did, or was it the year before last................... I know a few Germans living in Ireland, and it really is a culture shock that some of them never get over. Most Irish people think Manyana is a bit too urgent a concept.

Yea, I've been told that the most common mistake (male) sailors make is to treat their wife as a crewmember as opposed to an (honoured) guest. A mistake I hope never to make. :?

Life never ceases to amaze me. :shock: Take my wife for example. When I married her I was well aware that the only time I'd get her on a boat was when she was scattering my ashes in Cork harbour. As this event would hopefully not be for a while yet, I'd resigned myself to the fact that my love of the water and boating would be a solitary indulgence, paid for by countless "honey do" tasks. Then I must confess, I did something sneaky :twisted: I suggested to her parents that a four day cruise on the Shannon would be a great idea. They took the bait She was outnumbered and pressganged into submission. I organised a four day trip, and rented a Shannon 31 sports through Shannon Castle Line, one of the many cruise organisers on the Shannon http://www.shannoncastleline.com/ I assured them that a great time would be had by all, we wouldn't get seasick, marooned, shipwrecked, boarded by pirates, or infested by weevels or get a bout of scurvy. (I made some sacrifices to Neptune just in case. ) Obviously I made the wrong sacrifices, or he just plain wasn't listening. We had the wettest Spring in about 50 years, the river was so high you couldn't see the banks, as they were underwater. Some of the jetties and quays were underwater as well. The bigger boats couldn't get under either the bridge upriver or downriver of the harbour, and so the people who had rented them were confined to about half a mile of crusing up and down, up and down, up and down. I remember one particularly white-knuckle ride as we had to traverse a lake, with scary waves. Anyway, Irene's parents commented that it would have been a lovely holiday, if we had the weather. By the way, this is a common Irish saying, and is a nice way of telling someone "you bloody edgit, that's the last time we're letting the likes of you organise a holiday for us. Our daughter is too good for you, and we don't know what she sees in you anyway" So, fast forwarding to last week. I never learn. Irene and myself were talking about this summers holidays. We are going to Verona for the opera in August for four days, and I said to her "Why don't we go on the Shannon again the week after"? (Of course, I said this while out of reach, with myself between any sharp or heavy kitchen utensils, and with at least two exits within easy reach). "Yes" she said, "but I'd only go for four days, a week might be too long". You gotta LOVE this woman! So this year, the two of us (on our own!) are going to potter around the Shannon, eat fine food, drink fine wine, and make a few waves :shock: Who knows, I might get her in the Weekender yet :wink: