waynemunro

Hey Mike, yeah, landsailing is a blast.. I have not built a vector, but I do own a fold up mini-landyacht. It is quite a different sport to water sailing the speeds are just a bit greater, last weekend one of the guys I was sailing with clocked 75kph, damn scary when your head is not far from the ground. I'm attaching some pictures of the kart that I own, it is quite cool and packs away in a small bag small enough to fit into a small car boot, and weighs about 25kg. (vector is probably lighter than that I guess) The blo-karts are pretty cool and there is an increasing following of them here - nine arrived at the first local meeting of them here last weekend. The beaches here are quite good, though the wind and tides are not often right together. We have just started using an excellent site on a dry lake bed about 1/2 an hour from home, huge area, dead flat and completely exposed to all winds.. so going to be getting some more karting in this year for sure. [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

hey Buck, I don't think the finishes on the two boats were all that different, mine is not all that smooth due to being lazy sanding the glass. I suspect the weight may be the key, we'll have to figure out a way of weighing them to see just what the difference is. I visited Robbo last week, he is coming along well.. he's almost at the seat and rubrail stage.. looking nice though. Wayne

I used the same Ronstan chain plates that John has ordered, seem to work fine, thin enough that I could just bend them by hand to the right angles. I figure they are probably as strong as the wire I am connecting to them so should be ok. Have had no trouble with them in practice.. they seem almost made for the weekender. Mostly an ease of purchase decision for me, as I could just pick them up on the way home from work from the local boat shop.

I am still quite buzzed about the sailing over the weekend, hopefully will get out on the water down here again within the next week or two. and in reply to your comments: Greg: we moored the boats at those positions at about 2-3 hours after high tide I think, and the tidal range is about 2m. I think at high tide the water would have been chest-neck depth out at the boats. still easy to get out to them, it was quite a handy location. That was the first time that I had moored my boat (having got an anchor for christmas), and I was quite nervous about it, but it worked well. Bill: yeah, I think Buck was a little surprised that the tarp sails held up too, he reckons he has done about 40 sails on those sails and is about to retire them, I think he expected that trip to force the issue . I am sure Buck will have some comments to add later in the week when he returns to reality. Capt Jake: Glad you like the pictures, the site is a little hard to find something specific on as it is arranged chronologically. I need to add some more descriptions so that the search functionality will pick up the weekender stuff. Mike: It was a lot of fun . I am sure that it won't take fate to get you to see some weekender action when in NZ, except to arrange some suitable weather ... just let us know when you are here and we'll be the boats out and you can show us how its done

and final couple, the full collection can be found at: http://www.waynemunro.com/grw/wayne/2004/2004_01/marahau_weekenders/dir_med_70.html [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

Some more pictures [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

Hi Guys, well it is still summer down here, and I have just returned from a long weekend away at Marahau, a very small town and beach near the top of the South island of NZ. Buck had been up there for a week or so with his weekender and he kindly invited me up for a saill. I arrived on friday evening (drive was about 6 hours or so), to find that buck was out sailing back and forth, entrancing the locals with his lovely little weekender. The wind was higher than I would have braved but there he was cruising comfortably back and forth. Buck convinced me to put my boat in for a sail (he's quite the salesman) and luckily the wind dropped a bit before I was out and about. Tricia and I headed out in my weekender and sailed with buck while the tide lasted. It was great and we just played around the bay. We moored the boats for the evening and looked forward to the following days sailing. I was up 6am saturday morning to check on the boats and see if the winds were up for an early morning sail (high tide was about then), but alas the air was still, but the two weekenders looked pretty cool there, one red and one blue. by the time the tide was back in that evening the wind had picked up to a good pace, estimated at about 25 knots, I thought.. damn no sailing this evening.. but Buck was there, ready to go... ready to do what he can to support the crazy kiwi image. I am a poor sailor (only started on weekender launch day late last year) and the conditions were far from what I would be heading out in. So I sent out buck in his weekender to see what it was like.. he headed off into the waves like a trooper, while I waited back in the shallows. He looked like he had a wild ride, but then he came back to pick me up and we both went out to try the conditions in his boat. It was pretty exciting, but that was just the beginning... .. we came back in and moored up bucks boat and decided to try mine out there in those conditions.. my partner Tricia came out and all three of us went out in my weekender to try our luck. There are no photos of this run as tricia was the photographer at that point, but it was VERY exciting. we had the GPS with us and we were were doing over 5 knots most of the time, and at points hit 6 knots and we were well heeled over, the lee rail was in the water at times and the splash coamings doing great work stopping the waves rolling into the cockpit. The turn to come back was again exciting, it took three or four goes to get round the tack. when we turned into the waves to get round it seemed that the waves took away all our speed and wouldn't let us round. I saw at one point that the as we went down one wave the bowsprit ran into the next one, it was very cool We did get around and headed back to the shallows and moored up.. phew. We then rested for a bit and let the wind die a bit. there was a storm forecasted for the next day so we later sailed the weekenders round to the lagoon for some better protection from the elements, the wind was gusty then, and I followed Buck in as he smoothly and calmly sailed... my following however left something to be desired as I threw ina couple of accidental gybes and a few minor panic attacks... lots of learning to be done yet The next day was looking like the storm was going to be coming through and the chance of sailing was small, so I lifted my boat from the water and later int he day headed for home. So I had a great weekend and learnt a heap about the boats. Thanks for the generous invite and advice Buck, and was great to get to know you and your family better. Marahau was an excellent location, and I think this will be a great site for the annual weekender meet.. the locals will be impressed to see three there next year (you'll be well done by then Robbo), they will think that they are breeding [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

lovely looking weekender model Barry, and interestingly almost exactly the same colur scheme as my full size one I really must build one, give me something to do in the evenings when I can't make noise with the big power tools... though there is plenty of other work I should be doing.. hmm, we'll see. Wayne

I'd be keen to see some pictures of the model weekender Mark, you got any (and excellent to hear that I wSn't the only one to make a hash of the paper model)? And Barry, do you have pictures of yours online? Thanks for your comments on the scale, I was thinking about 1/8 I think, though 1/4 would be cool too, I reckon it'd be fun to have the peak halyard under R/C as well... not that I know a lot about R/C stuff, though I do have a spare 3 channel control sitting around somewhere.. No problems coming up with ideas for projects Johannah, only problem is finding enough spare time, if I could just get rid of this nasty addiction to sleeping in the night I'd probably be right.. have to admit that the other day I ordered plans for a hovercraft as well. Not too sure if I'll actually get around to building that one.

I tried making a paper model while I was waiting for the plans to arrive for my weekender.. I have to admit that I completly failed to put it together... just a bit too fidly for me... everything came apart.. nothing fitted.. I tossed it in the corner quietly assuring myself that it would be much easier when it was full size... and it was though I have been meaning to make a scale model radio control weekender.. maybe next winter.. depending on how a bus->mobile home conversion that I am planning pans out. Wayne

thanks for the location buck. its not looking like I'll get up there for this first weekend, but maybe for the second. here are some more pictures from the sailing on lake Wakatipu (next to Queenstown, NZ). http://www.waynemunro.com/grw/wayne/2003/2003_12/sailing/dir_med_70.html note that there is also the slideshow option to take you through them all: http://www.waynemunro.com/gallery/show.php?d=wayne%2F2003%2F2003_12%2Fsailing%2F&start=1

Hey Buck, thanks for the invitation to Marahau, sounds cool, though I will not really know if I can make it until getting back to work in january. is there some way to contact you up there.. or somewhere to find you if I turn up ? Sorry for the slow reply, but I have not been online. though on the brighter side I have had the boat in the water twice, both times on very light air days (one of them so light that we resorted to the motor to get to where we were going). I'll try and throw in a couple of pictures here from the couple of sails, though I'll have more when I get to a more reliable connection. [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

Good Man Robbo, yeah a little bit each day is all that is required i reckon.. all goes pretty fast. Buck, I was thinking about the difference in the sails, and your topping lift.. I remember reading now and again that the weight of the boom is important to setting the sail shape in the gaff rigs, but if you have the topping lift on while sailing then that is holding the boom weight, rather than the sail doing it... of course I know very little about this stuff. raining here now, though really looking forward to getting up to the southern lakes at the end of the week and getting some serious practise in.

Hi John, good to see some more Kiwis appearing here I gotta respect varnishing in the living room.. if you don't use houses for whatever you want to do in them then what is the point in having them but on to the main business.. the first NZ meet ! it was a resounding triumph !! I was up at 6 am, to hit the road by 7:10, and made it down to Karitane at 11:30 (a bit early, but I was not too sure exactly how long it would take me to get down there). Buck soon arrived and we went round to his wonderful shed and prepared his weekender for sailing. It was very cool to see the two boats beside each other... they are so obviosly of the same ilk, sharing their sweeping curves. The wind was light (phew), but predicted to turn southerly later, so we tottled around in the eastuaqry rather than heading out to sea. The boats both sailed beautifully and I think we both gained from having another there to watch while sailing. We swapped boats for a bit and I got to try the tiller while Buck tried my wheel.. I think I can see merits in both systems. A great day was had though, so thanks Buck for taking me sailing, I gained a lot of much needed confidence, and now feel ready to get in some serious practice over the next few weeks on the southern lakes. so without further delay, here are a collection of pictures from the day: http://www.waynemunro.com/grw/wayne/2003/2003_12/karitane/dir_med_70.html [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

hells bells Robbo, thats a while to go without a weekend off I guess that gives you plenty of time to be working on that boat.. hows the schedule going ? hopefully by the time I return from my holidays I will be a more experienced (and hopefully confident) weekender sailor and we'll be able to head out for a spin on the harbour, have to admit that at the moment I feel a little incompetent. Wayne

he he, I am quite looking forward to it, just got fingers crossed on the weather being nice... You will also be able to show me how these things should be sailed buck, preparing me for my assault on a number of the southern lakes over the xmas period. cheers Wayne

Konrad, I am so jealous that you have ice to sail on, our climate is a bit too warm down here for that. I have a mini-landyacht (a blo-kart http://www.blokart.com) which is a hell of a lot of fun, I have had it up to 60kph, which was damn near scary enough for me, I can't imagine what the so much faster speeds would be like. I'd love some ice down here, as the blokart people sell an ice kit, so you just pop off the wheels and clip on the skates and you are away. They have made it for the european market however and are reporting that people have had the karts up to 100mph over there on these kits... that would be soo freaky. Good luck with the construction.. and i also admire your bench, and since I am about to start planning one for my garage I might drop in on the recyclers and see if I can get some nice big channel section. Wayne

ok, here are a couple of shots: [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin]

ok, capt Jake.. I have been out for a second time now, also cut short due to radical wind changes, but did do more time with the motor up and down . general opinion is: - strength, slop, etc... not a problem, mount is all I would expect, there are a few mm of lateral movement, just due to the nylock nuts not being done up tight so as not to have too much friction, but this is only noticeable when standing at the back of the trailer and wobbling the mount. Not at all noticeable when using motor in practise. - raising and lowering, lowering is no problem, I probably need to scratch on an arrow to tell me which way to move the lever to release it, but that is a small issue. raising probably needs a little more practice, and maybe a handle on the centre lever of the mount, is not too bad though. - height of the motor in the water. I have found that in the mounts raised position, with the motor tilted down it is still fine for use in calm water, the cavitation plate is above the bottom of the transom level, but that doesn't seem to matter as the motor is back far enough (does about 4 knots at full noise with 3hp, I think). When the waves were a bit more significant the motor did leave the water a bit in this position occasionaly. With the mount int he lower position, and the motor down it worked well in all conditions, though when going full noise the mounting plate did collect a lot of water as the bottom edge of it was just uder the surface. If I were re-designing I would make this plate smaller, as the motor only attaches to the top portion anyway. - when the motor is wanted out of the way, the mount performed well, it was raised well clear of the transom, possibly a bit too clear actually, initial caluclations were based ont he mount being mounted vertically, as it was eventually mounted flush with the transom the effective rise of the mount was higher than anticipated. I am a little worried that it might even be heigh enough and forward enough to possibly tangle with the mainsheet on a tack, though this has not happened yet. If this is the case I may put in a second notch to allow a secondary 'raised' position. on the whole I am very happy with it, great for a prototype... if rebuilding I would probably make the whole assembly less deep, which would mean either using flat ali of a lesser width, or re-arranging so that the upper and lower arms can overlap at acute angles (I'd probably do the latter, as I like the large pieces of ali). I'll see if I can drag up a couple of pictures of it on the boat that day.

I built mine out of ply, if I were to build another one then I would be a lot more patient looking for proper keel wood. At the time I was imapatient to get going and the ply looked like the perfect solution as it was there, and it was much cheaper. The economy of the ply was a little false however, as with a wooden keel I would have varnished and left it bright, with the ply keel I put kevlar on the bottom and then glassed over that. I think that the extra cost of that countered any initial cost saving. that said however my keel was very easy to make, and was perfectly flat.. no trouble with any of the warping issues of the more conventional keels. my weekender has shown no problems with its ply keel yet, though after only two 'voyages' that would not be expected (I don't expect any with time either, the keel is pretty well protected, and it spends most of its life dry on the trailer). Wayne

congratulations on making those first cuts Robbo, I expect to see rapid progress now tough luck on the saw, I think my tally was one circular saw, one and a half belt sanders and one jigsaw... and thats just the ones that broke, I bought a whole lot more as I went along. Since the start of this project though I have always replaced the broken tools with more trade level tools.. they cost quite a bit more, though I think they are worth it. Thinking about it I wish my circular saw had crapped out early on, instead it waited until most of the way through before finally giving up the ghost (the mast killed it), if it had gone early then i would have had the nice new sharp tool for all the early cuts. just remembered, destroyed an electric drill too. Wayne

yeah Bill, I can safely say that the water was very cold I think it was more that the air temperature was cold though.. so there was no warming up once out of the water. I had chosen the location for its shallowness, self rescue was trivial as the water was only up to my chest, just basically standing on the bottom and pushing back up again (pushed on mast and shrouds). There was little water inside as it had floated high enough on its side that the level did not come up to the hatch opening. Note that I suspect that had the water been deeper itwould have turned further over (didn't turn due to mast hitting bottom). Please do not take this as any condemnation on the weekender design, I simply don't know what I was doing, and the winds were bad for it. I have just come back from my second sail, which was much better though still had its moments. I spent the first couple of hours in very light winds doing between 0.5 and 3 knots across the harbour... and had just decided to look for a place to beach up and have a waterski with somefirends that were there in a power boat when a hug wind change came though, the wind almost instantly went from peaking at I guess around 5 knots to averaging about 20-25.. very scary I managed to drop the main, and sailed bck across the harbour on just he jib.. doing over 3 knots all the way (GPS). Had my friends in the power bot riding shotgun just in case but we made t back without incident and got the boat back on the trailer.. evreyone still dry.. phew... there should be some pictures from that.. hopefully get them on later. Also, thanks Arnie for a name for my sail cut.. though it is completely unintentional that it resembles any proper cut. It is just the luff end (?) of the sail that I cut mine from Wayne

The sails are made from an old Jib or Genoa (can't remember which) froma Farr 38. It was given to me as it was about to be burnt due to delamination. I managed to cut both the main and the jib from the bottom part of the sail, and luckily one of the corners was almost the right angle for the inside corner of the main, which saved me sewing two sides of that sail. The sail pattern is of course from the original sail, so is probably completely inappropriatte for the weekender sail.. but for the price I reckon it should be ok (and I actually quite like the look) Wayne

the motor mount worked perfectly, though did not get a proper test. I was hoping to get out again quickly and give it a proper going over, but it has been blowing hard ever since (which is why I have not done a specific motor mount report). I put the motor down when I started and pretty much left the mount in the down position all the time, the motor was out of the water when tipped back, though the bottom of the mount sometimes dragged in the water a bit. There was so much stopping and starting on launch day that I didn't bother lifting the mount up to the higher position. The motor was plenty deep enough in the water.. though i think my weekender seems a bit back heavy (looking at the pictures), I am going to consider some ballast in the forepeak to bring the nose down a bit and level it off when people are in the back. the mount was very stable, no noticeable slop in any direction, which included when I was applying full thrust (3hp) sideways. There was a lot happening on launch day however and I wasn't paying 100% attention to the mount. I am confident however that it will be just perfect

I have not yet encountered the problem with the jaws catching on the shrouds either, though I have still had only the one slightly abortive day out My motivation for the spreaders was mainly to stop the shrouds scraping the gaff jaws, removing my lovely varnishing. I have decided to not make too many changes until I have had a few more sails (and the wind has just about been blowing over 20 knots every day since I launched.. damn). Thanks for something to look out for though Bill