jongo42

BLSKSMR Completed my CS17 in Feb 2014. I live on Bass Straight and as the god of sailing always decrees: after 3 years of building outside trying to dodge high winds and storms, since launching have not managed to sail in anything more than 5 knots. I originally learned to sail in a Wayfarer at Holt Fleet on the Rver Severn in England many many years ago. I have named my boat Wayfarer in fond memory of dodging the fishermen's lines. The 17 is a beautiful boat no doubt about it and I have had many admiring comments, which makes up somewhat for the 3 years hard labour. She does have some issues for serious sailors, she is clearly designed for the family man, probably first time dreamer/sailor to be used on flat sheltered waterways i am told are common in eastern USA. I will make some comments below to assist you but please do not think they are intended to be negative or to dissuade you from the 17, but hopefully help build a better boat; 1. Hull - beautiful, beamy, roomy seemingly stable, easy to step in and out from wharf side and nice high sides to keep the water out . 2. Forrard deck and cross seating awkward and dangerous if needing to reef at sea in a blow. Can't reach mainmast without kneeling on cross decking, very awkward. Suggest cutting back cross seating to match deck so you can stand and lean against the cockpit sides when the mast should be easily reachable. I would now cut the deck back to the forward bulkhead, do away with the deck hatch, which you can't use anyway at sea and is in the way of control line runs, and install a nice big hatch in the bulkhead so you actually use the forward compartment. You could even then consider installing an anchor well which is impossible with current design. A CS 20 owner I spoke to at Hobart Wooden Boat Show with a professionally built boat had John Welsford design a Bemuda rig because of the reefing risk - he was originally from Sydney where black southerlies come out of nowhere. 3. If you are a competent sailor, even if rusty as an old gate hinge as I am, then you will find the sprit rig useless to embarrassing, particularly if you mix with other sailors on occasion. It will not go to windward in light conditions; in a sloppy sea you will go nowhere near to the wind. On at least one occasion when trying top race at a local club, Leven Yacht Club, I could not get close to TS 16, although admittedly he is a recognised good sailor locally, and even failed to make the windward mark - we motored home, and ran out of fuel into the bargain. Currently have replaced stick sprits with two old Windsurfer wishbones, which had to be extended, and at least the sails now don't look like old sugary sacks, at first try she doesn't seem to go too much better to windward in the cursed light conditions. Before wishbones we could not better 120 degrees, now we seem to be able to do 110 degrees through the eye. There are problems with the cut of the mizzen I think, it seems very full at the luff, I think there is too much luff round. Am going toHobart next week to test it out with the sailmaker. Overall I think the sail are is far too small for real sailing, The TS is twice as heavy and has about 35% more sail area (17 to 13 sq m). My experience in light conditions is that hull weight can be an advantage to carry through the lulls, light weight is not everything in sailing. A more comparable boat is Iain Oughtred's Fulmar; 16ft and 165kg with 15 sq m of sail, in Bermuda rig. Iain was a renowned small boat sailor in his youth in Sydney, he doesn't design slow boats. he was sailing a 29er until recent years. The Fulmar was actually designed to be a better Wayfarer. 4 I live in an open sea area accessible only via tidal rivers with often strong currents. A 2hp motor would not cope. I fitted a 3.5hp short shaft Merc as the biggest i could get without a licence. The hull and rig is not really designed for it. The mizzen sprit and sheet fouls the motor and the motor needs fitting at the highest possible level if using a lifting mount. Unfortunately at that size it does not have reverse or a fuel pump - hence the risk of running out of fuel the tank is only 1 litre which is only just enough to get out of the river to the start and then back again, assuming we can actually finish the race. I have since found out that Yamaha do a 3.9hp with all the works and will supply a factory certificate to state that it is only rated to 3.9 hp. Here, that would be enough to get me past the need to licence it, me and the boat with accompanying fees of course, annually. 5. I have emphasised the racing concept here. I originally intended to use the boat for cruising and avoid racing but I do not have ready access to good cruising water and I'm afraid my old racing instincts have returned. Have you ever seen two sailboats on the water who do not try to best each other? Against the laws of (male) human nature i would think. At least by going out with the local dingy club there are companionable people and rescue boats about, and if I get back before that have all gone home a cleansing ale is available. 6. I am persevering with the rig for at least this coming season, costs dictate it I'm afraid. I have designed a Bermuda rig of 15sq m and also an extended two masted rig. Will see what happens,if the wishbone rig can be made to work I may stay with it, again because of costs. Two masts are expensive to rig out properly and very slow to set up and dismantle. If you want access to the 4 or 5 control lines for the main on both sides of the boat be prepared for a cat's cradle. At the moment i have: A snotter as designed A downhaul snotter to trim sails correctly - ie; leach tension. Main halyard. Topping lift -without it you will make a mess of the boat internals with the sprit, also helps to ease the leach in light airs. Sail downhaul Plus, but no longer rigged - reefing downhaul. Will see what happens when we get some wind. Try taking this lot back to the cockpit, around the un-used fore hatch, both sides ( I only go one side and it takes for ever to rig.) Repeat all this for the mizzen, but at least they hang off the mast. Love the boat, hate the rig.

Boarding ladder. Have done my share of swimming after capsizes with heavy sweaters soaked in water. At my age would haver difficulty in climbing back in over the side. In my experience if you miss standing on the centreboard first time you go over then by the time you have brought the bow into the wind - hopefully - then you seem to end up at the transom anyway and there is less chance she will roll straight back over you when you drag yourself aboard there. Remember you don't capsize in 10kn, unless you're messing about, it's usually 20 and over with a sea running, even on sheltered water,

Again, hope I'm replying to the correct comment. Forgot to say in mast comment. She sails like a witch. Absolutely great. Only did reaching & goose winged running but managed to catch a couple of small river waves in 10/12kn, 15 in the puffs. She should plane in 15/18kn I would think. need to get used to the strange rig before i could be confident of planing but looking forward to it.

Hope I,m replying to right comment. Web page designers really should use their product. Masts - ex OK dinghy, aluminium. Nicely tapered with bolt rope tracks fitted. Have a few extra holes from fittings not required but significant cost saving. 65mm dia tube not available now in Aus, must import from US or use Proctor mast ex UK at very significant cost.

2 pack throughout. undercoat - epoxy, top coat polyurethane, Wattyl brand. this is a trade name of some large paint company. Did try a local Aus brad but not as good finish. Applies with disposable high density foam rollers, 100mm. Must change frequently. Each roller will only do about 1 sq meters before staring to breaks down and leaving speckles of foam, very annoying. preparation beforehand is key, fill & sand, fill & sand until you're about to go insane. Undercoat does not fill flaws, only scratches from sandpaper. Preaparation - 3 months, application 15 minutes, I do not joke.

Sorry. Forgot to say that launch was at Gravelly Beach, Tasmania if you are looking it up on Google maps

Finally found a way to reply directly. Took a bit of mouse pressing but I got there. Firstly launch has happened. Went well in the end. Last screws installed just one hour before. Boat sails like a dream. Maiden voyage south, up the Tamar River to Launceston Wooden Boat Rally (yes , south and up the river, this is the Southern hemisphere). Wind was 10/12knots astern or broad on the beam, occasional 15k puffs, with some nice little waves, even after over 25 years off the tiller i managed to surf a couple. Rig very different to what I was used to and will take a bit of learning. Not sure how well she will point as didn't do any working. Had one Chinese gybe but it caused no trouble. Ran a fair bit goose-winged which she really enjoyed, apart from the gybe which was a wind veer problem, and an inattentive skipper. Have had great response at Rally today. Much interest and praise, which is some reward for all the effort. One onlooker is looking at a B&B design and another lady used to live in reach of Core Sound - small world. Masts - ex OK dinghy, few holes in but nicely tapered to suit a larger sail under much more stress than a sprit rig can exert, hope they aren't tired. OK's are all over to carbon now so there are a few old aluminium masts about. Have luff rope tracks fitted, might cause some difficulties with reefing but haven't tried that yet. Worth chasing something similar in your own area. Have recently found that Laser masts might be an option. They are unstayed, carrying a bigger sail and coping with 16:1 boom vangs but the bottom section appears to be 65mm. Be much more readily available, at least in Oz. Some pics attached. (Nice Chris Craft build at the Rally for the stink boat buffs)

After 3 years now within a couple of weeks of launch. - ever the optimist. Boat shown with temporary running rigging and also fittings, heaving problems obtaining stuff due to Xmas break, which seem to last for ever in Tasmania. Varnishing and hatches to finalise. Unfortunately sail maker left logo off sail.

Very. But there's not much you can do other than send it all back and there is no guaranntee that any replacement will be better. Have similar problems sourcing materials Had similar problem with Gaboon I was using for the cockpit coaming.The original satinwood ply did not have this problem so was caught out when using a bull nosed plane to clean up epoxy, went through the top ply without realising it as second ply was same colour. If starting again I would coat all ply with resin before i did anything else - remember to wash off the wax though when dry. Understand that this can make bending to shape harder but the protection you gain to the surfaces seems worth it, even if it is only to stop staining by thickened resin drips - which are many, believe me. Interested to see opinion of others.

The Whitsunday cruise/race sounds a great idea, next winter season?. Would be good to leave Tasmanian winter behind. Hope to finish my CS17 soon, errors and mistakes permitting. Wife starting to get toey about the mess.

Interested in Peter K's mizzen sheet. One question Peter, does it not interfere or chafe on the foot of the sail?

HI Alex, Am 90% of the way to finish my CS 17. OK dinghy and Finn masts are identical to spec from B&B, just a bit longer and they are tapered. Most of them are now using carbon masts so used ones are available. I bought 2 from Tom Pearce in Melbourne of OK association. Try your local state association. Should be very cheap - $100 or so - they have a few holes in of course but have a mast track and mast plug and sheave for the main halyard. I might make myself wooden masts next year once I am over the trauma of building.