Doug Cameron

As Ray said, I had a snottier fail in the 2010 Everglades Challenge. The block was attached to a pad eye which was attached to the mast via tapped threads, the threads coated with 5200 to cut down on electrolysis. Everything was tight at the start. We were half asleep in chop and a following wind when the gybe occurred, but there had been light winds in chop for many hours and thus jerking on the snottier from time to time. The emergency solution was to attach the block to the mast with several turns of line. This limited how far I could drop the sail (I had a track), but worked well and showed little wear in the final 60 or 70 miles of the race. The long term solution was to attach a boom bail to the mast so that the pull on the screws would be in shear instead of tension. I like the ides of the rivnuts.

Before my first EC, I practiced moving my Sea Pearl on a grassy slope at the school whee I taught.

Geezer 100? Tell us about it.

Great news. I look forward to seeing you on the beach next March. What about trying the North Carolina Challenge to get all the kinks worked out.

Does Ray's interest a year later mean that he's coming down to the NC Challenge?

Hi Wes I am working at a camp in the NC mountains and have little internet access. Here is an attempt to send you notes on the dodger and floorboards I made for our CS 20 with large sail option.

I bought the frame from Sailrite. It's stainless instead of aluminum (stronger). I sewed the material out of sunbrella and the clear plastic for windows that Sailrite sels. You order a wider frame and then cut it down to fit. One thing I didn't get done in time is to put a zipper around one of the front windows to give better access to the front deck. When the pad eye for the snotter came out of the mast (ss screws were tapped into the mast and stripped the threads in the aluminum mast) in the night off the Everglades, I had to step around the side, holding onto the dodger top, to build a new mast attachment out of line. (The final fix when I got home is a bail like is sometimes used for a boom vang or mainsheet. That way the screws are having a sheer force rather than the in-line force that stripped them out.) I hope this helps.

Jewel, that was splash, not green water. We had a fast run to Chokoloskee, then winds became light, and the Sea Pearl caught some better shifts. I may even build a 17 so I can row it better! Here is the blog link to my account of the race: http://capt-doug.blogspot.com/2010/03/2010-everglades-challenge.html Doug

I found that s dodger that could be folded down to access the front deck was a good idea. If you wanted more protection for camping, you could add a zipper to the aft end.

I have the eyesight problem, coupled with salt spray on the glasses. I followed Graham's example and mounted two, one on each side on the seat just forward of the thwart.

It's on the East Beach (turn left at the big flagpole). Around noon most of the competitors will be seting up. The Captain's meeting is at 3 PM. Saturday morning is fun to watch, but there is little time to look at boats and talk to competitors -- they are too focused on last minute details. We are the only B&B boat this year. Where are the rest of you? I have added a dodger (for a dryer ride) and am in the process of replacing the commercial seat hatches with ones of Graham's design. Great fun. Y'all come.

Well deserved!

Does that mean that you and Paul won't be sailing Dawn Patrol in the 2010 EC?

http://www.thewoodenboatschool.com/catalog.php Graham will be teaching small boat design at WoodenBoat School this summer. Check out the catalog at this address.

Pay attention to sheeting angles. When you are running before the wind with the main way out (to prevent gybing), the mainsheet will go through your bulkhead or you will need to add another turn and a block outboard, and you would need to disconnect that for sailing hard on the wind. Maybe some arrangement with snatch blocks?

RIP Earnest Shakleton

Full sized replica of the James Caird at Grytvicken, South Georgia:

I did a dodger on the standard CS20. I am modifying it in 2 ways: adding zippers to the windows to have access to the main w/o going forwars (to reef, etc.) and replacing the PC with a standard stainless frame so that it will lie down assembled and attached to the foredeck. I found this did a wonderful job of keeping the boat dry in a choppy reach or beating, and we could sleep under it with only our feet exposed. It would make a dry cooking spot at anchor.

I put in the third mast position on my CS 20, but have not used it because the sails each have two reefs. I did use the third hole for a mast crutch so I could row through the Harlow Canal. I have never had a motor on it, but I reinforced one side of the transom to take one. I believe that it would have been too thin otherwise. The CS 17 sounds like the best bet for you. When I'm rigging the CS20 solo I often think I would rather have the 17.

Thanks Paul. I guess that we will have to dance with the currents that meet us, to paraphrase a metaphor. I'm cutting patterns today for a dodger to keep us a little drier in the chop. And the lights you suggested have arrived and have been installed. See you at the beach. Doug

Thanks, Paul. I seem to remember that the National Mosquito research enter is on Cedar Island. Have you made any correlation with the current in the Harlow Canal and the tides? Look forward to seeing you in a few weeks. I would like to see more Core Sounds showing up -- it's their natal water! Doug

Thanks for the quick reply. Sent the order off to Chuck a few minutes ago. Back to work on the dodger for the CS 20 so Michael and I won't get as wet as we did in the Everglades Challenge. I covet that cabin, Paul.

Paul Stewart had some great nav lights for his modified CS 20. Mine are coroded beyond function, so I am looking for replacements for the NC WaterTribe race. LEDs would be a plus. Suggestions?

That's a balanced lug rig in essence. Matt Layden swears by them for simplicity and power. You wouldn't think so, but they do well to windward, too.