Gordy Hill

Wes, I made my first mast plug out or pressure treated stock and it swelled. It resulted in near disaster in the Great Race. I replaced both with plastic (maybe polypropylene). I found some about an inch thick in a surplus store here in Orlando. It works great and the mast turns more easily as well.

I put spray rails on a CS17 and they worked quite well. They ended up looking like 3/4 inch quarter round and were too small. Even so, There was a marked improvement up to a point and then I got wet, but not nearly as wet as I got before in similar conditions. My next boat will definitely have spray rails. They will be about an inch to an inch and a quarter and slant downward.

Floorboards! Redwood would be perfect. It's light weight and really won't care if it's submerged once in a while. Also it's removable and not really a structural part of the boat. It would be stunning finished bright.

..............................now if you wanted to add a deck to your boat..........

I had an uphaul and an amazingly clever bungee downhaul. The bungee went from the knot in the hole on the rudder blade up to a block and then down to another block that was mounted so the bungee came out of the front of the rudder head and up to a simple overhand knot that I slipped over a large round head screw. This made the bungee long enough to do the job and I could release the tension when the boat was put away.

I made a ladder-type tiller of mahogany with walnut spacing blocks. It turned out to be more than strong enough. I used a 3/8 inch stainless bolt with a wing nut to attach it to the rudder. This worked out very well. For example I could easily stand when sailing in really shallow water and see what I was getting into. More importantly, when I was anchored or tied at a dock I would point it straight up and have the use of the full cockpit. I didn't like to leave the rudder mounted when trailering and it was far easier to stow disassembled. There was a stop on the rudder head to keep the tiller from sitting too low. I never has a problem with the tiller becoming loose while sailing. It always felt solidly connected. On my next boat I wouldn't consider a fixed tiller.

Graham and crew are having a wonderful time. They have great winds at a broad reach and are leaving everyone far behind......including the Hobie! Yesterday the trawler left about an hour earlier than everyone. Graham particularly enjoyed passing the power boat. The Princess is doing very well. The CS 20 is being conservative and reefing and enjoying the ride and doing nicely and the CS 17 is surprising everyone. Most impressive is the hospitality the Texans have shown.

I liked the board to float, but deeper than originally. That way it was still at an angle and would tend itself when the bottom showed up. The same with the rudder. When I was in water too shallow to set the blade down and lock it it would float higher than necessary and steering was terrible. After adding the weight the blade floated about 4-5 inches deeper.

I think you have a point Ray. However, once the boat lists wouldn't lift or buoyancy of the board contribute to the listing moment?

I think the board can be too light. I used to sail in very shallow water and found that after I let the board up it would stay up and actually float at a setting much higher than I wanted. Then I would have to pull it down till it touched bottom and then up a bit. Then I'd encounter shallower water and have to pull it up again. Then I'd be sailing along with it up long after I was in deeper water....... I drilled a 3 inch hole through the lower section of the blade, tapped one side and filled it with bird shot and epoxy. I weighted the rudder blade the same way and was really happy with the results. In fact, even more weight would be nice. Even as it was the board would still float, but a few inches lower and it would tend itself when the bottom showed up. Of course this was all in light winds. Mahogany is a great wood to work with, but it's rather light and I don't think it's as strong as fir. Fir was my choice back when I has no idea what I was doing. I just got lucky...

Randy, I see your problem. You have way too much room for building a boat!

I had problems with a wooden mast plug. In the Great Race it swelled. First, I had trouble unstepping the mast to pass under a bridge. Then, later on while sailing I noticed the marks on the main mast indicated it was sitting higher by about 1 1/2 inches. Just as I got forward (It was very windy and rough) the mast broke free from the step and tipped alarmingly. I caught it just in time and managed to reset it fully into the step. Later, I decided to replace it. I used a one inch thick piece of plastic, polypropylene I think. I used a 2 1/2 inch hole saw and cut until the pilot bit just showed through. Then I turned it over and used a slightly larger hole saw starting the pilot bit in the hole. The resulting plug was exactly the outside diameter of the mast for 1/2 inch and exactly the inside diameter for about 1/2 inch. I epoxied it to the mast and it never came loose. Of course it could be because it fit so well. I then rounded the edges and it worked beautifully and allowed the mast to rotate easily. With a thicker piece of plastic you could have enough to trim the bottom differently.

Ok guys, see if I can 'splane this. This rather clever idea of mine would work really well on a Belhaven or Princess. I think it'd work on a CS 20 as well. First, picture a huge hole in your transom on the port side that would be about 6" lower than what would be nessary for a motor mount. Then picture a little gun carrage about a foot or so square that the motor would clamp to. The gun carrage would have little wheels that would run in garage door-like tracks. You tip up the motor and when it's horizontal you just roll it into the boat and close the lid (which just happens to be the seat.) Of course you'd box in the gun carrage area and make it self-bailing. You could even have a little slide-in transom door to close the thing off and nobody would know you even have an engine aboard. If I've expained this well enough maybe Gary can draw it up for us.

At a weight of two hundred and forty twelve I wish I'd used 9mm on the seats. The little extra weight would have been worth it. Also, on my CS17 I found the seats fine for sailing, but a bit too narrow for those times in light wind when I'd like to face forward, lean back and put my feet up on the seat. By the way, that position is great when you gently cruise past a Sea Pearl. Gordy

I can only manage to post one pic per post.

Flamingo.

This camera is impossible to see in daylight so aiming is just a guess. I steped on the camera when I was in Flamingo, so maybe I'll have a new one next year.

Saturday morning just after the start.

Gary, I think you've come up with a nicely proportioned pilot house that doesn't look too overwhelming for the boat. In MY imaginary boat I was thinking of a solid/soft Bimini. I'd maybe run the cabin aft a bit more and have a solid top back to the mizzen. aft of that the top would be canvas. Among other reasons it would allow the mizzen to fold. It could have isinglass curtains that fold right down in case there's a change in the weather. (Line from Oklahoma!) At anchor the cockpit could be another room - with sleeping if the seats were large enough. If the rear bulkhead of the cabin slants forward it creats a back rest for a wonderful aft facing lounge on either side. Instead of being down in the boat I picture myself relaxing within the no-see-um screening, with my feet up and tinkling the ice in my G&T as the sun sets. Damn! I really have to get thqt garage built!

Ken, Is there any reason you can't just trim off the sleeve for the bottom foot or so. The downhaul rigged to a point on the tabernacle would keep the tack of the sail tight.

I LIKE the graphite-filled epoxy bushing!!

I think you're right Tom, and I'm sure Garry's idea would work, but I didn't want to agree so soon. I was hoping for a more lively discussion! I had a 17' Silhouette MkII that has a steel tabernacle on top of the cabin. Two "ears" on the sides had holes that accepted a bolt that ran through the centr of the mast. Another hole near the base of the mast had a second bolt to hold the mast upright. Since this was a sloop the mast extended well over the stern when lowered. However. I could remove the bolt and reposition the lowered mast well forward for trailering. However, this put the mast right over the companionway and made access to the cabin restricted. I still think I'd vote for the rotating tabernacle, but I wouldn't be surprised if Garry notices a flaw or improvement.

Garry, Garry, Garry....(sigh) It seems you make things sooo complicated! Of course, your's may be the best and most efficient when all is said and done.... However I was thinking of an aluminium welded-up tabernacle (which I can get done free) It would have a heavy- walled tube rotating in a sleeve below decks and the three-sided framework and pivot point above the deck. Powder coat it white. This way you wouldn't have to build the tabernacle 3 degrees off center so the masts will miss each other when folded. The whole mess would pivot as you moved the mast to where you wanted it. If you didn't use a tabernacle on the mizzen you could lift it out and lay it with the main and swing the whole lot off to the edge of the gallows and give better access to the cabin when on the trailer. This would make camping on the trailer easier, like when stopping for a nap at a rest area.

Brad, You would think..... However, once you tighten up the downhaul everything seems happier when it rotates.

Brad, I'd thought of a king plank of poly bolted in place but I don't think it would be worth the trouble. I had sleeve luffs and drilled a 3/4" hole through the mast about 6 inches above the deck. Then had a short section of heavy walled aluminum tube welded in it. Then I could stick a short rod in it and use it as a wrench to turn the mast to wind up the sail. It worked great. I called it my mast wrench. (Graham called it a mast spanner) Joe, The stuff works great on trailer bunks. I had carpet covered bunks on a new trailer. and where we launched off a causeway it was about 14-16 inches deep at the end of the trailer. It took two of us with our shoulders under the boat to get it launched. With plastic on the bunks I could do it one-handed!