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Hirilonde

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Posts posted by Hirilonde

  1. When solo, I set right up near the center thwart/mizzen.  When I have 1 other, they are in the foreward cockpit. In light air, I will sit foreward of the mizzen using the hiking stick, and if a passenger, they are foreward as well As Alan points out, keeping the transom out of the water is key. And if really light winds, healing the boat over to lee and foreward reduces wetted surface while helping the sails keep shape ready for the next puff.

  2. As a basic rule I sheet in my main to just inside the gunwale and then the mizzen comes in more. This opens the slot and increase wind speed through it.  I set the main first, then tweak the mizzen till the tell tales stream smoothly. 

     

    Sail shape is based on wind speed. In light winds it is easy to stall to weather by sheeting in too much or over flattening the sails. As to reefing, I find that the easiest decision to make. If I can't keep the boat flat, or near flat most of the time I reef. In a gust I sheet the main out a tad and dump some wind rather than feather up too much. This keeps the boat driving through waves. In really light winds I move way forward and to lee to reduce wetted surface area and the heel helps keep sail shape ready for the next puff of wind. I am always testing the wind, from falling off a tad much to feathering up a tad much, always looking for the sweet spot.

    • Like 2
  3. If I want hardware to be removable I use polysulfide, 3M 101 or Boatlife Lifecaulk.  If I want the bond permanent I use 3M 4200/5200. If it has to be white and I want it removable, I use Sikaflex 291 LOT. Sikaflex is a polyurethane like 4200, but not quite as tenacious. Polysulfides in white tend to yellow over time.

  4. Look into dock fendering. There are lots of different shapes. You may need to find a dock hardware specialty supplier.

     

    I have had fabric over foam continuous fendering on my 9N for 19 years, still no mildew.

  5. I don't remember how I located the partner when I built mine, it was 10 years ago.  But when I hook my tape over the stem, and measure aft to the center of the partner, I get 20 1/2". The step is then located using the mast tube through the partner and the 1 in 20 ratio forward of plumb to height above step.

    • Thanks 1
  6. 2 and 3 color combinations can look great.  Or maybe white with 2 accent colors.  I would not use brown. As a purist I would use varnish or just not have a wood look.  My Spindrift is white with seafoam green interior, dark green boot top and grey sole and bottom.  I did varnish the seats and boom, but they never stay outside even when I kept it at the dinghy dock.

     

  7. 6 hours ago, Jonathan M. Cohn said:

    After about a month and seriously cold weather and snow I checked on the boat February 25. Both banks read 12.5. At this point, I think the experiment is a success and I'd winter store with the batteries charged full again.

    Yup, just make sure to remove the leads to avoid any discharge.

  8. On 2/14/2025 at 8:47 AM, Andy B said:

      Brand new, $5,000.  It's interesting that it's priced around where a lot of CS-17 boats are.

    That is what a professional would have to get to justify a business and it's expenses. People pay more than that for a Fatty Knees.  I wish we could get what are boats are worth. Few of us ever will.

  9. As to whether the sailing characteristics are much different, I wouldn't think so, but I don't really know. As for building, they require the same attention. Maybe the 15 requires a little less sanding, but not significantly less. My decision about size was based on storage space and launching as even a 15 would be big enough for my use. I knew I was moving to Florida for retirement, and garages in Florida are often 20' deep.  My Lapwing on a trailer is 19' 8" long. The CS 15 on a trailer would be a tad shorter, and a 17 on a trailer is probably over 20'. Based on all of the build threads I have read over the years I think I can say that anyone with some patience, a little skill and willing to ask questions who find the idea of building a boat fun can succeed. I like to stress the fun part. If you are building just to try and save money you will find building a boat tedious and used sailboats in good condition are often cheap. I think the 2 best reasons to build a boat are: it is fun, and you can customize the details to your specs. I never recommend changing design details as you will likely sacrifice sailing characteristics as Graham and Alan have done a great job already. Even with the Mach 3s, which were designed to add siginificant comfort to a pocket cruiser, the boat had to sail well first, or they wouldn't desing it.

    • Like 1
  10. The 50% thing is very important.  By the way, your batteries should be fused within 12" of the battery itself on the positive side. The size fuse is based on the gauge of wire you run from the battery to the panel. On my Renegade I used a 30 amp fuse and 8 gauge wire. Fuses protect the wiring, not the stuff you are powering. Any electronics that requires fusing usually has it in the unit itself.

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