Joe Anderson

Well I have found that if I pay close attention as I am inserting the batten I can get it to snag on the elastic and fit properly. So were they properly inserted and slipped out of place or just carelessly inserted? Further testing required and there is a nice wind. On the left is the stock batten tip. On the right is a batten tip borrowed from a wind surfer sail.

As I was enjoying a sail in my Spindrift 10 I noticed that the trailing edge of the sail had a curl to it. At first I thought that the battens were too short. On closer examination I can see that the battens are slipping past the elastic at the base of the pocket. The pockets appear to be designed for a batten width of about 1.5 inches. The battens that came with my sail are about 0.6 inches. I think I have seen some battens with a hook on one end to capture the elastic. I don't know if that would solve the problem or if I should just get wider battens. Anyone else dealing with this problem?

I will lift a glass of grape juice to that. Many happy adventures for you and your family.

Graham I hope my clew looks better. Alan I like the pool noodle idea. I

Four years ago I built a Spindrift 10. I really enjoy sailing this boat. The Spindrift tacks very quickly and is fun to sail in all conditions from mild to wild. I think this would be a great boat for grandchildren, nieces, and nephews to learn to sail in, but I don't want to worry about them being hit in the head by the boom while tacking or jibing. I suspect that some of you might suggest that after a few hits you soon learn to duck, but I would prefer to minimize the danger. I have a few ideas on how to do this and I would appreciate hearing your thoughts. 1: Raise the boom. The top of my boom is about 2' 11" above the base of the mast. This results in the bottom of the boom being about 24" above the seats. I could raise the boom about 3 inches and still be able to tighten the luff. There are at least two things I don't know here. How high would the boom have to be above the seats to clear a youthful sailors head? How much would raising the Center of Effort affect the boats performance? 2: Replace the existing boom with a sprit boom. The sleeve luff would interfere with attaching the snotter to the mast. Graham told me he thought the sprit boom would have a significant negative impact on the performance of the Spindrift. Unfortunately this was my preferred choice. So, raise the boom if so by how much, or change to a sprit boom, or any other ideas? Thanks Joe

Frowley, I just noticed your question. I have a Karavan RB KKR-2400 78-S. I see that KKR is their line of roller trailers which seems a bit odd. I struggled a bit with what trailer to get and finally just jumped. I am not sure I landed in the best spot but it works. One of the dimensions I looked closely at was the width between the fenders. The KKR-2100 has the same width so that would seem to be a better choice not sure why I went with the 2400. Of course the width between the fenders is only important if you are opting for the ride between the wheels as opposed to the ride over the wheels. If I recall correctly I spoke with a representative at the factory and custom ordered the trailer. It came set up with three keel rollers and bunks. I suspect the frames are identical so whether it is a KKR or KKB does not matter if it is a custom order. I went with the bent cross bars and you are right they drop something like 8 inches which is too much for our boats. 3 or 4 inches would be better. I had to lift the center rollers up and modify the bunk brackets down to make it work. It is very possible that the straight cross bars would be a better fit. I think your keel would be a few inches higher. You could back the trailer in a little further to make up for the extra height. I hope that helps. Joe

Launch Day! Photos are not specifically of the trailer setup, but I hope it gives you an idea.

Lots of good thoughts so far. As mentioned earlier one of the challenges in finding a suitable trailer is that trailers designed for a twenty foot boat are also designed for much heavier boats. I ordered my trailer with an extended tongue. This allowed me to move the winch post further forward and fit a longer boat on the trailer. The tongue was longer than I needed so I cut it off to the desired length. ouch. I also removed one of leaves from the springs. Having an axle that can be moved fore and aft to adjust tongue weight is almost mandatory. If you are storing in a confined space make sure the total rig length will fit. A wide wheel base can allow the boat to sit a little lower. The fenders can make a convenient step for entering exiting the boat. However it is easier to drop a wheel off the pavement and negotiating fuel stations, curbs, becomes more challenging. I adapted Graham's launch technique. I have six keel rollers. Five should be plenty. I back until the tires just kiss the water and the boat rolls off. The trailer never gets wet. Six years of salt water and no indication of corrosion problems. Winching up does take a little effort. Also be mindful of what the boat will contact when it inadvertently comes off the rollers. Not much is required of the forward two or three rollers and your average roller will do. The stern roller must carry a significant portion of the boat weight and roll freely. After the first couple of launches I installed a Stoltz roller back there and no problems since. I never considered trailer brakes. I figured the tow weight was low enough and besides trailer brakes would soon be rusted and useless. If you are launching off the keel rollers and keeping the trailer dry, brakes may be worth considering if you a towing with a small vehicle.

There is a fair possibility that Sally was actually the one that took the beautiful photo of your boat. Either way we are very happy for you.

Oh to be a tree and get sent to Amos' workshop.

Thanks to all the B and B crew and the participants who helped make a truly memorable Messabout. Amos and his family joined Sally and I for a sail. Local Honey is in the background. Second photo is Pete sailing Chessie. Third photo is Paul working Carrie B upwind.

Jay Chick said he is planning a mini cruise after the Messabout. You said you were planning a cruise prior to the Messabout. Will you be staying after the Messabout as well? Sally and I are trying to plan for a two to three day cruise either before or after, depending on how we can work out our schedules. Looking forward to seeing everyone.

Safe travels. Give my best to Gordy.

Very nice work Amos. You can not have too many kid pictures not if they are working on the boat, or sailing. Your laminate layup looks so clean. I think laminated beams are one of the best combinations of epoxy and wood. Beauty and function. Nature and Chemistry.

Well done Pete! I have enjoyed following your progress. There is nothing like a problem that at first appears difficult and the magic of how a solution appears sometimes from out of the blue.