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Spindrift 12 in So. Ca.(observations)


jpl62

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Just wanted to say that i have owned many dinghy  sailing boats and i must  say that this boat is my favorite. I bought  it from a gentleman in portland oregon about 8 months ago. When the wind picks up this boat leaves many similiar sized boats in the dust. The zippered luff sail makes the boat easy to put  up the sail and take down if you just  want to row. It also rows very well for such a small boat. I do not like to  race but am a leisurely sailor so i reef the sail often once it gets past  10 mph winds. Plus i frequently sit on the floor and just have the sail out  past 45 degrees so there is little chance of capsizing. On reply to this topic i dont see a logo to post a picture....

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I have the plans but have never built it; I have only completed the centerboard. Work is slowing down now that I've given up my full time side business that was augmenting my full time job so I'm re-acquainting myself with woodworking - I may get that Spindrift built yet!

 

Where are you sailing it?

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I sail mostly at  los alimitos bay in long beach or newport beach near the dunes (the back bay). If anyone wants to try out a spindrift 12 before wanting to invest in building one or just is curious to sail in one i am happy to oblige most weekends. I did some capsize test on this sailboat and here are my observations. First the boat didn't really want to go over so that is reassuring. First couple of times that i capsized the boat i couldnt do self rescue. I pulled my weight (230 lbs) on the centerboard and couldnt get it to right itself. The boat turtled the second time and i needed a lifeguard to dive under the water and pull up the mast level with the surface of the water before we both pulled on the centerboard to right it. That was embarrassing to say the least! I came up with the idea of tying a piece of rope thru the oar locks for leverage. When i swam around the boat i pulled on the rope while i placed both legs on the bottom of the hull for leverage. The boat came up immediately. The  one thing that still bothered me was that the boat can turtle in some cases and the mast can get stuck in the  mud in shallow water so i  decided to buy a bleach bottle as a flotation device and tie it to the top of the mast so that the  mast is  less likely to turtle.

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Another problem for me  was getting back in the boat....I wonder if age is  catching  up to me(i am 54). A kid who was  acting  as a lifeguard had  to  pull me in the boat. Again it was quite  embarrassing since i told everone around me that i intentionally capsized the boat to practice  the drill. Even though the waters in southern california are quite warm it still bothers me how anxious i get capsizing any boat. Can anyone relate? Well i solved the problem by making a rope  latter tied to a cleat at the back of  the stern. The foot portion has a plastic part made out  of plumbing parts from home depot. It  works like a charm. I will try and post a picture

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Originally when i rigged the boat with the main sheet attached to the floor of the cockpit i found myself getting in the way of main sheet each time i tacked so i decided to rig the boat with some blocks to the boom and a traveler. I also attached a ratchet and cam cleat to the back end of the seating thwart so that i could lazily sail the boat without holding the main sheet. On the  traveler i decided to tie a knot in the center of the  traveler so that it would not  move. A traveler that has allot of movement gives a greater chance of the rope getting wrapped around the tiller and causing more disorder. One thing i decided i needed to do was extend the tiller. Sitting comfortably next to  the  center  thwart noticeably improves windward performance and i don't have to strain my arm extending it. The only real danger that i can view sailing in a small dinghy in the marina is sailing on a broad reach. It took me over a year to figure why my boat would accidentally jibe. Now i lessen my fear by sitting in the cockpit sailing downwind so i that if i get distracted chatting with someone on my cell phone (am i the only one), i will not be too concerned if the boom decided do a accidental jibe. I would hate to think of a very strong breeze causing an accidental jibe. Would it be possible for the boom of this size boat to strike you and cause you to go unconscious? Can anyone relate a story to such an incident?

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When i am taking on a passanger i prefer to have them sit on the floor in front of the centerboard. I just detach the boomvang and place a soft cushion on the floor and another cushion next to the mast for back support. This is a good place to give instruction when teaching someone to sail for the first time. By the way this is a fantastic boat to teach a beginner to sail. The side seats are very comfortable and the shape of  the hull makes for a very fast but stable ride. I can heel this boat where the water is just about touching the gunnel and the boat will not capsize. That is very reassuring.

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Looks like you have put her through her paces! I grew up near the Dunes. Over by the airport, really, on the other side of the Back Bay, but we used to walk to the Dunes to go swimming. 

 

I found it hard to get back in a kayak the last time I capsized one. I've decided it's better to stay in the boat, with the water on the outside. Too much work the other way!

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My cheap but effective rope  ladder

I still have no ladder because, well, they are ugly.  This is so ridiculously simple that it is brilliant, and can be stored on the aft seat until needed, so it doesn't even show on the boat.  Off to design and build my version...................

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Thanks for the compliment. Your lapwing is absolutely gorgeous. Awesome craftsmanship went into that sailboat...Anyways you will have to make a few rope adjustments before it feels right. 2 or 3 inches either shortening or making the rope longer will make a big difference in how easy it is to use the rope ladder. Good luck

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  • 2 weeks later...

the one thing that bothers me is the anderson mini bailer leaks and does not excrete any water out of the boat no matter how fast i sail...I was thinking of purchasing the supersuck bailer. It is supposed to work at even a lower speed than the anderson bailer. Anyone have any information on this product? Also when installing a rubber seal on the anderson bailer what adhesive do you recommend?

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