New Mandy owner

[meester]

About the lug setup, a loose loop of line will definitely work to keep the yard close to the mast as Don suggests.  Other traditional solutions include adding parrell beads, or using a wooden or iron hoop.

 

I use the "Storer loop" with a hook lashed to the yard.   It's very quick to rig and derig. The halyard comes back from the throat end of the yard, passes around the mast opposite the yard (not really a wrap) and catches the hook on the aft side of the mast, then up to the top of the mast.  When I derig, I leave the halyard tied to the end of the yard. I only remove the halyard from the hook, loosen the downhaul, and bundle the boom, sail and yard.  Next the mast comes down and -- done.

 

As Don said, try stuff and see what works for you. Keep up the good work!

 

Bob

[naf]

On 10/1/2022 at 8:14 AM, Designer said:

There is a reason why the halyard is led aft. The boat has single line reefing, if rigged properly. It is very convenient to be able to reef the boat from the helm in seconds.

 

Ah, so my Amanda might be rigged in a sub-optimal way then, since it does have the reefing line but my halyard terminates on a horn cleat on the mast instead of running aft.

 

My current mast base plate has three holes in it (downhaul, boom vang, reef). I was thinking it might be better to just switch it to a 4-hole plate like the Spindrift rigging plans show and add an extra block+shackle for the halyard there, compared to putting the extra block on the deck next to the mast?

 

I got some longer halyard line so I figure I'll try out the rear halyard setup next time I'm on the water by temporarily borrowing the reefing line block/cleat, as soon as weather/scheduling permit.

 

Assuming the tryout goes well - if anyone has an extra Racelite RL-201 and Harken 072 lying around (and/or a Sprindrift 4-hole mast base plate!) they would like to sell, hit me up.

[Hirilonde]

I had to make my 3 hole mast base plate for my Spindrift. I cut it out of a piece of stainless sheet stock.

[Don Silsbe]

I’d droll another hole in your existing plate, or double up on one hole.  (I’m cheap.)

[Captain Tim]

You could use a double block.

[naf]

Trial run with the halyard ran aft went great. I ended up borrowing the boom-vang block & cleat because the wind was picking up and I was worried I would need to reef, but it worked well enough without it to test the configuration. Super easier to do a final approach to the dock when you know with a pull of the line you can drop sail. (Blurry) pic:

 

Didn't notice there was an existing empty hole in the boom I could have run the halyard through until I was back and demasting. Guess I shoulda used that instead of going around

 

Love the suggestions on how to make it permanent on the cheap (is it that obvious that would appeal to me?). I was kind of laughing to myself thinking about just turning the existing plate around backwards and drilling 4 holes on the other end (something about not being centered really bothers me). A double block would of course work, duh again. I'll have to see what they have available at the local used chandlery (a word i just learned).

 

Success also on the "storer loop". My version:

 

Note in above pic: the only thing that wasn't successful today was my homemade pig stick electrical-cord "mount". It never actually fell off but it was close

[Don Silsbe]

Pig sticks can be like that.  Happy for your successes.

[Paul356]

Hey, way to go.  Lookin' good, and sounds like you had lots of fun.

[naf]

Update on adding a block to run the halyard aft: Easiest/cheapest for me was to get B&B to sell me a 4-hole plate and an extra block+shackle (for less $ than just the double block at that popular marine retailer, mind you). Swapped out and looks and works great.

 

And I accidentally discovered a pretty good method for adding 'bungee' to the tiller tamer: just use dollar store 3/16" braid instead of real sta-set or whatever. it stretches just the right amount for my setup.

 

Now I just gotta work on my tiller extension coordination. (At least I store it disconnected now, so thats a start right?)

[Don Silsbe]

I store my tiller extension disconnected.  It will last a whole lot longer that way.

 

Yeah.  Double blocks are crazy-expensive!

[Hirilonde]

2 hours ago, Don Silsbe said:

I store my tiller extension disconnected.  It will last a whole lot longer that way.

I use my tiller extension on my Spindrift and Lapwing every time I go sailing, regardless of wind speed. The only time I remove them is to varnish.

[Don Silsbe]

@Hirilonde— Naf’s tiller extension fitting (and mine) are made of rubber.    If stowed like this, they won’t last three years.  But they are removable.  I was reminding him to do this.

[naf]

I had to borrow the trailer for another project, so here's a stupid picture of the boat "floating" in the garage, held up by a couple pairs of ratcheting tie-downs:

 

 

[naf]

Finally got a chance to follow Graham's advice (obviously) and try to get used to using the tiller extension.

After initially trying out awkward overhand grips with the extension in front of me and steering the boat like a drunk truck driving student learning reverse for the first time, I think I finally caught on to just holding the end of the extension next to me near the gunwales and just using it to push/pull the tiller (instead of manipulating it in 2d). Works a lot better that way I think. Felt pretty conformable, and (although it might just have been the winds) the boat picked up more speed than usual.

 

Comedic story: after a perfect approach to slow to a stop at right at the dock, I forgot to tie off to the dock before releasing the halyard to drop sail, so then like an idiot I remembered and tried to walk up to the front of the boat with the sail still halfway up and then I lean over to grab the dock pier and then (of course) the whole boat turns over and I get to go for a swim. Somehow the daggerboard had come out of the slot also, so my normal righting technique was out, and I just grabbed a line attached to the boat and swam with the line towing the sideways-floating boat up the ramp. Only item not tied down: my hat, which I had actually found a couple years back floating in some nearby water: its on to the next owner i guess.

[Don Silsbe]

Ah, the joys of sailing.  LOL

[naf]

I took the Mandy out for the first time this season to see another homemade boat out on the water.

I last saw it when he was building it in his front yard (its a little bigger than the mandy):

 

 

Stupid story: forgot to take the centerboard out when entering a windless cove and switching to rowing. makes for an awkward surprise when you run into a sandbar when the thing you're sitting on gets pushed upward...

[Alan Stewart]

Cool, I've watched many of their videos (SV Seeker). Looks like they got her to sit on her lines ok. Was worried about her for a bit when they launched she was pretty low in the stern. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/@SVSeeker/videos

[naf]

Decided to test out track recording in the middle of today's sail, so I got to catch the into-the-wind return leg.

 

Not too shabby I think, since you can't tell that about 5 or 6 of those tacks I thought were the last one to be able to clear the point to turn for home.

 

 

No sailing catastrophes, but I did put on a pretty embarrassing display of poor trailer reversing for the fish and wildlife officer sitting in the ramp's parking lot.

 

[naf]

On 10/27/2022 at 4:35 PM, naf said:

I had to borrow the trailer for another project, so here's a stupid picture of the boat "floating" in the garage, held up by a couple pairs of ratcheting tie-downs:

 

Saw another boat floating in the air. Looks like they use a slightly larger version of my tie-down hoist setup:

[naf]

Actual sailing question: when reefing the sail on something setup like the Amanda, am I supposed to leave the halyard in the same place as normal and tighten the reefing line so that it lifts the boom upward, or am I supposed to lower the halyard down and leave the boom about where it would be normally?

 

I tried the latter, and without the storer loop holding the yard tight against the mast the shape of the sail becomes pretty terrible, so assume it was supposed to be the former?