MYYOT launched

[waynemunro]

Well, launch day was saturday - it went mostly well. the brief summary is that the first few trips went very well, in conditions that we were finding a little difficult (probably should have waited for another day), and the last one was less than perfect. I am going to write up a more detailed account within the next couple of days, but in the meantime, the pictures on my website start from this link (note that you can click on the main picture to move to the next one):

http://www.waynemunro.com/grw/wayne/2003/2003_weekender/IMG_6827.jpg/view_med_70.html

there are a couple of shots from the collection below.

Robbo came over for a look, thanks for the support and sorry that I didn't get you out for a spin, but will another day (if you stil want to after seeing the picture below).

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[Barry Pyeatt]

Wonderful photos Wayne. Looks like the launch and first sails were a great success. Also looks like you had good conditions for a good trial.

MYYOT looks great, you did a really nice job on it.

I"m waiting to hear about your postive flotation test though. :?

Looks like it passed with flying colors. :wink:

[Knut]

Waye,

first of all congratulations with a beautiful boat. I am sure you already noticed that the Weekender is a little bit like a racehorse: Sensitive, fast and fun but can also be unforgiving.

May be we should start a small, extremely exclusive Weekender Group where you and I seem both to be perfectly qualified: WLDS Group!! Membership by photographic proof only. How many more candidates are there around?

(Weekender Launch Day Swampers).

Banter aside. I look forward to the detailed account for comparison to my own experience. What I dare claim is that after having done one swamping (especially on the launch day), the chances that it will happen on any other day after the launch day are reduced by 90%. Learning by doing has never been a bad method. Later on you will be surprised what conditions can be handled with full control in a Weekender.

[tomstock]

She's not turtle so you're not doing too bad! hhehehe

-tom

[waynemunro]

here is the promised more detailed account :

http://www.waynemunro.com/misc/launch.html

though I am not too sure if it does shed much light on why we ended up wet, but it does explain why we didn't turn turtle (water was not deep enoough).

A fun experience with hindsight though, and one that my friends will feast on for some time

[Barry Pyeatt]

What a wonderful experience, although I'm certain that you would rather it hadn't happened at the time. I love it! Everyone came home safe and sound and they all know it will float and bring you back. I presume that no one has sworn off sailing with you in the future. :roll:

Now I know why the keel was out of the water when it was on it's side. Hard to sink a boat any further when it is already on the bottom. :?

If you feel that the instictive thing to do is to change the direction of turn on the wheel, then go for it. But one thing I would recommend that you do is consider this first. Will it be the natural thing for someone else sailing with you in an emergency if they have to take over because you are not able?

Yes, reefing points will help but more importantly will be the gaining of experience in handling it. The experience will prevent that from happening in the first place. Not having as much play in the steering system will also most likely have prevented it from happening as well.

A good bungee for a rudder hold down instead of a rope will make a real difference when in shallow water.

Well done Wayne...Well done!

[waynemunro]

thanks Barry,

no, as far as I know no-one has sworn off sailing with me (or tried to prevent me from ever taking it out again), the guys that came on the first few trips are all keen for another go.

It was genuinly flating when it was on its side, it was only prevented from going over further due to the top of the mast hitting the bottom, the water was about chest high on me standing next to it (I am about 5' 11"). I suspect that had there been any significent waves they would have got inside the cabin and the whole lot would have swamped... one day I'll do I a more controlled swamping test. I'd also be interested to see if the floatation of the mast would be enough to stop it turning turtle (I am not too sure if the mast was only hitting the bottom when I put my weight on it or not, and there were two old people hanging onto the cabin which would have bought it over more.

regarding the wheel.. the other guys that I had on the boat (who had done any sailing) felt that it was intuitively backwards as well. As they (like me) tried to use the top of the wheel like a tiller. I will give it some though though, and maybe another sail.. it may have just been the slack in the system making it hard to feel the right way to go.

[Pat Mellema]

Wayne

I have tried spreaders that were 6" wide and found that my gaff still hangs up on the shrouds. I am planing on making a spreader that is 12" and see if that will allow the gaff to turn. It does make a difference when you are out sailing in a blow and the top of the sail is running straight because it cannot turn on the mast because it is hanging up on the shrouds.

[Frank Hagan]

I have always thought the wheel was backwards, but it IS behind you, so maybe that's why it feels weird. I ended up with a tiller instead of a wheel after futzing with the rope assembly.

You may have had an accidental gybe ... where a gust of wind comes from another direction and swings the boom over to the other side of the boat until it hits the limit of the sheet, and BAM!, over you go. Happens very quickly. I've had a few close calls when running downwind in flukey winds; a slight variation and the boom can go over to the other side quickly.

On lacing the sail to the mast, are you using spiral lacing where you go round and round, or "forth and back" lacing? Here's an example of "forth and back" lacing; note that the line is going around the mast only three times rather than the 6 you would use with spiral lacing, yet the sail is held to the mast just as closely.

[waynemunro]

I may give the wheel another try in its current direction , I have been thinking about the wheel and realise that I was thinking of it as a tiller.. maybe if I do think of it as a steering wheel, which for some reason I am standing in front of, then it may make sense...

Yes frank, I was using the standard sprial lacing, I had seen your page about the alternate methods, but for some reason went with the standard one (I know not why, perhaps it was the easiest to picture when I was doing the lacing). I'll give the back and forth a try.

phew 12" seems quite wide for the spreaders Pat.. I assume you through-bolt them to the mast...

[waynemunro]

ahh, I just found this 'spreader' link from elsewhere in the forum

http://www.pragdata.com/philboat/PlanSpreader.html

I see that they provide alternate attachment points for the shrouds, I had assumed that the spreader just had the shroud passing through and provided a kink in it. I guess there are always 10 ways to skin a cat.

Don't want to have to re-wite my shrouds so will have to consider how to do this.. not an urgent short term fix anyway

[buck]

Wayne I am not alone! Another Weekender sailing in New Zealand! Congratulations! But oh the capsize! On your first day, well I guess you don't have to prove you can do it now. Sailing in gusty conditions can be hell with the wind coming from everywhere at once.

Every boat has teething problems when it first hits the water. I found the Weekender quite hard to sail at first, its a bit different with that long keel and I'd never handled a jib before. Talking of which your sails look really good! and your new beard adds to the Piratical look!

Shes a damn fine looking craft out on the water. Well done!

[Bill Paxton]

The first season we sailed our Weekender, the gaff jaws often got caught on the shrouds, and it really bugged me. I solved the problem once and for all by making jaws that were longer than the plan called for, and then putting a plywood strip across the end of the jaws. (A bolt through each end of the strip holds it to the jaws, and allows me to remove the gaff boom from the mast if necessary.) Since the jaws are now a box instead of a fork, they can't catch on the shrouds. I've never had the problem again.

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[Guest Anonymous]

Bravo Wayne, and what good fortune to have your capsize in shallow water! She's a beauty!

Bill, about those rubbing shrouds, I'm wrestling with the same issue myself, but am a bit confused about your solution. I don't see how the extended jaws would help, and the photo looks like the shrouds still touch.

A friend suggested that I recut the sail to shorten the luff a few inches so the gaff doesn't go up as high. This would also make the peak angle greater and perhaps add to the look of the rig, but when I remember how much trouble it was to put that sail on, I don't think I want to go through that again!

I'm not wild about the triangular steel spreader either. I doubt if I have enough of the expensive Spectra I used for shrouds to make seperate knots for each shroud where they connect to the spreader. I like the "up and over" of the original design, where a single line serves both sides of the boat, and would like to preserve that. I'm trying to come up with something where bulls-eye fairleads are used to push the shrouds out a bit.

[Bill Paxton]

The outside edge of the gaff jaws touching the shrouds is not a problem. The open gaff jaws grabbing the shrouds and getting stuck is a problem. By boxing in the jaws, they can't grab the shrouds.

To enclose the ends of jaws it is necessary to make the jaws a bit longer than the plans specify. Make the jaws long enough so that gaff can move freely about the mast when it is properly set.

Now that I think about it, I believe I made my mast 6 inches longer than normal so that I could attach the shrouds 6 inches higher than normal. I hoped that doing so would prevent the gaff jaws from getting stuck in the shrouds, but, alas, it alone was not enough.

The problem went away when I boxed in the gaff jaws. It's a very simple solution, and makes sailing more enjoyable for me.

[High C]

Ahhh, now I see, the problem occurs sailing downwind when you let the main go way out. I hadn't encountered that yet.

I am concerned about the contact with the shrouds, since mine are rope, Spectra, so abrasion could be a problem.

Forgot to log in before, I'm the "guest".

Thanks!

[waynemunro]

I have not yet encountered the problem with the jaws catching on the shrouds either, though I have still had only the one slightly abortive day out

My motivation for the spreaders was mainly to stop the shrouds scraping the gaff jaws, removing my lovely varnishing.

I have decided to not make too many changes until I have had a few more sails (and the wind has just about been blowing over 20 knots every day since I launched.. damn).

Thanks for something to look out for though Bill

[capt jake]

OK, I have been away for a bit. How did the motor mount work out??

[waynemunro]

the motor mount worked perfectly, though did not get a proper test. I was hoping to get out again quickly and give it a proper going over, but it has been blowing hard ever since (which is why I have not done a specific motor mount report).

I put the motor down when I started and pretty much left the mount in the down position all the time, the motor was out of the water when tipped back, though the bottom of the mount sometimes dragged in the water a bit. There was so much stopping and starting on launch day that I didn't bother lifting the mount up to the higher position.

The motor was plenty deep enough in the water.. though i think my weekender seems a bit back heavy (looking at the pictures), I am going to consider some ballast in the forepeak to bring the nose down a bit and level it off when people are in the back.

the mount was very stable, no noticeable slop in any direction, which included when I was applying full thrust (3hp) sideways. There was a lot happening on launch day however and I wasn't paying 100% attention to the mount. I am confident however that it will be just perfect

[Zeroice]

Nice boat! Did you make the sails yourself. The seem pattern seems different than the usual. What type of sail pattern is that? This is the first weekender I saw with a sail like that.