Mast Mod Performance Report (Long, very long)

[Craig]

The mast modifications are complete, the ballast cast, and installed. The results are great! I cast the lead into plates that fit between the mast box and the chine log, extending forward 2.5

[Mike Pennington]

Craig,

Good news, I had no worry your ballast modification would not work. I can't wait to find some other weigt besides my tool box :roll:

I raised my mast last summer, and the head room was very welcome, a big difference.

Today I hope to get some measurements for my larger jib, I am going to make a tarp one before trying to sew a dacron one from Jo's generous offer of material.

I'll also have to haul out that copy of the web site that had the plans for a homemade self furler.

I am glad to here your on the water, I hope to be on a big puddle soon myself.

Well I got to go tend to my sick son, I think he picked up a good dose of Samonilla gardnerella, food poisoning. I'll be back on the forum later.

[Russ Sylvester]

That's really interesting news. I've always wondered if adding weight to the keel would help performance. Ever since I put my deep cycle battery up in the forepeak, I've noticed that the boat pounds much less. I'm wondering though if adding it to the keel would make the effect more pronounced and with possibly less weight. Say 100-150 pounds.

As far as the weather helm I agree with you. The boat is screaming for a larger jib. This summer I'm going to have the guy who made my mainsail make one for me.

[Craig]

As for as keel mounting, I doubt the 6-8" difference in the lever arm would be a big change. It would simplify the installation and preserve the storage space my stack takes up. I don't think you could reduce the weight to 150lb on a Vac and still get the same result. For my boat the trim point was 200 lbs. The rest was for for the righting moment alteration. By guess and by God I seem to have that right. Part of my trim issue Russ is that big motor hanging off the back. That is an extra 105lb to be trimmed out just by itself. I would be very interested in a performance report on a 125% jib if anyone has one installed. If one was going to build new, with the mods we are working with now, I would recommend casting the lead for a keel mount. It is a bit more complicated to make the molds, but, once they are done the rest is pretty easy and straight forward. The lead is easily worked so the casting cosmetics are a minor issue. Get the lead into the general shape and use your power sanders and coarse paper to finish to suit. Smooth is good enough for these castings. Let me know how the sail works out please.

[Craig]

Mike how about running some before and after tests on your new sail experiments and sending the results along. The Mates new toy has cut into my beer, er, aha, boat money for the rest of the year. The rules out new sails this year. She keeps asking when the boat will be done...

Silly girl! :wink:

[Derek]

Good work Ray, keep the pics coming as I am fascinated by the process of making the bulb.

[Craig]

Looking good Ray. Now does the plug still get split or is it mounted to the bottom of the keel? If split does the flat part meet the hull or is there to be a gap between the hull bottom and the flat of the lead?

[Guest Anonymous]

Actually that is a half model. It gets cast in lead twice, one for each side of the keel and through bolted with 3 1/2 inch threaded rods in stainless.

Now I will likely be cutting that half modell down a bit once it is full shaped.

When the shape is done, polished and varnished I will do a displacement test to get about 315 cubic inches of water disp[lacement and then cut at the waterline of the male plug.

I have started making the green sand for sandcasting. My son and I have sifted 10 gallons of mortar sand and mix3ed in 4 cups of kitty litter and allowed to set to moiston the clay. We will be resifting through a window screen to remix and break down the clay finer .

[Craig]

Now I understand. That will look good. Nice work, and keepthe photos coming please.

[Craig]

I may have a bit too much weight . The locaton is fine I am just not sure of the amount as I can't see the hull position whle she is under weigh. I can always recast a set of weights to fine trim or as you suggest add some more to the aft end. In your case with the bulbs you will have to move the placement fore or aft as the mass of the bulbs are fixed. Too much work to trim them down or to recast another set. Mine is most likely just fine, others say so, I am just not used to not having the sprit pointed up like a lakers steering pole. I may be a bit heavy but once the larger jib goes on I will need the extra down there.

[Mike Pennington]

Craig,

I'll see what I can come up with Craig. The weather has been great this past week, 62 degrees to day. I hope to make my trial jib monday or tuesday to have for my May sail on Big Lake. I am taking out some old friends I use to charter sail with. I hope to barrow a GPS from another friend to get numbers. I have left the stay for my Paul J jib, and mounted a new stay forward on my extended sprit. I really should make that self furler, for safety's sake, there is know way I could reach out far enough to secure the new foresail. Well maybe if I made some kind of a causeway out to the end of the sprit or get around to making those trail boards.

[Mike Pennington]

I think this is a bit more than 128%

After I rig the sail from the new forstay I'll trim to fit. I have been looking over the plans for the manual self furler, I'll try fabricating one tomorrow morning. If this works well, I'll try Dacron. One things for sure, my blue tarp sail's not no Paul J. I have some blue or red duct tape to do the edges, hopefully it hols together to test it out this May 7th.

[Craig]

Thanks Mike. We are all looking forward to your report. Pretty colors...