Barry Pyeatt Posted May 28, 2003 Posted May 28, 2003 This is what I am doing on my Weekender. The dimensions really can't be fixed in a drawing as every boat is a little different. The length of the stem from the hull will determine how long it will be. The width of the stem will vary a little bit from boat to boat and that needs to be accounted for with the front rail. Maybe this will give you some more ideas. :wink: [attachment over 4 years old deleted by admin] Quote
Mike Pennington Posted May 28, 2003 Posted May 28, 2003 I'll never finish this Vacationer! I can't believe I even looked at Hull # four today. Thats my other rogue river dory that I have cut out and ready to assemble. I made an extra set last year when I built the first one. :roll: Quote
Barry Pyeatt Posted May 29, 2003 Author Posted May 29, 2003 Mike, I was going to post another set of drawings for an alternative to the grates; but, check out Phil Cowen's photo of the Friendship Aime. In particular the bow shot. Aime has two boards on either side of the stem. One about 5" below the other. They are solid and angular shaped to conform to the hull curve and the stem. They are 1 1/2" thick and about 5-6" wide at their widest. They would be quite practical for your use as well as being a lot easier to fabricate than grates. Put some non-skid on the top surface and you are in business. Quote
Andrew Posted May 29, 2003 Posted May 29, 2003 Barry Other than looking rooly funky, do the grates perform any function? Why are they there? PS Has anyone ever thought of mounting their anchor on or near the bow of the weekender? Andrew Quote
Barry Pyeatt Posted May 29, 2003 Author Posted May 29, 2003 Good question Andrew.... Well, they look cool, They are fun to make, They add some additional weight to the bow, which in itself isn't a bad thing. But primarily they allow you to get further forward to reach the forestay. Here's the deal on that. Some (few) of us are working with longer bowsprits so that we can run cutter rigs or have a larger headsail (Lapper or Genoa). But some of us (few again) really like the looks of the Friendship sloops that these are modeled after. And the longer bowsprit does offer more versatility to the types of sails you can use. It also adds a lot of power to the boat. (Better for ramming too!) :roll: :wink: Now that in itself isn't all that necessary. And without a true keel and ballast, it could be a dangerous thing. But in my case, I want to have the versatility of flying a staysail/stormsail when it is blowing hard and have a roller furling headsail larger than the standard jib. More like the Lapper that Paul J offers for when there are light winds. So...where do the grates come in? Easy, when you are trying to reach the headstay and you are on the water, there isn't much room on the foredeck at the bow. Therefor the grates offer some additional space to kneel to reach further out the bowsprit. Besides...they look "rooly funky" and very salty. Now then the question of anchors. :? Since these are "trailer sailors" the hanging of the anchor from the bowsprit as on a lot of the friendships presents a real challenge when trailering. (check out the photos of Aimee that Phil Gowen posted today. The anchor hanges below the bowsprit.) 8) :? If you don't plan on trailering the boat, and keep in the water, then why not? But you don't want it banging around bashing into the hull or stem while doing 60-70 knots down some winding country road with it. :shock: On the Vacationeer with the Dolphin striker, it would be more practical. Certainly keep all that muck out of the nice clean forepeak. You could have a nice proper chainlocker up there and a wonderful thrudeck channel for the chain to run in. (I think that is what Chris Gerkin is doing with his Vacationeer in the traditional Friendship mode.) Of course, if you don't mind just disconnecting it and stowing it when you get back to the boat launch, then go for it. Quote
Mike Pennington Posted May 30, 2003 Posted May 30, 2003 Right, Barry! I like those pics of Phil's. I bought some heavy brackets the other day and bolts. The existing trail board will come off and I'll come up with something. Well the ER is calling, I got to go earn my keep! Quote
Tim Diebert Posted May 30, 2003 Posted May 30, 2003 Hey Barry...I'm with Beak on this one. Unless you have your 400lb Sumo wrestler crewman in the cockpit...hanging any amount of weight over the pointy end will make for some interesting times....believe me, I tried it...freaked me out. Quote
Barry Pyeatt Posted May 30, 2003 Author Posted May 30, 2003 I'm with the both of you on that as well. I wouldn't be caught out there when underway either. :shock: I'm long past the point where I'm into any kind of bowriding. The foredeck on a lot bigger boats than these isn't my cup of tea any more when undersail. Still it makes it a lot easier to work up there when you are not underway. And besides it does look pretty salty. Quote
Tim Diebert Posted May 30, 2003 Posted May 30, 2003 ....yes, they look cool, no worries there...but I am not talking about while under way....even sitting still.....the ass end of the boat comes out of the air and everything is focused on that wee triangle....the boat actually starts to tip over....I am not sure how far it would go, but it seems quite unstable. And that is with my Tug Boat motor hung off the stern. Maybe it was my imagination or hysterical haluscinations. I am short, weight 185 and built low to the deck (kind of like a Dwarf)and love to ramble about the foredeck in any conditions...I kind of have to as my halyards are all cleated there...and am normally pretty comfortable doing that....one time shortly after getting the boat I crawled out as far as I could on the bowsprit with my knees on either side of the bowsprit right were it meets the deck and as I reached out to the line the boat started tipping over...as I say, it kind of freaked me out. My sail was all twisted and I was trying to fix it...after that I beached the boat and fixed it whilst standing on a rock. Whatever....just my twisted observations. Quote
Mike Pennington Posted May 30, 2003 Posted May 30, 2003 Well I guess thats why I picked the Vacationer to play with. Their isn't a place on my boat I could stand and purposely tip the boat over. Though I will addmit to getting the shaky knees thinking of Alaska's cold water while up forward playing with the outer jib, let alone the inner. Quote
Barry Pyeatt Posted May 30, 2003 Author Posted May 30, 2003 Thanks Tim, That is a very interesting observation! :shock: I think that is important that new builders realize that this is a small dory type hull. And really a pretty light boat. The tip of the bowsprit is quite a ways forward of the balance point, so a couple hundred pounds moving from the cockpit to hanging off the bowsprit would make one feel as if they were headed into the water. It's been a long time since I have had any small boat sailing and I didn't have a long bowsprit to deal with with any of my other boats. My only sailing experience on a Weekender has been in Hawaii. And there were two other people onboard. So, when I went forward to work with a tangled jib, it didn't make all that much difference. We were just heading back out after beaching it and the sail was tangled under the bowsprit. I didn't have to go out as far as you did, and it wasn't rough, but I decided then and there, that I wanted a little more under me when I need to go back up there again. That is one of the principal reasons I decided to go go with a roller furling headsail and a smaller staysail/stormsail. I know that I will be single handing a lot of the time and I would like to have this as easy and safe as possible. And the Vacationeer is still in the planning stages. Quote
John Weigandt Posted May 31, 2003 Posted May 31, 2003 I don't find the foredeck that unpleasant... maybe my ballast is helping.. ie My battery resides in the companionway box/seat 50 lbs or so of lead acid battery is probably keeping the tippiness down some. I will routinely stand in front of the mast, with one hand on the mast without fear. Power boat wakes be damned. I will carefully crawl forward to hook and unhook the jib from the bowsprit, and it is quite a reach but is doable without superhuman effort. the grates etc. might give you more of a foot or knee hold, but might also tempt you further off deck than perhaps you should go. I also have an anchor roller at the bow at the point where the sprit meets the hull. I anchor on the river in strong current, and off the bow is the only way to anchor here... anyplace else and the boat and rudder do a dance in the current God forbid you anchor stern first... retrieval is next to impossible in a current (don't ask me how I know but that's why the roller was installed.) With the roller, I can retrieve the anchor from the cockpit, and then go forward to finish hauling it aboard John Quote
Mark Hughes Posted June 2, 2003 Posted June 2, 2003 John, I've been thinking about some kind of anchor roller for my Vacationer as well. Do you have any pictures of your setup? And did you buy it or build it? Quote
John Weigandt Posted June 2, 2003 Posted June 2, 2003 bought a commercial one but it is very small and simple. I have a digi cam and will try to get a picture posted soon Quote
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