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It is not till you start sailing the boat that
you find all the little things that are not just quite
right. |
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While designing the boat considerable time was
spent in cockpit water control. The cockpit floor is maximum
height at stations 3 and 4. This gives a nice slope to the floor,
draining water forward to the centre of the boat where a small
Anderson self bailer gets rid of it (for maximum self bailing
capacity the second bailer is the biggest Anderson self bailer
I could find). Normally sail on windy, rough days with just the
small self bailer open. Copes very nicely. Aft of station 3 the
floor levels off to meet the floor height restriction at station
2.
Inserted cockpit drain tubes that exit at very lowest
point of the transom. On paper the angle is steep enough to prevent
water flowing back into the cockpit. In reality the opposite is true
and on very light days a steady trickle of water enters the cockpit.
Wouldn't bother with cockpit drain tubes in future. The only time
they will be seriously useful is when one of those half capsizes
scoops up a cockpit full of water. Had a rethink
on that score. Found that I have had a tendency to sit to far back
in the boat when in a light breeze. By shifting a bit further
forward the transom lifts out of the water, nothing drains back into
the cockpit PLUS get an increase in boat speed!
To
drain the forward compartment a small one way flutter valve was
used. This has proved to be totally useless. Will
replace with a bigger flap type arrangement. |
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Using blocks as the position adjustment in the
bottom mast step makes it easier to change mast setups on shore (no
need to count turns or worry if you are turning the screw the right
or wrong way) it is much more difficult to make those mast
adjustments out on the water. Long way in to reach the blocks
especially on a rough day. Currently dont bother to alter the bottom
mast step position while on the water, just top mast ring and
centreboard position to cope with changing sailing
conditions.
In future I would go back to a screw type
arrangement but would either extend the screw back out into the
cockpit or set it up with a bevelled gear and a vertical shaft to
the deck. On the deck or in the cockpit I would have a small
wheel to turn the crew and make bottom mast step adjustments.
Could include a dial indicator to get accurate fixes on where the
bottom mast step location is. |
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The two centreboard positioning block rebated
into the centrecase capping are held in place by 5mm bolts tapped
into the plastic. Slots in the alloy allows sideways movement to
centralise the centreboard in a vertical
position.
Unfortunately there is such a sideways force on the
centreboard that the 5mm locater bolts slide in the slots.
Between races need to get the screwdriver out and reset to blocks
positions. Would be better of to have the locator bolts in
the horizontal plane (ie. come in from the sides rather than
from the top). Would only require welding tapped bosses
onto the alloy angle brackets plus a lock nut to keep them from
coming loose. |
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Then of cource you will find all the little
things that are not right. Main sheet cleats to low in the cockpit,
hiking straps not in the right position, centereboard control sheet
turning blocks too far forward on the gunnels, using too small a
diameter bungy cords on the centreboard, hiking pad tie down hooks
to close to the cockpit floor (just high enough to snag sailing
boots when going about or gybing), top rudder gudgeon pin cut
to short so that when the rudder pin is removed the minimum weight
rudder floats off the top pin.
All easily fixable, just
annoying. |
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| Any questions or comments
send me a message --- gerrit@vanaheim.co.nz |
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| To take advantage of the new reduced
minimum weight restriction, we bought the Finn into the shed
for rebuild Number 2. Follow the progress here |
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