Hi all,
this afternoon I mounted my rig for the next launch of my Malandra... what a disaster! Many things didn't fit or didn't work as I expected, here is a list of only a part of surprises I had.
1. Throat halyard is too short. Materials list called 25', I had 26' (8 meters), but with the gaff all down, the free end was so high that I cannot reach it even jumping up. I had to temporary tie an extension.
2. When the mast is down, all eyebolts and blocks set exactely in the boom crutch fork. It can still retain the mast for 1 cm, because I've been generous when I cut it, nevertheless I can accept this only for parking, I can't trust on it for road travels.
3. Where the devil should the sail be tied to the gaff? How to do it? The building guide doesn't show it, nor the materials list cites a lash for it, because the 50' x 1/4" are exactely enough for steering system, rudder and sail base to boom.
4. Gaff jaws interfere with the bolts nuts of the mast hinge. I used flat head bolts, with the flat end forward, in order to avoid problems with hoops. In the other end I used no-slip nuts and I cut off what exceeded with the grinder, but when I pulled the throat halyard the jaws end stopped against these nuts.
5. I fear that my hinge is too thin. When I hoised the bare mast was everything OK, but with shrouds, halyards, gaff and sail, the articoltion moved incontrolled sideward and deformed the hinge.
6. Hanks don't fit in the jib grommets. I cut them short enough to ensure a minimum of rigidity, but I realized late that they were too big for the grommets I used. By the way they are not good even for the original tarpaulin grommets, because they are larger, but too far from the edge. I thing I will use nylon strips, at least for the launch.
7. ...
Gianluigi
I'm glad that I'm not the only one who had these sort of problems.
Let's see ....
Quote:1. Throat halyard is too short. Materials list called 25', I had 26' (8 meters), but with the gaff all down, the free end was so high that I cannot reach it even jumping up. I had to temporary tie an extension.
Bummer. I know that since I planned to run the halyards back to the cockpit that the measurements wouldn't work for me. I just took two long lines, let them run off as far as they could and cut them. I have no idea how long they actually ended up. Hopefully you can re-use that halyard for something else.
Quote:2. When the mast is down, all eyebolts and blocks set exactely in the boom crutch fork. It can still retain the mast for 1 cm, because I've been generous when I cut it, nevertheless I can accept this only for parking, I can't trust on it for road travels.
I made a slightly different sort of boom crutch that to me appears quite solid. It rests in part on the steering shaft which for me is fine because mine is made from galvanized pipe. It does move the crutch position forward a few inches. There are lots of other options out there with one of the most common seeming to be some kind of sawhorse set in the cockpit. If the rig is lashed firmly down it shouldn't bounce too badly.
Quote:3. Where the devil should the sail be tied to the gaff? How to do it? The building guide doesn't show it, nor the materials list cites a lash for it, because the 50' x 1/4" are exactely enough for steering system, rudder and sail base to boom.
Looking at figure 23 it has a note saying "mainsail laced to gaff with 1/4" line. On my Weekender I put an eyebolt at each end to secure the throat and peak of the sail and to act as an outhaul for tension and just laced the sail like the main to the gaff.
Quote:4. Gaff jaws interfere with the bolts nuts of the mast hinge. I used flat head bolts, with the flat end forward, in order to avoid problems with hoops. In the other end I used no-slip nuts and I cut off what exceeded with the grinder, but when I pulled the throat halyard the jaws end stopped against these nuts.
I presume you are talking about the outer hinge and you are using a bolt as the pin to hold it up? I had similar concerns and ended up using a "threaded insert". I've talked to other builders who have just stuck the original pin in and surprisingly not lost it under way.
The purpose of this pin is mainly to hold the mast up while you secure the forestay - it's not really structural beyond that. One option that I considered was to drill a hole through the hinge joint and the pin and secure it with a wire or cotter pin. That's what I've done on the other side of the mast.
Quote:5. I fear that my hinge is too thin. When I hoised the bare mast was everything OK, but with shrouds, halyards, gaff and sail, the articoltion moved incontrolled sideward and deformed the hinge.
Yes - I was worried about that too and had similar issues when I first raised my mast. The hinges aren't structural when under way but do need to have some strenght. I actually used heavier gate hinges (I'll post a picture) on the aft side of the mast. They were a nuisance to set up though and this spring I have to go out with a grinder and remove part that sticks out from the side of the mast and hangs up my hoops.
There are a number of other tabernacle options that you could retrofit to if you're willing to do the re-work.
Quote:6. Hanks don't fit in the jib grommets. I cut them short enough to ensure a minimum of rigidity, but I realized late that they were too big for the grommets I used. By the way they are not good even for the original tarpaulin grommets, because they are larger, but too far from the edge. I thing I will use nylon strips, at least for the launch.
As an alternative I went to the hardware store and for very little money picked up some small carabiners / spring clips. They work fabulously.
Quote:7. ...
Keep asking .... This is the hardest part - that and building up the courage to actually launch. Lots of testing on dry land will improve your chances of a successful launch.
Hi Gianluigi,
I don't remember having any of these problems, other than number two. I put an extra shackle on the blocks and now they fold back when the mast is in the boom crutch fork.
When I was rigging my boat, I put the mast up in the driveway, and hoisted the gaff without the sail. I didn't cut any ropes until I had the gaff up, then I just cut them where it was comfortable.
The pin on my mast hinge is the same width as the mast, with triangular straps about 8 inches long.
I put a little eye at the end of the gaff to tie the peak to, the sail is tied onto the gaff using the same technique as the foot is lashed to the boom.
Your troubles are all just the little "pains" that accompany a first launch. Usually when you start to figure out where the problem areas are, you can fix things up with little pieces of wood and rope to make sure things don't touch each other and everything runs free. The plans worked for me, other than I found that the gaff jaws touched the shrouds. I moved the shrouds' mounting point to the side of the mast instead of the front, and all was well.
Don't worry, just methodically go through everything and use your ingenuity to solve these little problems. It's no big deal.
Hi, I would like to add a Pin sugestion for the mast folding hinge.. I plan on using a large pin from my travel trailer. I already bought the hinges and the pin fits the hole great.
Thanks to everybody for your support!
I want to clear a misunderstanding. I had not problems with the hinge pin! I took a long bolt with a sufficient unthreaded lenght and I cut off the threaded part, then on the grinder i rounded the exagonal head, leaving a tooth to move the pin with my finger.
Bolts I'm referring to are those used to keep both tabernacle hinges fixed to the mast. These bolts have heads on the fwd hinge, pass through the mast and the find their nut after the rear hinge. There are therefore 3+3 nuts on the aft side of the tabernacle and jaws run against them in the very first part of the stroke, when the gaff leave the resting position on the boom. Now that I now, I use my hands to avoid this, but it remains nasty.
Concerning the ropes length, I bought online pieces of different colors, according to materials list lenghts. I can understand that they cannot result long enough to reach the cocpit, but if the throat halyard finish at more then 2 meters from the deck level, i think there is a mistake in the materials list, or it is measured not considering that there is a block on the throat.
Anyway tomorrow (hopefully) I will unofficially launch my weekender, just for my and all other guys of the marina that in these last weeks walked curious arond me and her, the "official" launch wiil be next weekend, with new halyards. Being forced to buy a new one, I take this chance to upgrade to single halyard system, as shown by Paul some weeks ago. Concening the tabernacle, I think that after the official launch, it won't be touched anymore since next autumn.
Gianluigi
As planned, this morning I have done my lonely test on the water.
At 9.00 temperature was about 4 °C, but it is a quite sunny day so late in the morning it arrived at 11°C.
I've found a good support from locals that helped me to get down and up from the ramp to the lake.
The weather was perfect, no waves and a very light breeze from shore to water. I left the arbour paddling for about 30 meters, then the breeze pushed me out enough to raise the main sail, the jib and to start my sailing tests.
Nobody was in that part of the lake, but a kajak that for a while followed me curious.
In spite of all complains also in this forum, I've found tacking absolutely easy, even if the wind was really light. Probably because my experiences in windsurfing and in snowboarding make me instinctive to carve curves pushing on rails.
I found instead difficult to understand the right tension for the jib sheet and for the main sheet.
I learned that the taffrail works great as a paddling seat, because I can sit in a confortable position from where I can control my way, keep the rudder wheel with my legs and shift the the paddling side passing over to boom easily.
The rudder blade simply fell down without any necessity to fix it with the lash.
I don't really know my Weekender total weight, but it think it is much, much more than the 250 kg (550 lb) declared.
Gianluigi
Hah! Funny: I never thought about the surfing-link. We never really think about tacking with Weekenders (or others of our boats) or in catamarans (which require much the same feel as a Weekender). I wonder if it's as Gianluigi says: surfing lends a bit of carving feel which might not be as apparent to those who've not had that experience. Possibly.
Glad your launch went well. The 550lbs is for the bare boat: by the time one gets everything on the boat, it's probably half-again more weight in the water.
Mike
(02-13-2010, 01:10 PM)Gianluigi_Iafrate link Wrote: [ -> ]Bolts I'm referring to are those used to keep both tabernacle hinges fixed to the mast. These bolts have heads on the fwd hinge, pass through the mast and the find their nut after the rear hinge. There are therefore 3+3 nuts on the aft side of the tabernacle and jaws run against them in the very first part of the stroke, when the gaff leave the resting position on the boom. Now that I now, I use my hands to avoid this, but it remains nasty.
Gianluigi
You may want to look to see if you can find a supplier of these flush headed bolts / inserts. Â They will solve the problem you report. Â Alternatively, build out the mast over top of the bolt heads. Â For me, I recessed the bolts instead.
http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.a...1306,45375
http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.a...1306,45375