Incredible sail today, 2 great races, F5, with awesome long reaches, foot in the footstrap thumping over the waves, managed to sail over a 300, and a few lasers, but lost out on the beats. Great fun, these conditions are exactly what I built her for.
However, I chucked it in blasting about between races and when I righted her, she was full of water again, big time. After wallowing around, rolling in again, I set to reach back home, but she was virtually unsailable, so I hailed a rescue boat, dropped the sail, capsized twice more getting organised and we began a tow before she sank completely !! Took 4 people to get her onto the trolley and up the slip enough to drain. I found there's a long split along the side tank seam where it joins to the floor panel. Gaffer tape tomorrow ! then a big dry out and glass taping required.
10 Comments
Chris
10/3/2013 07:58:13 pm
Hi, hope the leak got fixed and all is good again. Did you and Daryl ever do a comparison of total build costs versus purchase and shipping of boat from NZL? And/or comparison to costs of similar UK boats? Our season is just getting started, but has been rough weather typical for the change of seasons.
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Dave
10/4/2013 08:44:41 pm
Hi chris,
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Chris
10/6/2013 06:49:02 am
Hi, thanks for the update. GBP 6k is currently about NZ$ 12k. I think that is about the same cost to build a new boat here (guess). The boats here that are fast and proven change hands at less than cost of a new boat, roughly NZ$ 4k to 6k, but there is risk and shipping issues too. I can see both points of view. It would be convenient for us not to lose our stock of boats, there is the old adage about 'use it or lose it' that is applicable. It would certainly be possible to find some cheaper boats that need refurbishing (means that they need a new cockpit, new mast and new sail and probably foils too) in the NZ$ 1k to $2,5k region. It is generally cheaper to buy a $5k boat because if you buy all those things I list, it adds up to more. But if your budget was GBP6k / NZD12k then the refurbishment is cheap and just sending hulls with beach trolley and no mast is super easy. I think if I was going to build several boats I would make a female mould off a known boat and that you could pop out hulls that were cheaper and easier. An all carbon hull could be super light and I am sure is what BK Farr would have done if it existed then, but using only some carbon with glass could produce a very robust hull with balance of weight, cost and longevity. The plywood foredeck is something I am not sure I could live without, but a composite cockpit seems like a great idea.
Jacob
1/5/2015 07:01:51 am
This is a really cool build. Did you ever get your leak fixed?
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Dave
1/6/2015 06:14:19 am
Thx for the comment Jacob. I'm sorry I haven't kept the blog going since the launch. Yes, got the leak fixed with glass tape and epoxy. Had to rebond the mast foot to the foredeck recently as the joint was a bit dry, otherwise it's held together really well.
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Jacob
1/6/2015 10:42:13 pm
Great! I was thinking about building one of these suckers. I have a Flying Junior, but that sucker is way too heavy to be sailing by myself, and I always worry about it sinking on me. I got her for really cheap in the boonies, the previous owner did some really cheap shade tree repairs on her.
Tim
4/16/2016 12:54:32 pm
Great blog, good job. Well done, hope you are still enjoying her.
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heavyweather
7/23/2016 11:47:16 pm
Is there a reason for not using flotation bags in the tanks?
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Chris
7/24/2016 12:42:39 am
If you had a bag inside a tank then it would be hard to keep it aired and dry. It would also be less evident if there was a leak. It is also extra weight. buoyancy tanks work well and last as long as the boat; unlike bags.
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Chris
7/24/2016 03:39:05 am
If the Lasers are giving you issues upwind in a breeze when you are trapezing fully, it is most likely you are pointing as high as they are. Try this, start at the pin end and purposely point 15 degrees lower. Don't sheet in your boom inside of the side tanks. Keep the bottom telltales flying and sheet on vang fairly hard, only use cunningham if you are overpowered. You should go a lot faster and despite the 15 degree heading difference you should go exceptionally fast and pop out way ahead of any laser in that breeze.
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