Recent content by baldessariclan

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    Have I ruined my sail?

    Ok, thanks for all the input. I just wanted to make sure that I hadn't completely destroyed it. Yes it is old and "full" -- the leech tends to flap or buzz sometimes, despite keeping outhauls tight, etc. I also keep it rigged pretty high ("recreational-style") so that I can see where I'm...
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    Have I ruined my sail?

    Was putting all the boat stuff away for the winter -- washed (by hand) and dried (outside) the sail, and later in the evening decided to try ironing it a little while watching TV. Kept heat low (just enough for steam), and tested a little area. Wrinkles ironed out and fabric seemed unaffected...
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    Water in boom

    Water will force it's way into the booms under pressure -- i.e. when they're under water. Especially if the boat's been upside down ("turtled") a lot -- the water pressure is significant down where the ends of the mast and upper boom are (maybe 10' - 15' ?). Anyways, water can get in around...
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    Water in my mast

    Actually, the screw head does stick out, but not an issue since bottom of the mast step hole has a recessed area in the middle. There is a "shoulder" around this recessed area that holds up the base of the mast. If you keep the screw in the middle, it shouldn't touch anything. Maybe not all...
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    Water in my mast

    Ours would take on water, too, which made it a little harder for lighter kids to right the boat after a capsize. I took off the upper and lower mast caps by pushing in the litle pins that hold them in place (with a small punch and hammer) and then carefully working/prying them off. Then...
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    Good finish for wooden rudder / daggerboard?

    Is that some sort of penetrating epoxy you're talking about? What brand is it?
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    Good finish for wooden rudder / daggerboard?

    Ok, am getting ready to make a new daggerboard and refinish the original wooden rudder. Both are mahogany. Looking for opinions / advice as to what products to use for finishing and how to apply / how many coats. Spar urethane / varnish? Good brands? Brands to avoid? Thin first couple coats?
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    Question about leak test

    I'd be careful about overpressurizing the hull when you perform a leak test. With all that surface area, even a fraction of 1 psi of internal pressure translates into hundreds (or even thousands) of pounds of load spread over the entire hull/deck. When I did a pressure test, I simply bought a...
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    Tilted mast -- common condition? Worth fixing?

    Ok, have tried shimming the mast at where it meets the top and bottom of the mast step hole. Just used some layered electrical tape (on opposite sides at top and bottom). Helps some -- maybe reduces lean by about a quarter of what it originally was (w/ max. shimming -- i.e. where it will still...
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    Tilted mast -- common condition? Worth fixing?

    Well, we have been using this boat for recreational sailing so far, and I don't notice any really big performance issues (that I'm aware of, anyways) from the tilted mast. So I'll probably put off any repairs until the end of season (if ever). Just looks funny, and suppose would affect the...
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    Tilted mast -- common condition? Worth fixing?

    Actually, I think you just put the factory flaw question to rest, since when I bought the boat last fall, it had NO inspection ports in it -- I put them in over the winter (wanted some extra storage space, plus suspected (correctly) hull needed some drying out). So pics of inside of hull have to...
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    Tilted mast -- common condition? Worth fixing?

    Ok, I'm attempting to post some pics here. If you can see these, note that in the one showing the top of the mast step from the inside, the new white epoxy and through bolting are fixes I've done (old wood blocks had split / fallen), but all else is original. Likewise on the bottom, there is...
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    Tilted mast -- common condition? Worth fixing?

    Darn, was hoping it was a more common thing... I never really noticed it until somebody put the mast in while boat was still on the trailer. On the beach, everything is tilted anyways, so not so obvious if you weren't looking for it. Don't really think that it's from damage / botched fix --...
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    Tilted mast -- common condition? Worth fixing?

    Our boat's mast step is misaligned such that when the mast is installed, it leans quite a bit towards the right side of the boat. Haven't done an exact measurement, but it looks like the mast top is at least a foot or more to right of centerline when hull of boat is level -- pretty noticable...
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    Trailer Design Feedback

    Another trick you can use is to let a lot of air out of the trailer tires -- maybe run them as low as 10 - 15 psi. This will take additional shock out big bumps in the road and help protect your boat. Normally this sort of thing would be a big no-no, but these boats are so light that the tires...

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