I have a 14.2k and am very happy with its performance. It has always been stored out of the water, and has been lightly sailed. It's got a full battened main and a roller furling jib, both in good condition. I even sailed a circle around an owner of a supposedly high performance boat...
I've seen them. Put a bale over it. Basically a round piece of metal which forms a flattish dome over the cleat. Each end of the bale is fastened to the deck far enough past the cleats so that you still have enough room to pass a line under it to actually be able to use the cleat.
If you...
Get a Boomkicker. It beats a topping lift hands down.
I made one for my Capri 14.2k, but bought a Boomkicker 1500 for my big boat.
Go to Boomkicker.com for pictures.
The Dragonfly pictured on the site is mine.
There's just no comparison in convenience, and you don't have any chafe on the...
$62 each and they're not exactly light, either. If you're racing, it could make a difference.
They're a neat answer to lines getting caught. I am considering flush cleats for my 33' Dragonfly, especially the bow because they catch my asymmetrical spinnaker sheets. I'll have to cut down on...
Steve,
Maybe you should be sailing a Capri 14.2K! If you or anyone's interested, I have a lightly used one which I will most likely be selling next summer. It has full battens with reef points added. When it was brand new one of the first things I did was purposely try to get it to knock...
Mooring anchor
For a mooring anchor which may be subjected to wind from a single direction (such as in the Caribbean) a Danforth style anchor would be great, but if the wind direction can change you need an anchor which will not foul on its own rode. A Danforth will do that in spades (no pun...
I have a Capri 14.2k circa 1992 (I think) hull # 97.
The mast is aluminum, no anodizing.
I've had numerous boats, some small power and 3 sailboats.
I've sailed blue water on a couple of boats and learned a lot from my experiences.
Trust a metal guy's advice. You're not crossing an ocean...
Best to ask a pro
It's probably repairable, but I would suggest you talk to a metal expert.
Get the opinion of a welding shop or similar. I suppose with your insertion of a metal rod to prevent over correction, a propane torch and a little massaging with a wooden hammer might do the trick...
Look on the good side
It's only a 14 foot boat. Fix it right. It's not going to be that big of a job. You can even turn it upside down to do the work.
While you're doing it think of what it's like on a 40 footer with a full keel and 6 foot draft. Now THAT'S a big job!
Steve B.
Advice for a newbie sailor
Your frank description of your lack of experience is the best way to ask for advice when it comes to sailing. Good for you!
I've been sailing and boating rivers, lakes, straits, islands and ocean since 1968 on several outboard, inboard, monohull sailing and...
Dropping the main
Thanks for your reply. I have been sailing a long time with other boats, and I am familiar with going head to wind to drop the main. It's just that I'm spoiled by my Dragonfly's recirculating batten cars.
The boltrope has been lubed with silicone spray and it comes down...
I welded up one from steel square tubing. It has a vertical piece at each corner with a garden tractor type tire, and a crossbar in front. The crossbar at the aft end is barely above the wheel axle so the keel can go over it. (I have a 14.2k version) The tops of the aft verticals have a...
I'm not sure, although it is probably 304. If you use a stainless backing plate and fasteners, no matter which alloys they are they will be close enough on the nobility scale that it won't matter.
If you're really concerned about it, use a little antiseize on the fasteners during assembly...
A few years ago, I saw an advertisement in a sailing magazine for recirculating ball bearing mainsail cars similar to Harken Battcars. The ad specifically said they were for dinghies. I don't know what company it was; Antal?
My Dragonfly 1000 has Fredericksen (now Ronstan) mainsail mast...
Another recommendation for Boomkicker
I installed a Boomkicker 1500 on my Dragonfly 1000 a few years ago. It was the first one they had sold for my type of boat, and they were very helpful with getting it just right. I can't imagine sailing without it. It beats a topping lift in every way...
Too much oil
I had similar symptoms with a motor scooter when I overfilled the chain gallery.
The chain gallery vent pipe sucked the excess oil into the air cleaner which caused the engine to run very rich and die because of the restriction in the air filter element.
I haven't read all...
Charging the battery
I am assuming you aren't expecting to get enough power to motor for a long time, just mostly for maneuvering and fairly short jaunts. If that's all you're looking for, you don't need a very big solar panel. A 5 watt panel should suffice.
With a small panel like that...
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