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Viewing 15 posts - 631 through 645 (of 708 total)
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  • in reply to: Water in Hull #6890
    Oliver Shaw
    Moderator

    I have found in the past that (with the fairly ubiquitous circular screw-down hatches) even when the hatch bases are properly sealed to the hull,  water tends to leak in between the hatch covers and their bases.

     

    I found this even with my brand new GP14 (brand new at the time,  that is).

     

    Renewing the (brand new) cover gaskets,  which are a poor fit,  was not much help.      What did solve the problem was either of two approaches;   plumbers’ PFTE tape wrapped around the screw threads of the hatch covers,  or alternatively heavy waterproof grease  –  the type used externally on outboard engines  –  smeared on the threads.

     

     

    Oliver

    in reply to: Wire halyard and reefing #6713
    Oliver Shaw
    Moderator

    I should have added that I have known a number of cruising owners use 4 mm dyneema for the main halliard.    That should be amply strong enough,  still extremely low stretch,  and will fit the sheaves well,  and should render freely.

     

    If you use a suitable clamcleat,  cleating off 4 mm dyneema should present no problem,  although I can imagine serious problems trying to cleat it on a horn cleat.

     

    And of course,  as with any main halliard configuration in any material at all,   you masthead the sail first,  then cleat off the halliard under comfortable tension,  and only once it is cleated do you pull the boom down onto the gooseneck (or the obvious adaptation to that if you have the benefit of a sliding gooseneck).    Sorry if I appear to be teaching Grandmother to such eggs in saying that,  but believe it or not I still see people putting the boom on the (fixed) gooseneck first,  before hoisting the sail;   then,  inevitably,  it sets like a pair of old lady’s drawers.

     

     

    Oliver

    in reply to: Wire halyard and reefing #6712
    Oliver Shaw
    Moderator

    Dare I recommend that you refer to the paper on Reefing Systems in the Members’ Library on this site?   Perhaps I shouldn’t recommend you to it,  since I wrote it,  but there is far more there than can be sensible accommodated within this Forum.

     

    Undoubtedly you need to change to a rope halliard,  not just for the reason you mention,  but because you cannot just cleat off the rope tail and use the halliard in that mode,  as it would be a grossly unfair strain on the wire to rope join,  particularly if this is not a prober rope to wire splice but the almost ubiquitous pair of interlocking soft eye splices.

     

    Theoretically you are right that you need to change the sheaves,  but you may well find that you can get away with not changing them.     If you use dyneema,  you need have no concerns about stretch in teh halliard,  and for practical purposes (especially zwhen not racing at top level) even pre-stretched polyester is likely to be near enough non-stretch to present no problems.    On my previous GP14 I changed the wire halliard to 5 mm three-strand prestretched polyester,  and by the time I sold the boat three or four years later there was no sign of wear on the halliard.   On my current boat I have been using the same 6 mm dyneema halliard ever since I had the boat built,  although it is very slightly too fat and thus there is more friction than I would wish;    since there is still no sign of wear,  ten years after the boat was first launched,  I have just been too parsimonious to change it.

     

    I believe that Allen do indeed make sliding goosenecks,  but this is of no relevance whatever for reefing,  and for two reasons.      First,  the total travel of a sliding gooseneck is nothing like the depth of reef you need even for the first reef,  and I recommend that yiou use two,  with the first of them a deep reef;   see the paper referenced above for the rationale behind this,  and the recommended depths,  and my experiences of using those depths.    Second,  if you need to reef,  one of the benefits of a good reefing system is that the sail plan is lowered,  as well as being merely reduced;   you don’t want to simply lift the bottom of the sailplan,  still leeving maximum leverage for the heeling moment.

     

    You will indeed need to fit a cleat to the mast,  and I recommend a clamcleat.   Fit this in place of the rack of hooks;   even on your occasional return to the racing circuit you can still win races with your rope halliard if your skill level is up to it.

     

    Whether to stay with the centre main or revert to transom main is a matter of personal choice.   However I think that although the centre main has certain advantages for racing,  I personally prefer transom main for cruising,  and it seems that so do a majority of cruising sailors.    Indeed there are even owners who have their boats set up to allow them the choice,  and they rig their centre mains when racing and their transom mains when cruising.   Not the least of the benefits of the transom main when cruising are more space in the boat,  and the fact that when gybing in waves you can stand facing aft and choose your moment – and indeed you wave  –  and then whip the boom smartly across at your chosen moment by grabbing the two parts of the mainsheet.    Unlike the racing gybe,  you have no requirement to do it at a geographically precise location (adjacent to the gybe mark),   so you can place it to suit the seas (and sometimes the wind).

     

    Hope this helps,

     

     

    Oliver

    in reply to: Building Plans fo GP14 #6702
    Oliver Shaw
    Moderator

    They should be readily available from the Class Association!   Enquire at the Office!

     

    Oliver

    in reply to: looking for a complete thumbscrew CB friction brake #6684
    Oliver Shaw
    Moderator

    It was used,  I think,  on the Thames Marine boats.

     

    I am not aware that any manufacturer is still producing them,  but I suspect that your engineering company or local stainless steel fabricator could make up something which would do the job.

     

     

    Oliver

    in reply to: Spinnaker Halyard #6676
    Oliver Shaw
    Moderator

    Oops!   That should have read “…. there is not the slightest reason why you should not rig that way …”

     

     

    Oliver

    in reply to: Spinnaker Halyard #6675
    Oliver Shaw
    Moderator

    I am sure there are top racers who are more expert that I am,  but since no-one else has responded I will help so far as I am able.

     

    There is no fundamental difference between the rig of the several different hull types,  apart from the well known caveat about not applying too much rig tension on a series 1 unless the mast step conversion has been done.   But other than that,  the rig is basically a matter of how you personally choose to rig the boat,  within the constraints of the Class Rules.    However the rig has progressively evolved during the 65-year lifetime of the class;   and what was state of the art in an earlier era is now often considered outclassed by modern improvements.

     

    Therefore if you like the spinnaker halliard operating via a 1:2  clipped to a traveller on the forestay there is not the slightest reason why you should rig in that way,  irrespective of series 1 or series 2.   If you already have a 1:2 inside the boat you may wish to discard that in favour of the 1:2 up the forestay.

     

    Alternatively you can leave the spinnaker halliard loose,  and just allow it to flap around;   it won’t seriously get in the way.    If it is mildly annoying,  you could secure a small clamcleat permanently to the shroud,  aligned so that you pull the halliard downwards into the clamcleat to engage it,  and then pulling the halliard to hoist the kite will instantly disengage it.    If you know that you won’t be using the spinnaker for a couple of hours or more,  e.g. on an 8-mile beat down an estuary and then perhaps a break for lunch,  you could untie/unclip it from the spinnaker and stow it on the ring on the mast and then pull the halliard taut;    plenty of time later to re-set it for instant readiness.

     

    I used the clamcleat arrangement on a shroud on a previous boat,  but with my present one I just leave it loose if I want it in instant readiness, while if I know I won’t be using it then I secure it to the mast ring and haul it taut.

     

    Hope this helps,

     

     

     

    Oliver.

    in reply to: New GP14 Owner #6487
    Oliver Shaw
    Moderator

    Congratulations on a mammoth rush job.

     

    Outboard:   there is a paper on the various methods of fitting one,  with references to the various plans which the Office holds.    Should be in the Members’ Library.    If by any chance you can#’t trace it,  get back to me before I go away for the summer (a little over another fortnight);  since I wrote it I can happily supply a personal copy if needed.

     

    An excellent source of spares,  expertise,  and general knowledge on all things Seagull is Saving Old Seagulls;    http://www.saving-old-seagulls.co.uk .    I have no connection with them,  other than as a well satisfied customer.

     

    When you eventually go for your tan sails,  save up for a new set,  and go to Edge Sails for dedicated cruising sails in tan.    You won’t be disappointed.

     

    Drilling out screws and filling the holes;   filling with epoxy is a useful technique.    However if the wood is to be varnished I personally prefer to fill with wood plugs,  bonded in with epoxy.   They are available <span style=”line-height: 1.5em;”> </span><span style=”line-height: 1.5em;”>in teak </span><span style=”line-height: 1.5em;”>from most chandlers,  or you can buy plug cutters and cut your own in whatever wood is a best match.    That is plugs,  as distinct from dowels;    the shape is similar but the grain goes across the diameter of the plug rather than along its length.   Insert them with the grain of the plug lined up with the grain in the substrate,  and if the colour and grain are a good match the repair will become almost invisible,  and you can also screw into it like new wood (which of course is what it is …).</span>

     

     

    Oliver

     

    in reply to: Wanted – wooden spars #6486
    Oliver Shaw
    Moderator

    Congratulations on the restoration.

     

    If there is no immediate rush for the spars,  keep an eye open on eBay;   they do occasionally crop up,  with or without boats attached.

     

    With any second-hand wooden spars of that age,  be prepared to split them along the glued joint and then clean up and remake the joint with epoxy.

     

    Good luck,

     

     

    Oliver

    in reply to: Rudder Stock #6269
    Oliver Shaw
    Moderator

    Alan,

     

    Go to Photos > Albums > Rudder

     

    Get back to me if there is a problem.

     

     

     

    Oliver

    in reply to: Rudder Stock #6263
    Oliver Shaw
    Moderator

    The easiest way to answer the general approach is to refer you to the set of photos which are on the GP14 Owners Online Community site;  link to the site on our Links page.

     

    Those photos are for a Don Marine rudder stock,  but the principle is broadly transferable between different stock designs.

     

     

    Oliver

    in reply to: Rudder Stock #6260
    Oliver Shaw
    Moderator

    I am absolutely convinced that the optimum arrangement,  whatever may have been fitted originally,  is a rope downhaul and a CL257 (Holt,  or 257,  the equivalent from RWO) auto-release cleat,  which latter is designed for this specific purpose.    Couple that with an uphaul and a cleat to keep the blade raised when required  –  and that includes when the boat is on her launching trolley,  so you can rig the rudder at ease before you launch,  and leave it in place until after you have recovered the boat asher,  a great convenience.

     

    The auto-release cleat will trip out if the blade hits an underwater obstruction,  thus protecting your blade (and your transom).   The latest generation of this fitting (which has been around for some years now) has provision for adjusting the tension at which it trips.

     

    Also adjust the tension on the blade pivot bolt so that there is just sufficient tension to prevent any sideways sloppiness of the blade,  but the blade still moves up and down as easily as possible,  then  use your uphaul and downhaul to control the vertical position.   That adjustment of the pivot tension is a very fine one;   just slightly too much and the blade won’t move freely,  not quite enough and it may flop about from side to side;    it is neither a long job nor a difficult one to get it right,  but it is worth taking the trouble to do so.

     

     

    Oliver

    in reply to: New GP14 Owner #6231
    Oliver Shaw
    Moderator

    Re VHF from Maplins;  I wasn’t aware that they did marine ones.    Having now checked their website I see that indeed they do;   we live and learn.

     

    However I don’t recognise any of the three brands that they offer.  The cheapest is the Uniden Bearcat EZ133XLT,  but its specification gives me no confidence whatever that it will operate on the normal range of marine VHF channels.   The other two do appear meet that brief,  but at £70 upwards they are not in fact as cheap as entry level sets from a marine chandler.    Try this:   http://www.force4.co.uk/cobra-mr-hh125-handheld-vhf-radio.html#.VWG21e8_HGg,  currently on offer at £49.95.

     

    However do be aware that price is not the only consideration;  by all means consider the cheapest,  but also consider going for something in the next bracket up,  and consider what you get in each case and whether the extra expenditure is worth it for your present intended use.

     

    Makes which have a good reputation include Cobra,  Standard Horizone,  and Icom;  the last of these is often the professionals’ choice,  and that is good enough for me!

     

    It is worth mentioning that you do actually need a proper marine unit;  not just for the waterproofing,  but more importantly for access to the marine frequencies.    One important aspect of that is that if you are using the marine frequencies then everyone else afloat can hear you,  so if you do get into trouble and need help you can alert everyone who is within range.   That is immensely more powerful than just the one person on the far end of a mobile phone conversation,  even if that one person is a Coastguard.   When I had occasion to broadcast a Mayday Relay off Anglesey a few years ago,  when another dinghy got into serious trouble and needed more assistance than I could provide in a GP14 under sail,  the first vessel on scene was a fishing boat which had been just the far side of the headland;   long before the lifeboat got there.

     

     

    Oliver

    in reply to: New GP14 Owner #6228
    Oliver Shaw
    Moderator

    Photo of a full width mainsheet horse here:  https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/GP14_Community/photos/albums/434815761/lightbox/1855314094?orderBy=ordinal&sortOrder=asc&photoFilter=ALL#zax/1855314094

    This one is on my own boat,  and can be accessed at the GP14 Owners’ Online Community site,  which has warm reciprocal relations with the Class Association;   you would probably have to “join” the group to access it,  but I would recommend that you consider doing so anyway (it is free).   Link to it on our Links page.

     

    Oliver

    in reply to: New GP14 Owner #6227
    Oliver Shaw
    Moderator

    I realise,  with my apologies, that I failed to welcome you aboard;     sorry about that!

     

    For what it is worth,  for summer sailing my own preferred kit is “summer rig”;    shorts,  suitable footwear,  suitable “top”,  and buoyancy aid.    Waterproof jacket available in case of need.    Warmer wear,  e.g. sweater,  carried aboard in a  drybag  –  but it is very rarely indeed that I have occasion to use it.

     

    I find that it is well worth the investment in suitable footwear.   Ten years ago I gave up on plimsolls with holes in (to drain the water out),  because I found them so acutely uncomfortable once sand gets inside them and starts abrading the skin.    There are a number of options,  but a popular one (and my own choice) is neoprene bootees;   they are excellent aboard the boat,  but are also acceptable for modest walking ashore if you land somewhere and take a stroll before sailing onward (or back to base).   And I find  can wear the same pair on bare feet in the summer,  and over a drysuit in the winter.

     

    One piece of kit that I would most strongly recommend,  for reasons of safety,  if you are sailing other than in a club fleet and with a safety boat,  is a (handheld) VHF radio.     Including,  specifically,  if you are sailing on Loch Tay;   that is large ebnough for the safety cover to be very appropriate.   Entry level ones were around £60 last time I checked,   and they are perfectly adequate for many purposes,  but may not have all the “extra” channels,  M1 and M2 (a.k.a. P4) in particular,  which many marinas and some clubs use,  so it may be worth springing the extra to go above “entry level”.    Personally I won’t now go afloat without my VHF;  I even feel undressed without it.

     

    You should of course do the course to obtain your Short Range Certificate and Operator’s Licence,  if you don’t already have that,  but that course and that qualification are well worth while anyway.

     

    By all means use the sails you already have for the time being,  but don’t bother with the poor set;  just use the reasonable ones.

     

    Opinion is divided on fitting an outboard,  but if you do decide to go down that route there is a paper surveying the available methods in the Members’ Library,  and that refers to fuller documentation on certain specific methods available from the Association Office.    For what it is worth,  I regularly use the engine on the yacht,  and I have a Seagull for the yacht tender which is nominally very suitable for the GP14,  and when I had my new GP14 built ten years ago I had the transom reinforced specifically in anticipation of fitting an outboard.    But I have never actually been able to bring myself to permanently deface the boat in that way;   and neither have I ever found a real need to use an outboard.     The boat sails so well that,  provided one is sensible with passage planning   –  e.g. don’t set off downtide in light winds and with a guillotine on time for getting back,  go uptide instead  –  on the overwhelming majority of occasions I find that I can do everything I need under sail.    Only very exceptionally do I need to resort to rowing,  and only twice in a lifetime has that rowing been for any substantial distance.

     

    If caught out in unexpectedly strong winds,  the boat is probably far more comfortable making for shelter under sail,  albeit with deep reefs,  than under engine;   and attempting to rig the engine in heavy seas would be a somewhat hazardous undertaking at the best of times.

     

    But if fishing is your thing,  or motoring family plus Labrador plus kids’ inflatable beach toys to a picnic spot,  then an outboard may well be the right solution.

     

    “Saving Old Seagulls” is a most useful source of both information and parts if you do go for a Seagull;   http://www.saving-old-seagulls.co.uk.

     

     

    Oliver

Viewing 15 posts - 631 through 645 (of 708 total)