I built a boat. Now I need to make rigging

[ed h]

I love it!

The wind was 9 mph.

 

[ed h]

Celebrated a really good day with roast dinner and lego!

Took my boat home and went back ot play on the beach later...

Seems some people didnt have such a good day.

One boat filled up with water, and another ran out of engine.

Luckily the lifeboat pulled them in.

 

[ed h]

Bed time. :angry:

Gnite.

 

[Reht]

Sounds like you had fun! The boom will help a lot, timing the gybe is a bit of experience and a bit of careful planning, especially making sure you don't turn too fast. When teaching beginner sailors, I normally suggest they try to control the boom using the mainsheet or kicker if someone has a free hand in the boat. Unfortunately it doesn't look like you have enough free hands...

You're getting a lot better, and all this practice is only going to help!

 

[mustang__1]

an easy well to tell when the boom is in "danger" to gybing is tell tails, either the ones on the sail, or on the shrouds. i dont recall if you have any on the sail or not. Basically, in general, tell tails are quite invaluable, let me know if they havent been discussed before on how to use them upwind. otherwise, for downwind, when the ticks (tell tails) are pointed straight down, you are generally dead down wind. this can be a bit of a danger zone on some boats for a capsize, flow over the main is generally good... if they are pointed towards the mast, that means you are "by the lee", and the boom may want to come over. some boats (lasers) like to be sailed this way, but many dont... if the ticks are pointed towards the leech, then you are definitely not in danger of gybing. how deep you go towards dead downwind depends on you and the boat, for all i know your setup will be more or less very stable dead downwind, or not... the tell tails on the shrouds work the same way. i like to use little bits of cassette tape (ask your parents what a tape is, they might remember...) luggage tag hitched to the shrouds, about 6inches long. they work pretty much the same as the sail tell tails downwind. if they're pointed towards the bow, you're ddw, if they're pointed away from the bow, you're btw, and if they're pointed inside of the bow/towards the sails then you're above ddw. the other easy way to tell you're gonna gybe is you'll usually get a bit of flutter/folding in on the leach just before the gybe.

 

[BalticBandit]

Getting better at getting off the beach.

Im in..

Going!

Well Done Little Idea... Keep sailing it until you get comfortable with just the Mail Sail (back sail). then start practicing with the Jib (front sail) when the water and weather gets warmer. That way if you do fall in, it might just be a refreshing swim. Pretty soon you will have a good feel for how to do both.

Since this is a boat just for you, one thing you might consider doing is making the front sail "self tacking" - that means it moves from one side to the other in the tack or gybe automatically.

This isn't that hard to do. You just need three blocks (pulleys) from the box of things you've been given (you could even do it with 2 blocks and a "fairlead" - which is just a smooth metal loop to pass a line through) and one cleat.

what you do is to toss away the two "sheets" you currently have on the jib.

Now take the two blocks and connect them "bail to bail" (the "bail" is the part where the block normally bolts to something) so that you have two blocks that are facing outwards and joined in the middle. IF possible they should be able to swivel separately. If not, they should be 90 degrees to each other

next step is to attach a line from one side of the boat to the other starting next to the mast, passing just in front of the mast and back to the other side just next to the mast. this needs to be pretty tight, but before you fasten the ends down, feed one of the blocks onto the line so that it can slide back and forth from one side of the boat to the other

now you put the third block about 2/3 of the way forward from the mast to the bow

Almost done now. Put the cleat in the middle of the boat within easy reach of where you normally sit.

Now run a line from the cleat, to the block that is forward on the deck, (run it UNDER the line that runs crosswise), back to the unused block that is on the side to side line and tie this end into the clew (where the old sheets used to attach) of the jib (front sail)

That way, when you ease out on this center line - the jib gets eased out. And when you pull in in the line, it pulls the jib into the side of the boat.

And when you tack, the wind pushes on the jib, and the pair of blocks just slides over to the other side of the boat along the crosswise line. So you don't even have to worry about it in the tack.

and if you have trouble reaching the line in the middle of the boat because sometimes you heel over too much, Well you can tie a piece of elastic from side to side and tie the end of the jib sheet into the elastic. Then if you need to reach the jib sheet but you can't lean in, just grab the elastic, pull on it until you get to the sheet, then adjust the sheet and the elastic goes back to where it always was.

 

[skiffsailor_aus]

The photo I have attached is the self-tacker we have on our jib. It's a more complex set-up than you would need, but it just gives you an idea of the concept. Basically the square thing in the middle of the track attaches to the jib with a shackle and then it moves along the track by itself during the tack - you just leave the jib cleated and it comes across by itself.

/monthly_04_2011/post-47974-014945200%201302855722_thumb.jpg

Baltic Bandit has a good idea for a simple set-up.

 

[ed h]

Hello Mr Reht

I think I am getting better because I am happy sailing it now.

It still isnt very easy to sail as it always wants to go down wind.

Dad thinks I need to move my mast back a bit and make sure my centreboard is right down.

 

[ed h]

Hello Mr Mustang

Of course I have tell tales...

Er.....

They are on my other sail :blink:

Think I need to make some more.

 

[ed h]

Hello Mr Bandit and Mr Aus

I think that wouldnt work on my boat as the front sail goes back past the mast

 

[ed h]

Managed to convince dad to let me out again.

Rudder down..

Getting in...

Im going..

 

[ed h]

Then I messed up.



Dad says sailing looking out the back is just stupid, and coming in towards a busy slipway and the shore is a weeks ban from sailing.

He says one gybe is bad, two is ridiculous and three means no sailing until I can explain how to tell its going to do it and how to stop it.

.

 

[BalticBandit]

Then I messed up.

so here's a couple of hints about what caused the gybe...

Part of it is that without the boom - the sail doesn't "spread out" as you go downwind. Instead it just kind of bags out along side the mast. And that means that as the boat rocks back and forth or the wind shifts a bit, the top of the sail can wobble to the wrong side and pull the rest of the sail over with it.

Look at your video very closely and particularly at the top of the sail just before the gybe, you will see it flutter and then "flip" pulling the rest of the sail with it.

Now if you think about it, is there any reason why you need to sail straight towards the beach? if you zig zag back and forth, it will take a little bit longer, though you will also sail faster. You will also sail with the mainsail more trimmed in , so that it won't wobble as much. You will have to gybe a couple of times but on purpose gybes I don't think count - check with your Dad.

You could also put the boom back on. And that would help a bit, but lets hold off on that.

Now as for your jib coming too far back...I thought you were your own sailmaker... that means you can "recut" your sails to meet your needs In this case you would just figure out how much to trim from the back (Trailing Edge or TE) of the sail and then put in a new grommet for where your new clew is.

BTW I rigged a rope "jib traveller" for one of my boats very similarly to that. It works like a charm

 

[doora]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY big guy.

Have a nice one

 

[Onrust1368]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY big guy.

Have a nice one

Happy birthday! Hope you got to go sailing!

 

[piggybui]

Belated happy birthday wishes. 12 now... you're pushing on!

A smaller job as Baltic suggests should make it much easier to sail with also as there's less sail area.

I hope you get out sailing for the Easter holidays.

 

[Ducky24]

Happy Birthday little Idea!

I just found this thread, and I think you've been doing an amazing job!

Keep up with it, and don't stop posting, I loved reading about your adventures.

Hats off to your Dad too, he's doing a great job.

Miss Ducky

 

[ed h]

Hello Mr Bandit

I didnt know the top wobbled before it gybed!

Went out with dad on the bigger boat and got him to gybe it slowly and saw it do it!

Watched him use the rudder. It sort of stays in the middle when hes going straight.

He has got 2 lines on the back tank that he said were 4 degrees each side of the middle and he moves the back sail to make the rudder stay in the marks. He says its faster like that.

I think I want some.

I asked him about gybing on purpose. He said that would be fine. He doesnt care what I do, so long as hes sure its under control and not stupid.

Ive also told him I want to go back to sailing school so I can learn the stuff I dont know about. Ive sort of learned enough now to know I dont know anything like enough.

I think my ban ends today

 

[ed h]

Thank you Mr Doora

Thank you Mr Rust

Nope. Was still banned from sailing

I did find something else to do though

 

[ed h]

Hello Mr Bui

Yes! Im bigger now!

Dad is worrying me though. He says next year I will start to grunt instead of speak, keep my hood up and start being more stupid.

I dont know what a gruntager is, but I dont think I want to be one, so I think Im going to stay 12.

Dad says that everyone else will sail on the bank holiday, so we should wait until they all go home and sail next week. Less stuff for us to crash into.

I think he means for him to crash into.