Messages

Looks like a nice Commander, only $110!?!?! Yikes!
Bid that sucker Pete, don't let some wannabe run away with it!!!!
Just curious can the slip be transferred? If so how much?

OK, maybe....
Ahhhh what a lovely day, blow the horn and here we go under the draw bridge. Wave to the people, sweetie! Ah, we're through and it's coming back down. Now hmmmm, what happened to that nice low rumble I was hearing just a second ago and why are we drifting backwards!!!??

I second that, Mike. I'm very interested in making a pushpit too. Bring on da pics!!!

Pete hit it right on the head, I tried to estimate my renovation costs and itemized everything out pretty well came up with about $5000. I've pretty much hit that mark and I'm only half way to where I wanted to be!!  
It would be nice not to have to worry about the money and just do it, but if we all had that sentiment W.M. would be a few mil richer!!(and I would be holding a cardboard sign on the corner)
B.T.W. Looks like you need to figure in buying a cat to catch the giant rats!

Traveler or no, I think mainsheet probably should be fairly near aft end of boom for best sail shape control. How much clearance would you say you will have between top of hood and boom? Maybe you could mount some short pedastals on the hood so as not to interfere with your hatch? How strong is that hood anyway??? :rolleyes:

Nice craftsmanship on that hood Ebb. I was wondering where you are putting the traveler now, on the hood somehow or further forward in the cockpit?

My original rudder that I removed did not have the big straps I have seen on other rudders. The only straps it had were two small bronze straps to secure the inboard prop filler piece. Whats funny is that just after pulling the boat out of the water I poked at them a little and they just fell right off. Not doing a whole lot anymore I guess!! My original rudder was also made from 3 pieces. Most of the bolts were screwed into the wood except the very top one which had a nut. The outer piece was held on with screws or pins (not sure yet as I haven't removed them) from the trailing edge. I think the reason for 3 piece design is probably easier to manufacture and reduces material costs. I will take some pics today of my old rudder and post them.
Drilling those hole was a tricky operation. I took lots of time adjusting squareness on a very good drill press. I also use a very good quality brad point drill bit to start the holes about 6" into the wood. I then finished the bore with a longer bit and hand drill. It was also very important for the holes to exactly match the orientation where the enter the wood from the shaft. Any inaccuracy here and the stress would crack the wood. I used a template made from a piece of nice straight 2x2 cedar and cut the 1" dia cove just like I would cut on the mahogany after drilling. I put the cedar on the shaft and trasferred all the centers of the rods onto the template and then used this template to mark my drill points on the mahogany. I was very careful with measurements and used a very accurate scale and square to mark the template. Remember measure a dozen or so times and cut once!
I don't think I will see a cupping problem as those 3/8 bronze rods are quite strong. Having 5 rods should distribute the stresses well across the rudder hopefully. We'll see how it worked next haulout!

Yes, I did glue the two pieces of my rudder together using system 3 epoxy. This was probably not necessary from a structural aspect, but I thought it would distribute any loads on the end of the rudder a little better. I will not use any glue on the bronze through bolts, so the wood should be free to expand outward. The expansion will not likely be significant since mahogany is so dense, so it will just tighten down on the nuts. I will will just tighten the nuts to snug to allow room for expansion. I think I will use some 5200 to seal the rudder shaft in its joint with the rudder. I am still contemplating glassing the whole works, not really concerned about keeping water out so much as getting a bit stiffer and a nicer trailing edge.
The holes in the shaft were bored and threaded with a vertical mill. The hardest part was keeping them all exactly in line all along the shaft as the mill table only had about 20" of travel and the holes are spread about 36" apart. We bottom tapped the holes about 5/8" into the shaft, and I think this will make a much stronger unit than the original. The straight shaft should distribute the stress all along the length instead of at the weakest point where the topmost bolt comes through. Looking at my old shaft its easy to see why it broke. There was very little stucture after the through hole and huge countersink. I also saw alot of evidence of leaching of the rudder shaft at that point where the through bolt was totally intact. This confirms my suspicion that the shaft was probably naval (brass) and the through bolts were likely sil bronze. So my rudder has all sil bronze, most of it all from the same source (the nuts on my through bolts were made with leftover pieces of the ruddershaft), so hopefully I will eliminate most of the galvanic issues.

Here are some pics of my new rudder coming together. All the bronze parts were made from siicon bronze, rods were threaded directly into the shaft. I will use my leftover 3/8 rod for rivets for shoe and strap similar to original design. Rudder shape is close to original with a little more area down low like a constellation.

Looks like there is lots of interest in unstepping mast, so I will briefly describe my procedure and then later I will put together something more detailed. Sorry I didn't get any good pics, I had full intentions of taking lots of pictures, but I only had a couple hands helping, so I was too busy.
Disclaimer:The mast is fairly heavy, so use this method at your own risk, if careful attention to detail while rigging is maintained, you or your helpers could definitely take a fatal knock on the head and or damage your or another boat.
I would reccomend at least two people for this job, 3-4 is optimum to have lots of eyes on the job. Also if possible move your boat to an area away from other boats to avoid the risk of damage.
You will need:
1. A strong, stable ladder about 20'. The top rung of the ladder needs to be at least 15-20 inches above the spreaders when placed. I made the mistake of having too short a ladder and it created some difficulties. The base of the ladder was placed on top of the cabin. If the legs of the ladder are not wide enough to go outside of the hatch sliders, I would reccomend using a 2x6 placed accross the sliders. You could also put the base in the cockpit if you have a very tall ladder.
2. 4-5- 3 or 4 to 1 block and tackles with a good 40 feet of stong line. I used my mainsheet and boom vang for a couple of these.
3. A couple 30 foot lines to suspend the ladder, the jib sheets worked well for me.
4. Lots of shorter lines for securing the base of the ladder, spreaders and the base of the mast.
Procedure:
1. Prepare the base of the mast, I secured 2 block and tackles on the port and stbd. side of the base of the mast. This will allow you to swing the base out in a controlled manner. I secured mine from the jib track. Try to get the block in tackles directly in line port & stbd along the centerline of the mast. This will prevent mast from kicking out uncontrollably.
2. Set up the ladder. Secure your two suspension lines to the top rung of the ladder. prepare the area where the base pads will be. You may need to use a 2x6 for the base and should use some padding such as old carpet or padding to prevent legs from scratching hull. The suspension point should be directly above the spreaders. If the ladder is too tall it will not have a good angle. About 15-20 degrees is best. When you feel you have a good position, The base of the ladder needs to be very securely tied down. Use 2 lines rigged fore and aft on each side of the ladder. make sure they are good, tight, and strong. this will prevent the ladder from swinging as mast is lowered. Next the top suspension lines will be secured. I rigged mine to the aftermost cleats. Tighten them until the top rung suspension point is just a bit aft of the spreaders. When the ladder takes the weight of the mast the stretch should put the rung directly above the spreaders.
3. Set up a block and tackle from the top rung of the ladder to the spreaders. I reccomend the use of a safety line and harness when working aloft. The ladder you have just set up is a convenient conveyance. I reccomend using a 4:1 tackle here to give good control. Make your tie point from both spreaders at the center of the mast. Likewise from ladder.
4. Last I reccomed a block and tackle rigged to the mainsheet for added control.
Check, double, and triple check all your rigging for security.
Put a person on the suspension tackle and the mast base tackles.
Tighten up the suspension tackle to take the weight of the mast on the ladder.
Now you can begin to loosen all the standing rigging. As you loosen your tunbuckles, keep adding tension to the hoist. The mast should begin to raise straight up. It need to raise up straight because there is a steel tube for the wiring that goes up about 6 inches into the mast that will bind if the mast raises or lowers at an angle. (This was my main complication with the shorter ladder.)
You will also have to pay out the mast base tackles slowly as the mast rises.
When you feel you have control of the mast from the main hoist and the base tackles, you can detach all the turnbuckles. Make sure the base tackles are very secure and strong.
Keep raising the mast until you clear the tube, pull out the mast wiring.
Now you may SLOWLY start paying out the base tackles to swing the base out in a controlled manner. At the same time the main hoist can be SLOWLY  lowered. Keep proceeding in this manner carefully until the mast is laying horizontally in a nice secure spot. This is where a few extra helplers to guide the mast down help out alot. Be very carful when the mast starts to tip horizontally in can get a little unwieldy if you are not careful.

Well, sorry description was not really brief, but there it is. I will try to add some descriptive drawings.
Stepping should be a reverse, we'll see! Good luck and be VERY safety concious. This can be very dangerous if you are not careful. If you are not comfortable with rigging at all I would NOT use this method.

Also pics to come of restoration soon,
Tim

I was checking out Berkeley as a possible new home for #382 after I get her fixed up. Looked like a nice spot to slip. Anyone have any insights on this marina? Can I get a slip or is there waiting list, general opinions, etc?
Also saw an Ariel over on M dock that was fixed up really nice, it was all white and looked like it had Kevlar sails!!! Anyone know who owns it? It had some interesting modifications.
I have been down working on #382 for the past week, getting her ready to trailer to the boatyard. I dropped the mast yesterday in the marina which was a bit hair-raising but successful I'm proud to say. If anyone is interested I can post more details on the procedure (and hindsight observations that would have made a couple things easier).
Thanks,
Tim
A-382

Commanderpete, that Ariel must have been riding pretty LOOOOOOW in the water on the way back!!!! :eek:
BTW, this photo was taken at "J-dock" in Seward, AK, on Resurrection Bay, one of my favorite sailing (and kayaking) spots! Of course also one of many great spots for Halibut fishing in AK. Resurrection Bay is IMHO the best sailing close to the Anchorage area (about 1.5 hours from Anchorage). I just wish the season were longer!

Bill,
Can you do anything about the 50+ spams I get every day!!???
These idiots with the persription drugs, pornsites, and hot stock tips are a scourge to humanity!!!

Commanderpete,
Here's another subtle mod that could be done for a little extra speed

Commanderpete,
Of course I was just joking, that would be HIGHLY unethical!

But hypothetically speaking you would of course want the 20hp submersible electicric motors with hidden batteries in the keel?