From: "habeggernd" <habeggernd@...>
Subject: PVC Pipe and Sail Wear?
I recently acquired
two 1980s vintage fish in excellent condition.
Do they have the metal rub rail around the gunwale, or a molded fiberglass
lip? If they have the lip, and they are actually from the period 1988-1992,
then you may have trouble with them. If they've got the metal rub rail,
then they should be good boats!
I have one racing sail and one stock sail
If the racing sail dates from that same period, then it's not the same
"racing sail" that's being sold today. You may want to hunt around on the
Sunfish listserve for a used (1 or 2 seasons) racing sail or two.
the boats are both
rigged for racing as near as I can tell (wire traveller with a center
loop
You'll want to get rid of those old wire travellers and replace them with
the new one - which has no center loop.
the bottom
boat rests hull down on a conventional boat trailer setup equipped
with one roller and a set of pulpits aft, while the upper boat is
flipped over and rides on its deck on foam pipe insulation as a
buffer.
The configuration is fine. Unless you want to build a steel frame to hold
the upper boat (which would be better in the long run, but time consuming),
this should work well.
However, the foam pipe insulation sounds like trouble to me. You'll want to
construct a pair of wooden "spacers" to fit between the boat. The front one
should have a protuberance will fit into the mast step holes of both boats.
The back one should rest on the broad flat deck area just aft of the
cockpit.
Make both of them out of plywood with a 2x4 spacer in between. Scribe the
plywood to the shape of the deck. Cover in carpeting. Extend the 2x4 out to
the side so that you can tie the spars onto the spacers!
My dilemma: there is no space engineered on the trailer to carry the
sails and masts comfortably. The previous owner wrapped the two
lateen rigs and their masts in a canvas boat cover and lashed the
whole miserable lump to one side of the trailer.
This is a bad system because it destroys the sail.
I'm thinking of installing two PVC pipes, one in each of the upper
corners of the trailer rack (underneath the tubes the top boat rests
on) - one pipe for each sail/mast combination.
Yes, this is a great idea. Have a look at how Bruce Cattanach did it. He
was kind enough to make a very detailed web site illustrating his trailer
project.
In my mind, a threaded cap on the aft end
No, you want something that is nice and open so that as much wind as
possible will get in the back. A closed tube is a recipe for mildew.
On my tube I made a "gate" or "grate" by cutting up a piece of scrap wire
shelving (the "Closet Maid" shelving sold by the foot at Home Depot.) I
drilled two 1/2" holes in the pipe at the back and cut the wire mesh just a
bit too big. It slides into one hole, then into the other, and stays
securely. I need to take a picture and post it on the web...
On my trailer I use an 8" tube which holds (believe it or not) 2 spars with
sails, 2 masts, and once when necessary, a third set of bare spars!!
My only worry is that the repetitive friction of sail
against PVC during stowing and retrieval will cause some trouble I
don't want down the road.
I have always used a sailbag inside my tube. However I know Laser sailors
who store their sails in PVC tubes (which remain permanently strapped to the
roof rack of their SUV, since their tubes are so much shorter than ours) and
they don't have any problem. Then again, they don't have metal spars
bumping around in there.
(For the record, I currently wrap the
mainsail around the boom, secure it with the sheet line, leaving the
mast free.)
Actually, you do NOT want to wrap the sail around the boom. When you're
done sailing, leave the mast in the gooseneck and lay the sail out on the
port side of the boat. Place the two spars right up against each other.
Then genty roll the sail towards the spars. You want the window to end up on
the inside of the roll, so that it cannot be contacted by the spars during
storage.
ALSO, any problems/liabilities to storing and transporting boats
topside down?
No. Though I am worried that the support between your two boats isn't
sufficient. The one problem I heard about with trailering boats in this
"clamshell" style was a family who made their spacers out of foam. The foam
kind of collapsed and one boat started to work its way off to the side.
That's why I recommend wood covered in carpet.
Good luck,
Malcolm Dickinson
52943
