Pulling Strings gets wet, for a little while: Questions

[Vectordirector]

Well we finally had a chance to tow Pulling Strings up to Lake Geneva and launch her yesterday morning.  We left the house at 7:30, drove over to the storage barn, hooked her up and towed her to the Williams Bay Launch.  The trip took a total of one hour @ 45 -50 mph and although the road was bumpy (Northern Illinois roads suck) we made it without incident.  As the boat was still bare from my stripping it of everything but interior cushions, I had to reload everyting from the Jeep to the cabin, attach the rudder and tiller, install the gas tank, and then rig the boat.  This took probably an hour as I was taking my time making sure I didn't forget anything.  The mast pins were giving me fits, I need to find some better ones.  I hate the little Ronstan pins with the springs and the flip flop end.  The mast finally went up and as I went to pin the jib, I ran into the same problem as before even with the side stays loosened.  WTF?  Then I looked up the mast and saw that one of the stays wasn't in the hole correctly.  I wagged it around a bit and it came out and was able to pin the jib.  Rigging complete!

Launch went well with the help of the admiral and I backed the trailer into the parking stall on the second try!  Not bad as I hadn't really launched anything other than a Hobie in 30 years.  The motor started on the second pull and I let it idle for a minute while we prepared to get under way.  We pushed off and backed off the dock under power until the motor died about 15 ft out.  OH, OH!!  Got her restarted and it died again after about 30 seconds.  We were nearing the beach when I pumped the fuel ball a few more times and she started and ran well the rest of the morning.  I have never driven a boat with a tiller outboard before so I wasn't sure if I should put the rudder down and steer with it, leave it up and steer with the motor, or put it down and steer with both.  It was partially in the water so I started out leaving it up and steering with the motor.  This didn't work all that well and we snaked our way out of Williams Bay and as we got further out, realized that the wind was much stronger than forecast.  Forecast was 5-10 mph out of the north.  Reality was 15-20 out of the north with 2-3 ft whitecaps. I put the rudder down and found that steering with it, leaving the motor straight worked much better.  As I got the feel of the motor and tiller, I thought I'd be brave and I headed up into the wind and  rolled out the jib, just to try it, and discovered that this was way too much wind for us for the first time out in this boat.  I furled the jib (I really love roller furling) and motored back to the launch.  My first approach was excellent except I cut the motor too early and the wind pushed us away from the dock.  Second try was perfect and we got a hand on the dock before the wind pushed the bow away and I had to motor away and try again.  I remembered the boat hook in the cabin this time and the admiral was able to use it on the third try to get the bow steady while I tied up the stern, jumped on the dock and tied off the bow.  After a struggle to get her back on the trailer due to the wind,  we yanked her out, unrigged her, and took her home.  I made a few mistakes, learned a lot, and can't wait to get her out on the water again next weekend.    

We are making progress but they are baby steps.

Now for the Questions:  The mast pins have got to go. They take way too long to get in and out and their use with the mast cradle is a nightmare.  It took me 15 minutes to get the mast cradle pinned down yesterday!  The one on the forestay seems ok, but the mast ones are horrible.   I used to use the ball end quick pins from Murray's on the Hobie tiller and forestay.  Are they appropriate for the mast on the Eclipse or not strong enough?   The Ronstan springy ones just don't work that well.  The springs are difficult to compress and just too fiddly for me.  Anyone have any suggestions that work better and allow faster rigging/derigging?  

The boat after recovery seems to be sitting a couple of inches further back on the trailer than it was before.  It looks centered but the bow is not in contact with the bow roller.  It towed fine, but the trailer brakes never activated this time.  They would almost always activate when stopping before launch/recovery.  Good or bad?  Is this how it should be or is the other way better?  


Thanks for any help.

Vectordirector  

[Glenn Basore]

As to the boat resting on the trailer,

My Eclipse will very in its postion depending upon the angle of the ramp I use, this sounds strange but, I find on a less angle ramp the boat will fit where it should with the bow right up against the "V" saddle. with a stepper ramp even when you pull the bow right up to the "V" the boat is still floating. Once you start to pull the trailer out the the boat drops back and down on to the center keel resting boards. you cant move her forward.

Glenn

[Vectordirector]

Thanks Glenn, looking back on it I think I didn't have the trailer far enough in the water.  It was tough getting the keel to line up as the wind kept blowing the stern around while I stood on the trailer and muscled the bow around.  I was too far from the dock to use the bow and stern lines to guide her on.  Perhaps I should have pulled the trailer out and backed it in closer to the dock and a little further in.  At any rate, I finally got her lined up and winched her up as far as I could.  The winch cable got tight and wouldn't move any more.  The boat never made it to the bow roller, about 2 inches short, and wouldn't move any farther foward on the trailer.   I'm thinking the keel bottomed out before the bow reached the front of the trailer.  More water under the keel would have allowed the boat to float further up to the roller.  The lighter boats I've launched it hasn't been an issue as you can slide them around on the trailer after you pull them out of the water.  I guess finding the perfect position on the trailer is going to be trial and error, unless anyone has any guidelines as far as how far to put the trailer in the water.   Or maybe 2 inches short isn't a big deal.  She seemed to ride fine on the tow home, over some pretty rough roads.
 
Comments?



Vectordirector

[beradthefish]

Same experience here.  I came up about 5" short of the roller, so I had my wife back up a couple more feet which allowed me to winch the boat the rest of the way to the roller.  One thing I'm not tracking is how I'm ever going to be able to put it on the trailer when I'm by myself!

[Glenn Basore]

Being close to the docks really helps and using a bow line and stern line to guide her in too.

I have never been able to get the bow all the way forward at the ramp I usually use, 2 inches short!

That being said I have noticed the keel is about evenly postion on the center keel resting board. it good be moved forward about 10 inches may be, So........Looking at the vertical riser I can tell the PO had moved it down and all the way forward until it cant move forward any more because of the trailer splitting off to left and right sides.

I was thinking of moving the vertical riser back towards the trailer hitch about 6 inches, this of course would bring the boat forward on the keel boards about 2 or 4 inches where I think it should be.

Their is a tong weight of about 10% of the weight of your total rig, I don't know what my weight is but, when I climb aboard using the boat ladder, it always seems a bit tipsy as though she would rise off the front dolly wheel, it hasn't and I have moved around on her quiet a bit, just seems it would be more solid with the weight forward on the trailer a bit more.

Glenn

[Vectordirector]

I was fully intending to single handedly recover the boat to see if I could do it.  The admiral helped initially guide the boat but I think I could do it myself using bow and stern lines, assuming I get the trailer positioned closer to the dock.  The trick is obviously to get the keel lined up and the strap attached.  practice makes perfect!

Vectordirector

[Eagleye]

Vector,

As I read your post it brings back memories from early this season.  Lets start with those darn pins.   Mine were missing springs and as you indicated, they are just a nuisance.  I replaced them very early in the season with push button quick release pins. 

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-quick-release-pins/=j8rugu

There are several versions to choose from but the top of the line is the all SST High Tension pin.  The only drawback is that they are very PRICY.  The ¼" SST High Tension pins have double shear strength of 9,200 PSI, which, is far more than adequate on the Masterendr.   The Mastender is designed so that once the mast is stepped and the standing rigging is attached and locked there is almost no pressure on the pins.  But for the peace of mind and the simplicity of setup I have found them to be a good investment.  Whichever style you choose do NOT buy the T-handle version.  There are enough things up there to snag your jib sheets on as you are tacking and the T-handles will just add another.  (As I found out...but that will be another post,)

It is time to leave for work but I will offer my launching and retrieving experiences with the Eclipse tonight.

Allen

[EclipseGuy]

Hey Vector,

This is a bit off topic, but seeing that you are from Indiana you might be interested in a Lake Monroe sailing weekend next week (Sept 21 - 23). Technically it is a West Wight Potter gathering, but really any trailer sailor is welcome.

I previously had a West Wight Potter 19, and a Sanibel 18, that I have taken to Lake Monroe. This will be my first time going with the Eclipse.

It is a small, informal gathering with typically 4 or 5 boats. We just camp, eat and sail. We have campsite B05 reserved at the Paynetown campground, and we typically just beach the boats along the campsite and sleep in our boats.

Lake Monroe is quite beautiful, and is an excellent lake for small sailboat sailing. You could come for the weekend, or just one day. I plan to launch Dragonfly early Friday morning and will leave some time around noon on Sunday.

If there are any other trailer sailors that are interested in coming, I am sure everyone is welcome. It would be funny if we ended up with more Com-Pacs than Potters!

-John

[Vectordirector]

Allen, Thanks for the info on the pins, I used those ball head ones on my Hobie and loved them.  I'm still looking for someone local who has them.  I need to check Lowe's, Menard's, home depot, etc but haven't had time yet this week.  I appreciate the link and will probably just order them on line. Yikes, they are pricey!  Looking forward to hearing of your  launching experiences. 

John, thanks for the invite, but I actually live in northern Illinois.  Lake Monroe is about 6 hours each way.  I need to feel more comfortable with the boat before undertaking that much of a trip.  I'm also pretty sure the wife isn't into over nighting on the boat.  We need to work up to that.  We are daysailors so far.  Once we get comfortable and wanderlust kicks in I'm sure Lake Monroe will be on the list of Lakes we will want to visit.  We have lots of lakes to explore in southern WI too.  Of course when I get a little more stick time, the big lake is only an hour and a half.  Interesting that you had a Potter and a Sanibel as I considered both before deciding on the Eclipse. 

Vectordirector

[EclipseGuy]

Hey Vector,

I understand the concern over the drive. I actually live in Michigan myself, and it is about a 7 hour drive for me to get to Lake Monroe. I have had time to get used to towing my boat, so I am comfortable with it. Maybe you can make it next Fall. You can always bring a tent and camp in a campsite itself if the boat is too small. There are also hotels nearby if you prefer a real room to sleep in.

- John

[Salty19]

A couple of years ago Kicknbug and I were talking about hosting a Compac get together at Lake Monroe instead of Carlyle--in an effort to include more sailors in OH, MI, KY and IN.  Niether of us knew the lake, ramps, facilities, and we knew what Carlyle had, so it never happened.

Looks like a nice lake on paper anyway.

Maybe something like this can happen next year?

[EclipseGuy]

Hi Salty,

I find Lake Monroe an enjoyable lake to sail on. In fact, there is a small marina on that lake with several sail boats. I don't know the name of it but maybe in the future we should check it out.

I started to post a general invite to everyone on this forum, but then I deleted it before posting because I didn't want to feel responsible if someone showed up but wasn't comfortable beaching a boat with a keel, or if they had trouble launching.

In the past we have had a small, informal gathering of West Wight Potters and my Sanibel (made by the same manufacturer as West Wight Potter). The West Wight Potters are flat bottom when the keel is raised, so beaching them is no problem.

This will be my first year going with the Eclipse. The Eclipse has a shallow fixed keel, so I don't expect that beaching it at Lake Monroe will be a problem. The sandy area by the campsite where we beach the boats drops off quickly.

There is a nice boat ramp at the campground, however one never knows what the effects of low water levels will be to the ramps. Once again, since the West Wight Potters are flat bottomed and light, they can launch in just about any puddle, so I never paid much attention to the ramp angle when I was there before. Boats with keels, like our Com-Pacs, are a little more sensitive to the ramp angles though.

I have not yet run into a problem launching my Eclipse. I don't expect to have issues at Lake Monroe, but I would hate to have members show up with deeper keels than mine then find out that launching or beaching is a problem.

I am bringing my hitch extender (which I have never had to use), and my original 10 inch tires, just in case the ramp is shallow. With these items the Eclipse can launch in some very shallow ramps, and they could be used to help out others with launching if needed. I doubt I will need them, but it is better to have them and not use them than to waste my entire weekend.

I will report back in regards to the ramps so that others will know if launching at Lake Monroe (Paynetown Campground) will be doable with deeper keels than mine. I will also research some of the other ramps on that lake and report back.

With all of that said, everyone is welcome to join us. It is a beautiful lake, and sitting around a campfire with other sailors is always fun.

[kickingbug1]

    vectorman, we have had houseguests at previous clrs and no one burned the place down yet. i would think you and your wife could stay with us next year if not the microtell is a good camping site. of course you are looking at a 4 and a half or 5 our drive here. we are daysailors as well. sarah once said that she would overnight onboard (lets see we were at the sail show in chicago and i think we were looking at a 54 footer at the time. im thinking she meant that boat not our cp 16. some women camp and some women dont. fair winds and calm seas

[Vectordirector]

I'd love to come to these events.  Major issue is scheduling.  I'm a radar air traffic controller (hence the name vectordirector) at Chicago Terminal Radar Approach Control.  We bid our vacation time for the following year in October.  It is based on seniority with a limited number of people allowed off at any one time.  We are also severely short staffed so that limits it even more.  The admiral also has certain times I am expected to have off,  the major family holidays when my daughter is home from college, spring break, etc.  I am also scheduled to work overtime on most weeks I'm not officially on vacation.     I do have enough seniority to get weekends off but they wind up being short with the overtime, so travelling any distance becomes difficult.  The point is that the earlier I know the dates of these get togethers, the easier it is to plan to get the time off.  The admiral runs her own business and usually works 16 hour days six days a week.  Our attending will probably be last minute decisions based on her workload and my schedule.  If the stars align and I happen to have time off when you guys are getting together, I'll try to make it.  Let me know when CLR is next year as soon as it is decided upon. 

Vectordirector

[EclipseGuy]

I am going to try to make CLR next year as well. It is a very long drive for me, but it looks like a fun event.

- John