A Really Excellent Day Sailing on Tuesday

[Vectordirector]

Hi all,  our "real" second time out in Pulling Strings happened on Tuesday.  We got a later than planned start and after a 45 minute rigging session (made sure to get the rudder installed correctly this time), we were in the water @ 2:00pm and the weather was just perfect.  Mid 70's, not a cloud,  with a west wind @ 10 kts.  Just as forecast.  We motored over to Gage Marine's new Pier 290 restaurant (about 5 minutes from the launch), docked, and had a great lunch.  Back out on the water an hour later and up went the sails.  I tried using the long pin to hold the gooseneck up before raising the main and it worked beautifully.  One continuous pull and she was up to the top.  The lake was not busy and we enjoyed beating into the wind toward Fontana for an hour or so.  I put the centerboard down this time out and kept it down for about 15 minutes until the admiral complained of a vibration that hadn't been there before.  I couldn't feel it but thought it might be the board chattering, so I put it back up and she said it went away.  To tell the truth, I couldn't really feel or see a difference in the boat's sailing with it up or down.  I made it a point to trust the keel and am getting better at it, letting the boat heel over without panicking.  We were running out of lake so I tacked (not ready for a jibe yet) around and headed east back toward William's Bay on a broad reach.   Greatly relaxing sailing, what it is all about. 

We were having a great time but decided to head back in so as to get the boat back to the storage barn before it got dark. I had a tail light on the trailer that didn't work so I didn't want to push it too late. I could have stayed out another two hours.   The gentleman that owns the storage barn is installing new LED lights and rewiring the trailer today, can't wait to see them.   He switched out the tires/rims for my spares, packed the bearings, and installed a spare tire carrier last week so the trailer will be good to go once the new lights are on.  Speaking of the trailer, the last two times I recovered the boat, the keel is on the guide and the bow is centered on the bow roller, but the boat is not resting on the port side bunk board.   Can the bunk boards be adjusted or is it not a big deal?  It is only a couple of inches off, and even when I towed her home the first time after I bought her there seemed to be an inch or so of space between that bunk and the hull.  Didn't seem to matter on the tow home the last few times over some pretty big bumps.  It seems like with all that weight in the keel, that once she's on she's not coming off except for floating, and the bunk boards aren't doing much.  The boat tows very well, and if anyone was wondering, the 2007 Wrangler Unlimited handles it well, except for being a bit under powered when going up hill. 

We had such a great time, I forgot to take pics of the reefing line, maybe next time.  I did have time to study the outhaul and how it went through the boom to the little jaws.  Never noticed that line at the front of the boom before.  It makes sense now.   I was studying the gudgeon while installing the rudder and it seems that there is some play in the pintle bolts.  Maybe about 1/2 inch back and forth.  I'm guessing this is the cause of my sloppy feeling steering.   I'm going to see if I can tighten down the nuts, they seem tight, I couldn't move them by hand, but maybe have loosened up over time and need to be re-tightened. 

All in all, a great day, two solid hours of sailing, the admiral loving every minute.  No debacles this time.. I am definitely learning.   We are hoping to get back out over the weekend, weather permitting. Fall is surely in the air and the season is rapidly coming to a close, far too soon. 

Vectordirector   



   

[skip1930]

"Can the bunk boards be adjusted or is it not a big deal?"

Sure. Floor jack them up or down. Push the hull bunk into the curve of the hull to cradle the boat. Be careful it is easy to lift the entire boat clean off the keel bunk. I put a single layer of rag between the hull and the bunk. If I can pull hard and pull out the rag, all is good. If not? Adjust. Most of the weight is on the keel rollers or board. Get he hull in the curve, no need to tie it down very much. Not like somebody's kid did to a CP-19 and damage the hull with cargo straps too tight... What ever happened to that post?

skip.

[Glenn Basore]

I like the center board down!

I usually will drop the center board to its full down position before leaving the dock, I have plenty of water depth off Calif. cost line and the marina I sail out of.

I also feel the boat performs better with the board down going into the wind and in turning in tight places (marina).

Also, She does not seem to turn to good at slow speed around the docks, I'm guessing it the long keel preventing the turning.

In heavy winds (20 mph) I feel a lot more comfortable knowing that center board is down another 4 feet or so.

The vibration your feeling may be the rope / line to raise and lower the center board, I feel it once in a while depending on the boat speed.

Going out today weather permitting 

Glenn B.

[EclipseGuy]

As already mentioned here, the bunks can be adjusted, but just be sure that the weight is on the keel. The bunks are for support.

I am sure that the vibration you feel is the line for the swing keel. It can buzz like a guitar string. My Sanibel used to hum like crazy when it's swing keel was down. It also had a line for pulling up the rudder that would vibrate as well. Oddly enough, I don't notice any humming on Dragonfly though.

As far as having the swing keel up or down goes, I prefer to have mine down all the time. I do a lot of sailing in Lake Saint Clair, which is a very large and busy lake. The waves are often a couple of feet high, and the power boat and freighter wakes can be quite huge. I notice a big difference in stability when my swing keel is down compared to when it is up. It might only weigh 70-80 pounds, but that is 70-80 pounds that is moved low under your boat when it is down. It also greatly increases the surface area of your keel, so it resists the side to side rocking that can occur when taking waves abeam, and it helps to resist the initial heel when a sudden gust blows.

The stability difference really is quite noticeable when you are in waves or gusts.

When I am in smaller lakes or calmer waters then I occasionally raise my swing keel if I want to try to eek out a little more speed in a run, or if the winds are really light and I want less wetted surface area, but in general I just think it handles better and it rides better with it down.

 

[Billy]

Keeping the board down will give you more stability (get more weight down low) and allow you to point higher into the wind.

Going down wind the board does not help that much if any and in fact, it increases the drag. Anything downwind of a broad reach, I say, "pull it up and gain some speed!"

Play with the tension/slack on the line that raises/lowers your center board. a little slack or a little bit tighter may remove those subtle vibrations. Are you sure it was down all the way?
If that doesn't work...just hum the Beach Boys "Good Vibrations" while you sail. You may need to sing out loud to drown out the sound for the Admiral!

Billy

PS I enjoy reading about your learning experiences and looking forward to hearing about the next time.

[Eagleye]

Vec,

I also agree with the other posts.  With centerboard down you will notice a lot more stability in rough water.

As far as the play in your rudder it sounds like you will need to replace your bushings.  There is a good post about that here.

http://cpyoa.geekworkshosting.com/forum/index.php?topic=5658.0

That was one of the first projects I did when I got the "Madame" in the spring.  I also upgraded the 5/16" bolts to 3/8".

I have never noticed a vibration on the "Madame".   She sings to me frequently but never hums.......   



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