Thread: GISWerk - GIS third season sailing

Good to hear you are getting out on GISWerk. We only have half a season of sailing ours and could not agree more

Joost,

Thank you for your opinion and notes about GIS. I think - your experience is really good recommendation for this boat - performances, handling and really beautiful look of your boat!

Thanks especially for the pics of the hiking straps. I am just now installing some on my boat and was wondering about placement. Are you happy with yours where they are or would you change anything about them?

I have to say, your boat looks great after 3 seasons! Mine has been sailing for only a few weeks and already has some major scratches in the gunwale (one from scraping a raised outboard motor, one from being lifted over a seawall) and some cracks in the floor (from a rough landing on a rocky beach when half-full of water).

Hello Paulie,

I am happy with the placement of the hiking straps. Before mounting them I had tested where to put them. Much will depend on height and such (I am 1.75 meters, not sure how that works out in feet and inches).

I revarnished the floor of the boat in the first season after participating in Sail Caledonia (2 coats) just like the gunwales (these areas seem to suffer most) in heavy use.

This year the spars and the foils received another 3 coats.

The paint job on the outside of the hull has some minor rubbing marks (also incurred during Sail Caledonia) but further it is still in great nick.

I try to be careful but do sail the boat hard. Not as often as I would like however with 2 young kids aged 21 and 2 months. And I try to maintain the boat the way it deserves.

I just love this boat. Verry happy that I chose this to be my first build and it is for sure a keeper.

Best regards,

Joost

I am maybe 5cm taller than you, so the same strap placement should work for me. Thanks!

Of course, I keep SAYING that I will work on the boat -- put some non-skid down, attach the hiking straps, fix the cracks -- but the weather has been so nice that I can't help myself. I went out again today without non-skid or straps. And here's my "old Yankee" boat repair on the biggest crack:

Attachment 181500

(To explain: To Americans, a true "Yankee" is someone from the extreme northeastern part of the US. We have a reputation for being tight with our money. An "old Yankee" door hinge is usually a piece of rubber cut from an old tire.)

I did intend to treat my baby with all the care she is due. But she's just too darn fun to sail hard and fast. I have a feeling that I'll be doing a lot of repairs over the years!

I fully agree that she was an excellent choice for a first build. I knew nothing about boat building when I started. Now I feel confident to make any repairs necessary. That's a huge compliment to MIK.

I just finished giving GISwerk a quick clean (the waterline was marked brownish by the lake water) before we head home tomorrow morning from our one and a half week holiday in Drenthe, the Netherlands.

When I was finished, I just stood outside in the rain for another five minutes admiring the beautifull hull lines (and details) drawn by MIK: bottom panel with narrow entry, smooth rockerline, very nice sheerline and moderate flare making for a very efficient and good looking boat.

Where ever she is sailed/rowed/towed, the boat turns people's heads.

Joost

Looks great Joost and now I have Sneaky Shark on the water I completly understand why owners are so proud and pleased with their GIS. Can't wait to get it on the water again.

Really like your hiking strap arangement, I will probably copy this. I have some spare 25mm webbing that should be ok for this, just need to stitch some loops in the ends . Do you find yourself (the kids) trip on them at all or do you remove the straps?

When just going for a row or when sailing in light winds, my hikings traps quickly store under the thwart by uncoupling the carabiner at the back end:



This leaves the cockpit uncluttered when wanted.

That's a great idea, thanks Joost!

Joost what do you rest your heels on when rowing? I need to think about this as I plan to row a lot. I want something removable.

Not anything really, just my foot soles flat on the floor relying on friction.

If my girlfriend is coming along and I want to row hard, she usually crouches low on the cockpit sole just before the aft bulkhead and I tug my feet below her lower legs. That's real team work!



Easiest option if you want a proper foot rest for your heels might be to make a small take away spreader resting on the floor and butted against the aft bulkhead.