Solo "Expedition" Sailboat - Page 42

Glug · #**616** 11th Jun 2009, 06:19 PM

Mik, the flattening of the hose by screwing down on the plates widens it to an oval shape so it rubs on the sides of the case, not the ends.

keyhavenpotter · #**617** 11th Jun 2009, 06:41 PM

Hi Peter

on centreboards, fitting a section of hose with two screws and piece of half round brass to squash the hose, to act as a brake is done. Fitted on the top of the board, below the handle so it can be adjusted when the board is down.

Cannot yet quite visualise using it for a dagger. In the photos Apple looks to have a centrecase?

Thanks though

Brian

Glug · #**618** 11th Jun 2009, 07:01 PM

It's a long case, so the DB can be moved fore and aft to balance the boat according to the reefing. Tom has a big light weather mizzen and a small general one. I chose one in between his two, 5.4 sq m in area. So the DB is not constrained fore and aft by the case, and needs friction to hold it in place. The hoses on the front and back of the board are about 30 cm long and when squashed by the plates, press on the inside surface of the case. It took a bit of fiddling with the screws to get the right pressure. I am now trying out a line with a short bit of shock cord running fore and aft along the top of the case and through fairleads on the top of the case to hold the board from sliding into the case if it hits the bottom. It will have a quick release clamcleat for safety.

Boatmik · #**619** 11th Jun 2009, 11:21 PM

So Peter,

Horizontally mounted hoses? Not vertical? Is that what you are meaning? And along the top and bottom edges?

MIK

keyhavenpotter · #**620** 11th Jun 2009, 11:32 PM

MIK, I am wondering if the board is not profiled in the section that fits in the dagger case, i.e. the sides are flat and the front and back edges are square and the same width as the case, less a bit. I think the hose is screwed to the front edge and the back edge of this non profiled section.

That way the hose would be working as the centreboard version.

Very difficult to do on my full profiled board.

We need a photo!!!!!!

Brian

Glug · #**621** 12th Jun 2009, 12:18 AM

Sorry, I assumed that the part of the board that was in the case was not profiled. Yes Brian, the hoses are screwed to the flat front and back of the top part of the board which is in the case when the board is fully down.

Boatmik · #**622** 12th Jun 2009, 12:26 AM

Howdy Brian, I just think soak up the extra space with a one inch wide (er I mean 25mm) batten of something about 2mm thick down each side. Horizontally mounted and aligned with the top and bottom edges.

A scrap of ply planed down or sanded down a bit of aircraft ply. Doesn't need much clearance at all.

With the rudder you could use some 4mm ply of a similar configuration for the rudderbox and only put it down one side. The boat won't notice.

Easy to get rid of if it wears much and replace a couple of years down the line but i suspect it won't much.

MIK

keyhavenpotter · #**623** 12th Jun 2009, 04:18 AM

When I bought the sealing strip for the hatch, and the expensive glue, they also had some nice 25mm x 1.5mm smooth solid rubber strip which I could glue all around the top edge and bottom edge of the box. would give a bit of protection to the board and case when running into things too.

Was not sure, but could be useful. What do you think?

Brian

Boatmik · #**624** 12th Jun 2009, 11:48 AM

I think it will have too much friction.

Use wood.

) I know it works well.

MIK

keyhavenpotter · #**625** 14th Jun 2009, 06:39 PM

I took Trim, my UK Raid41, down to meet very flat water yesterday and see how see behaved on her side in controlled flat shallow water as a first trial.

Steady on her side, mizzen just touching the water, mast about 30% immersed, tip about 12" below water surface. Floating high due to her light weight, just on the side deck lip, very little water in the cockpit.

here she is draining the little water out of the transom.

Very easy to reach the dagger, and she comes up very easily indeed. No rig on her though.

here she is tipped on her chine, balanced easily.

Sitting on the side deck. No rig no wind holding her. You can feel her max righting position, further heel and she would go over.

To add a bit of extra weight to feel more like if the wet rig was on her, we filled the lockers by sitting down on the immersed side deck. here you can see me easily climbing aboard, not too elegant.

Extra water draining nicely

Laser, wanderer and Scow give scale

Brian

Joost · #**626** 15th Jun 2009, 09:33 AM

Hello Brian,

Good to see her on the water. I bet you are looking forward very much to your first sail with her!

How much longer?

Best regards, Joost

b.o.a.t. · #**627** 15th Jun 2009, 11:51 AM

As I've watched RAID41 take shape, I've become more & more disappointed with her
shape. Very much as MIK describes his feelings during his Beth build. The cartoons
& plan snippets look sleek & fast & well proportioned, but the boat increasingly boxy
& plain.

Thinking that maybe it was better left as a Goat or a PDR after all... While there is no
questioning the beauty & precision of Chris' & Brian's workmanship, their skills might
have been better applied to a more shapely craft. Etc, etc.

However..
Watching the video of Bryan's heavily reefed (USA) boat zipping effortlessly along, and
now Brian's (UK) boat, looking sleek & fast just sitting still on the water...

Extraordinary the difference between un-rigged on-land & rigged on-water appearance!!

Only one question now, which I guess only Bryan (USA) will be able to answer...
How well does RAID41's low sides & shallow cockpit keep her expeditioning crew
warm & dry - an important aspect of the fatigue management design criteria ?

cheers
AJ

m2c1Iw · #**628** 15th Jun 2009, 12:40 PM

Hi AJ,
I agree with your comments I can't figure out where all that lovely sheer disappeared to, maybe the bright finish disguises it somewhat in the pics.

On another subject I have noticed some negative comment regarding Bryans mishap and the fact a solo boat should not be able to sail off leaving the crew in the water. Well what about the fact that for that to happen the rig must be extraordinarily well balanced and I suspect the rudder set up must also have a degree of tension in the pivot points to hold the helm on a straight coarse. I cannot recall any small boat I have sailed that would sail itself for more than a few metres without rounding up.

It is very early days of this design so a couple of teething problems should not be unexpected and I'm sure Brians methodical approach to the development will produce a fast safe and importantly fun boat.

Mike

b.o.a.t. · #**629** 15th Jun 2009, 01:58 PM

One of the advertised benefits of the yawl rig is that it can be set up to
self-steer - i.e. deliberately balance the helm.
As I understand it, the idea is to sheet the main just a little harder than the
mizzen, so that as it rounds-up, the mizzen loses drive, causing the boat to
fall away. And vice versa.

Very good for fatigue management & making a cuppa on the go as a single hander.
Not so good if you get separated from the boat.

A life-line, or a dead-man's release on any main sheet cleat appears essential.
Or a system that achieves both.

cheers
AJ

keyhavenpotter · #**630** 15th Jun 2009, 09:35 PM

The lovely sheer has not disappeared, just hard to show with a cheap camera.

I was really amazed at the positive reaction by people at Keyhaven on Saturday.

She is a box boat after all. As we were just leaving, with Trim on the trailer, one lady said she was beautiful! Mind you the ones who don't like her perhaps say nothing. But it was nice to have positive comments.

Sorry to be so slow finishing her. I am a million miles from being any kind of use making things, just a sailor really. Really struggling with the rudder box. I have made three normal lifting rudders before ok, but this neat box of MIK's has nearly done for me. The PDR tiller takes all the strain on the box, but for RAID41 no tiller, so needs strengthening for the twist. Trying to get my head round going from Chris's neat sailing canoe solution to one that will take the twist on the cheek sides has just confused me. MIK drew the extra bit needed but i seemed to be in a half way house.

So started again and managed to make all the bits I need. I was having to hold 11 loose pieces of bits to make sure they fitted my transom. (7 bits of wood and 4 metal bits) The transom height from floor to top is only 20cm. By luck the total height needed for my oversize rudder fitting and the box came to 20cm!

I decided to make a norwegian pair of tiller sticks as back up and to try them out. Just ruined them by laminating one tiller and cutting into two but not controlling the jigsaw blade.

Brian