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  1. #76
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
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    Aberfoyle Park SA
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    63
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    Met another Alexandrina Sailing Assoc member a few weeks ago on what may have been Eth'l's last sail under gaff ketch rig.

    Ethel has/had some annoying vices.
    Most hazardous - gargantuan turning circle - is fixed.
    Biggest remaining niggle/s has been the time taken to rig / derig at the ramp. A full hour at each end of a sail.
    Stays to tweak & tension, 3 halyards for main & jib, a bowsprit to fit (after first pushing her back 600mm or so on the trailer).
    A small forest of lines along the foredeck, and 4 sheets to manage afloat plus the tiller.
    Next big niggle - Excessive weather helm most of the time and too much sail area at greater than about 15-20km/h wind speed.
    Hard to keep on course due to modest wind direction changes producing sudden BIG changes in helm pressure.

    Simplicating her rig to stayless cat-ketch similar to George Holmes' original design has been one of those projects which isn't all that big but just gets picked away at, a bit here, a bit there, avoiding committing Serious Money.
    Boom & spar scarfed & laminated up from 20mm sq Oregon in shorter lengths recovered and sawn from a neighbour's roof beams.
    Mast an 80 x 2mm T6 aluminium flagpole (stiffer & bigger volume than recommended for OR & OG).
    Mast step tube installed while I refurbished the deck.

    In January I committed (for me) serious money & bought an OzRacer / OzGoose sail (RSS Sails).
    Mik recommends Spectra cordage, but I went Vectran which specs nearly as strong but with a hard polyester mantle.
    Vang is surplus off two TS16s ago.
    Otherwise followed the rigging directions off Rigging details for the Oz Goose sailboat – and other lug rigged sailboats |

    Took her out for a trial sail on Sunday 5/2/17. Very happy with results despite wind strengths 30-45km/h & 2nd reef from start to finish.
    Less than 30 mins to rig, which included time putting in the 2 reefs and trialling different ways to rig & stow painter/tow-rope and anchor rope.
    (previously there was no neat way to rig these & nowhere "spare" to terminate the anchor rope!)
    22 mins to de-rig & secure.

    On the water, a demanding bitch is now a docile pussy cat.
    It was blowing a b****d so didn't take any on water pics or video.
    Nicely balanced with main only with 2 reefs in, modest weather helm with mizzen engaged.
    Tracking on phone shows average speed around 6.5 km/h upwind & downwind, peaking at 12.7 km/h with a small tsunami stern wave...
    Didn't think to take pics on the hard before launch. Forgot to get video cam off fire helmet & fit to mast.
    DSC_0342.jpg
    bending on the sail

    DSC_0344.jpg DSC_0351.jpg
    mast & boom transport cradles formed from bendy ply around coffee tins and glued & screwed to supports which fit in mast steps.

    DSC_0348.jpg
    Trial rig in back yard.
    You can see how little sail is left at second reef, but that's all Eth'l needed & all I was happy with in the strong winds.

    Congrats to MIK on a superbly adaptable sail & clear instructions on-line & in the OzRacer / OzGoose plans on how to make it perform on a variety of hulls.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Alan J

    Nothing says "Unprofessional Job" so loudly as wrinkles in the duct tape. - B.Spencer

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  3. #77
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Blaxland, Australia
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    Nice! Well done!

    Cheers,
    Alex.

  4. #78
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
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    Aberfoyle Park SA
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    Unforunately I made the mistake of telling The Boss that, if this works, Eth'l stays, and, if it doesn't work, Eth'l goes.
    Then I made the compounding mistake of telling her that it appears to have worked.

    Not sure now how to justify building an OzGoose or Werzcko 3.6M Dinghy...
    Other than "the need for speed"...
    Which she doesn't 'get'....

    Ideas on how to recover from this error welcomed...
    Alan J

    Nothing says "Unprofessional Job" so loudly as wrinkles in the duct tape. - B.Spencer

  5. #79
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Blaxland, Australia
    Age
    65
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    How much of the corner have you painted yourself into? Any wiggle room at all?

    You could put up a case that the boat isn't safe enough to outrun bad weather/get off lee shores, etc. I know I'm clutching at straws, but that's all that I can think of at the moment.

    Chers,
    Alex.

  6. #80
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Eustis, FL, USA
    Posts
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    No painted corners, just an inappropriate approuch. You clearly haven't been working on the "spontaneous nookie credit" considerations, all must contend with in life. In a nutshell, most men don't realize that you get unannounced, but well documented SNC's (Spontaneous Nookie Credits) just by breathing and waking up reasonably healthy each day. As you go through life, you accrue these credits and this is the key, knowing how to gain additional, possibly unwarranted credits, which can be cashed in, not necessarily with nookie.

    You see, all women naturally keep track of their men. Some are aware of this tally, while others do so unconsciously. It's a well documented fact of life and a well hidden, dark secret they've maintained for several millennia. Yep, you're positioned against a list of deeds and your rating is judged against this list. For example, if you happen to take the trash outside, to the curb on the day you know the trashmen will pick it up, well this is a 1/2 credit. Not much of a big deal in the overall picture, but much better than having them ask you to take the trash out and losing a full credit, for waiting to be asked. You'll note, this isn't a proportional scale - we're skewed to the disadvantaged side, right from the start, so get over it, you just have to work harder. As time progresses with your woman, you amass credits. If you're like many, you gain and lose about an equal amount, which doesn't permit you to advance up the positive credit column and earn your spontaneous nookie or other valuable commodity. You don't think she let you buy that 55" LCD flat screen TV for your man cave, because she just likes you, did you? Really, oh please, you some how managed to earn enough credits and were justifiably rewarded. Welcome to the realities of life.

    What is a real SNC? It's a pretty simple concept and it's sort of like when you were young and she tossed you on the floor, saying you getting some, like it or not, because you were pretty darn nice to my mother yesterday. Remember those days? Building credits can be difficult, but everything you do can help, but you have to be careful what you wish for and how you do it too. Another example how you can screw the pooch on your current standing in the SNC program, is doing a really nice job on your boat. You know, they're not stupid. In fact, generally they're a lot smarter than we are, so if you do a fine job on the varnished combings, she'll expect the same level of expertise, when you make a kitchen cabinet or refinish her grandmother's end table. You see, you have to pace yourself, because we can't be that good all the time (it genetics). It might be wise to show her that you're not so impressed with your boat handywork, maybe pointing out a brush mark or fingerprint occasionally. This will temper their expectations and though you'll get fewer SNC's added to your list, it's still a positive, yet has a tangible, manageable future.

    This is where I think you are at the moment, lacking sufficient SNC's and not being aware of the importance in life they represent. Grovelling and begging aren't very becoming, plus they don't respect you afterward, so focus on the ways you might be able to improve your negative to positive ratio. Bringing home flowers is a favorite of mine, but it must be done for no apparent reason or occasion. Just tell her they reminded you of her and let it go at that. Trust me on this guys, they appreciate this sort of thing and you'll quickly gain positive values. Another good one that doesn't work for me anymore is telling her how sweet her mother is. Just bring it up at dinner one night, then quickly change the subject to what she might need from you in the next week or two. Think of this as "pump priming" and a precursor to positive points advancement. Any little token symbol of affection or nice deed can also be used to accrue points, but you have to make sure they "catch it", because you know, they're not always paying attention either.

    Suck it up man, you instinctively know what needs to be done, but the boneheaded part (also genetic) of all men resists at times. Paint the trim in the hallway, before she gets home from work. Don't say anything, just have it done by the time she gets back, she'll figure it out, given the paint fumes hint, glaring at her senses.

  7. #81
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Adelaide - outer south
    Age
    67
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    935

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    My only answer was going to be along the lines of "There is no recovery - you're doooooooomed!" - luckily Par got in first.

    Seems like there's absolutely nothing that man doesn't know about boats .
    Cheers, Bob the labrat

    Measure once and.... the phone rings!

  8. #82
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    Eustis, FL, USA
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    There's quite a bit I don't know about boats and the biggest one is how to afford the ones I really want.

  9. #83
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
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    Quote Originally Posted by AlexN View Post
    How much of the corner have you painted yourself into? Any wiggle room at all?

    You could put up a case that the boat isn't safe enough to outrun bad weather/get off lee shores, etc. I know I'm clutching at straws, but that's all that I can think of at the moment.

    Chers,
    Alex.
    Some wiggle room Alex...two toes & my eyelids.
    But that's a start. I can expand on that with time.

    Thankyou PAR for that extensive explanation.
    Can nookie credits be exchanged for boat credits ?
    And if so, do you know what is the going rate of exchange ?

    Not that I'm seriously contemplating another boat yet, but one must keep one's options open, as it were...

    Eth'l has been polite & well behaved now on 2 days where she'd have previously been a handful due to wind.
    Rig / de-rig time reduced by 2/3.

    Meanwhile, here's a video, just because i can.
    https://youtu.be/j8-hKeVDstU
    spot the trade school lecturer...
    Alan J

    Nothing says "Unprofessional Job" so loudly as wrinkles in the duct tape. - B.Spencer

  10. #84
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    Eustis, FL, USA
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    SNC's can be redeemed at any time and for whatever you (actually her) might desire. There are some standardized rates and deed recommendations for points accrued, but not being part of that gender, I'm not permitted to know what these values might be. Over the years, I have discovered some of the awards provided, though this is leaned toward my efforts and woman and may not be valid with yours. I do know that snuggling in the spoon position without being asked, is worth more than not yelling at the neighbors, when their trash can falls over, into our driveway.

    SNC's can be exchanged for boat credits, though again, this is a negotiation, you'll need to develop some backbone for yourself. The best approuch, I've found is to let them think, there's no negotiation at all, but to accept the results of any efforts they put into it. This is simply because it can backfire on you and you are in a lousy bargaining position to haggle. Pre-negotiation prep is key to improving your SNC values, so figure out how to kiss up (literally) a few weeks in advance of upcoming boat build events. Think of it as padding the accruement docket, to generate a cushion, just in case you manage to make a minor screw up in this time frame, you'll have a reserve to fall back on.

  11. #85
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Aberfoyle Park SA
    Age
    63
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    :d ...
    Alan J

    Nothing says "Unprofessional Job" so loudly as wrinkles in the duct tape. - B.Spencer

  12. #86
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Adelaide - outer south
    Age
    67
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    Enjoyed the video AJ and had a laugh at the comment about racing but not admitting it. It's like the race you have when you're not having a race which is very appropriate for having launched from Clayton.

    Congratulations on improving Ethel's manners.
    Cheers, Bob the labrat

    Measure once and.... the phone rings!

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