Even though I am still waiting on Wayne from Porporise Sailing for the new mainsail, I manage to patch up the old one good enough to get her ready for next weekends launch date. Everything is pretty much in place. Yesterdays test of the motor was a success and also managed to work out all the kinks with the rigging. Next weekend I will be launching her for her maiden voyage under full sails. Hopefully the weather holds up. If any of you guys are interested in coming along just let me know…
Thanks again to Chris from OnlineOutboards.com for hooking me up with a replacement motor. I rigged up the boat yesterday with my friend Dan D. at the launch ramp and went for a quick sail. The motor worked like a charm. No more of the rough idling and irresponsive throttle. This time, the motor started up with a single pull and sprang to life with a twist of the throttle and gear shift. The water was a little rough outside of the harbor yesterday so we just did a quick loop around the buoy and came back in. Here is the video of the motor in action and some photos of the boat with its new rig at the launch ramp.
Purrs like a kitten
I patched up the old sail just for now until Wayne from Porpoise Sailing sends me my new one that is delayed.
A view from the other side. We didnt use the jib that day because it is missing a shackle at the bottom.
Dan D. checking the GPS for speed. She pounds in the rough water more than my last boat since it has a flatter hull. It sounds scary but I’m sure its sturdy enough to handle some chop.
Here she is back at the dry storage with her rig up.
Maybe next week I will take her out again now that I know what is needed to get the rig tune. I think I will rig the main sail loose-footed as well as adding a boom vang to help control the boom a little better. The launch and retrieve process could also use a lot of improvement as the current situation involves the extension and pivots at both ends. That makes the trailer pretty much uncontrollable when backing into the water. The wash-down at the ramp in being renovated so I can’t rinse the salt water off of the trailer and boat. That drives me nuts as I’m constantly worried about the trailer and its integrity while I’m driving down the street. That fact that it is rusting away with salt on its surface just does not sit well in my stomache. I gotta find a faucet and hose somewhere near.
Small dinghy racing is one of the craziest races you can do in sailboats. This is a sample of what you can do on a performance oriented sailing dinghy like the 49er.
Wayne just called me and gave me his status about the mainsail I ordered from him. He gets them made overseas and they have an ongoing business relationship with them. The problem I guess is that they can be flakey about sending a shipping confirmation. He told me he has not heard from them about the shipment but it does not necessarily mean that it hasn’t shipped. I hope this doesn’t mean yet another delay. It was nice of him to call me back to let me know even though its not necessarily good news. I will keep my fingers crossed…
