New Boat Owner

[grendel]

yes I have joined the ranks of wooden boat owners, now dont start worrying, I will still be hiring as its only a little pram dinghy, it came complete with a seagull featherlite outboard, so will enable me to potter around those areas that would otherwise not be accessible, one of the sides needs reattaching to the seat, but its transportable on top of my car, and storeable in the garden.

[CambridgeCabby]

So starts of with model size , now dingy size another twenty years it will be a liner I suppose .

Congratulations  Grendel 

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

It looks very much like a Mirror dinghy but without the foredeck and mast. That`s an idea, why not do a few mods and fit a pole with bed sheets.

[Lulu]

Three Rivers Race next year then Grendel 

[grendel]

21 minutes ago, SPEEDTRIPLE said:

It looks very much like a Mirror dinghy but without the foredeck and mast. That`s an idea, why not do a few mods and fit a pole with bed sheets.

on the cards already if I can find the bits.

[unclemike]

 what you need now is 2 x self adhesive stickers and a burgee 

[Chelsea14Ian]

Giant oak trees from small acorns,

Best wishes Ian

[FairTmiddlin]

2 hours ago, Chelsea14Ian said:

Giant oak trees from small acorns

Just need the Oak tree for the mast now

[vanessan]

Heading to the Stour for a trial run grendel? Enjoy your explorations 🛶 .

[TheQ]

You'll need a good bowsprit to get it up to 14ft long qualify for 3RR..

[scaniaman]

Sexy car though

[grendel]

I've got a little work to do to make things easier, a forward seat (on which a castor or a couple of castors will be mounted to support the front while i use the handles to move it round).

[grendel]

so last night i started constructing a front seat / mast support, this morning when I awoke I looked out of the window and realised I have what must be a 8 foot aluminium pole in the back garden, hmm 2 +2 i have a mast, just a boom to find, some rigging and a sail. I guess I will need some kind of pulley at the top.

[BrundallNavy]

You won’t need shrouds it will be fine with just a mast step and the seat. A simple hole through the top would work if you put a wooden plug in first or make a sleeve and pull it over as the laser / topper does. 

[grendel]

well a quick trip to the local chandlers, (ooh how much could be spent) as I got a manual inflate lifejacket for £3 at the boot fair this morning that was missing the gas bottle, anyway the guy at the chandlry inspected it and passed it as fit as long as it holds air (great service), a couple of other bits including a cleat for the main yard, we talked sails and he recommended getting some blue tarp and trying out various  options before deciding on a pucker sail, so we will see what we shall see, just a boom to sort out now.

[ChrisB]

If you wish to make progess in any direction apart from downwind you will need something to stop you going sideways. This is normally a "Centre Board"  but a leeboard arrangement works well. I had leeboards on Granta folding canoe in my teens and it sailed well.

[grendel]

dont worry, I also have to figure a rudder into the equation yet. I am thinking maybe a lee board that can be strapped to the side of the boat, sort of hooked over a gunwhale, or at worst just fit a shallow keel down the centre of the boat, i dont want to make it so heavy I cant load it onto the roof of the car.

[grendel]

actually the tube i have for the mast is steel, thin and light, but strong.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

For a man with your woodworking skills Grendel, why not do a proper job and make a drop keel box. Then you can make a blade, and remove it before lifting the boat on the roof.  It wood (pun intended) be quite light to construct, as the blade keel does`nt need to be very big.

[Islander]

Hi Grendel .Have a good look at a Mirror dinghy. I'm sure you can get some good ideas from what must be the most successful diy boat ever.

I would try without a boom to start with. Loose foot sails hurt less but don't point up to wind as well. For the masthead, a simple washing line pulley and jubilee clip will get a sail up and cleats can be short dowels on the edge of the new seat. This way it's little expense and lots of fun making it work. 

There's nothing like messing about in boats. 

You won't win the three rivers but you will have a lot of fun.

Colin

[FairTmiddlin]

Either Grendel will have to Sit in the bilges or the boom will have to  4 feet up the mast from the seat to clear the 4 foot of him sticking up from the seat

Either that we will have to clad his chest shoulders and head in armour.

[grendel]

i can duck, i learnt how when out with Pauline and Phil. every time we turned a corner

[grendel]

well I have constructed a seat piece from 1/2" ply, it took a bit of fettling to  get just right, but its there now, 3 angles between front and sides, then trim down until its a flush fit, some battens have been trimmed to the correct angles, next to trim them to size.

[grendel]

! also popped into b&Q to get a 28mm pole for a boom and a tarp to make the first sail, once its right I will probably get a proper one

[JanetAnne]

Peter, I have a lug sail mast, spars, sail, rigging etc from my dinghy that you are welcome to borrow and have a play with. In fact, thinking about it there are a couple of spare surplus rudders as well.