Monday, January 14th, 2008
....
this Week in Wayfarers: 
* sew your own - sails and tent
* welcome to new Wayfarer, Mike Austerberry (W2951) in Michigan
* floorboards replacement advice sought
* the tricky question of repairing the inside of a woodie's centreboard box
* North Bay's David Richardson praises educational photo captions, etc.
* Dave Hansman sends AGM regrets in a unique manner
*
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Subject: sew your own - sails and tent
----- Original Message -----
From: Bill Wallace (W3130)
Sent: Monday, September 24, 2007 9:58 PM
Subject: Sewing a sail and a tent

I thought you might like this article I published in the Belwood Lake Sailing Club Newsletter about sewing a new sail for a Wayfarer.  I also include a photo of the kit contents.  There is another article I'm working on about making a tent for the same boat.



Sewing a New Sail
My mainsail had 3 rips in it, and was so thin in places you could almost see through it.  Unfortunately, I couldn't afford the full price of a new mainsail this summer, and I had seen an ad for a pre-cut sail from www.sailrite.com  The kit price was $480 CDN, and I had two quotes for new sails at around $1150.  I've never sewn anything by myself before, although my Mom had helped me sew some stuffed animals when I was little.   The package arrived - it was a 20 cm x 20 cm x 1.5 m box, see the attached image above.  They shipped it UPS, and UPS has HORRIBLE brokerage fees (about $50 on a $480 order PLUS shipping charges) - make sure you don't ship UPS from outside Canada, but instead just have them use USPS.  The kit consisted of a roll of pre-cut panels for the sails, 600 m of UV stabilized thread, and assorted hardware.  All in all it was a pretty nice kit - I don't think I could have managed to cut the lines on the sails nearly as nicely as the ones they sent.

There was some spare sail cloth, so I spent many hours trying to figure out how to sew the material - eventually I read the sewing machine manual and discovered I had the needle in sideways.  After fixing that, it worked fairly well.  However, the cloth is heavy, and sometimes 6 layers are sewn together - I wouldn't try this on a newer sewing machine, but sometimes you can find older ones with metal gears at garage sales for under $50.

The sail panels go together with double sided tape, after which 2 rows of zig-zag stitches are used (or 3 of straight - so even if that is all your machine does, it is fine.)  I found that the heavy thread still jammed occasionally, and the first few rows were all over the place, but I soon figured out how to manage the seams.  I used two long tables plus a short one to support the sail - it was rolled up on both sides of the seam I was sewing.  The seams take very little time - maybe a couple of minutes each, but preparing them to sew takes quite a lot longer.  After the sail was sewn on all the seams - at around 20 hours of work so far, I added the bolt rope.  That was actually fairly hard to do, and I did it outside, as I couldn't figure out where else to get enough space.  That consists of about 5 long seams on each of luff, leach and foot, and goes through a HUGE amount of thread.  Finally, I added the headboard and various grommets, the Wayfarer insignia and sail numbers.  Final tally of time was around 40 hours.  If I did it again, I could almost certainly cut that to 30 hours, but I don't think I could do it in much less time.  A bigger sail would be a bit harder, but not that much harder, I don't think.  I haven't had it up yet, as I made a mistake on the attachment to the boom - fairly easy to fix, but I still need to fix that final item.

Bill Wallace

PS  I have a few more images of sewing the sail if you are interested.
..
Subject: welcome to new Wayfarer, Mike Austerberry (W2951) in Michigan
----- Original Message -----
From: Michael Austerberry (W2951)
Sent: Monday, December 31, 2007 9:14 AM
Subject: W2951

Hi Al,
 
Happy Christmas and New Year to you.
 
Well, I was in luck.  I have just bought Dick Bzozowski's W2951.  I am very happy.

Thanks for all your help and I enjoyed visiting you in the fall. Perhaps we will meet up on the water.
 
Happy Sailing!
 
Mike
----- Original Message -----
From: Mike Anspach
Sent: Monday, December 31, 2007 4:22 PM

Hi Mike
 
Congratulations on your purchase of W2951. As a Wayfarer sailor for over 30 years, I can assure you that you can look forward to many very enjoyable experiences in this versatile, durable, fun craft. I live in Beverly Hills, MI, and get to Ann Arbor frequently to visit my daughter who lives just off Barden Drive. It would be great if we could meet in person.
 
I highly recommend that you consider joining the United States Wayfarer Association, our national class organization. You will be invited to all of our many racing, cruising, and social events, you will receive our excellent quarterly publication, the Skimmer, you will have the benefit of the sailing knowledge of our many members, and you will support the class. Membership is only $15 per year. An application is on our web site: www.uswayfarer.org.
 
Our local club is Wayfarer Fleet No. 2. We have about 5 race days during the summer, and get together socially year round. We have members who come from as far away as the Flint area. It's a great group, and we would like you to join us.
 
Once again, best of luck with your new Wayfarer.
 
Mike Anspach
Commodore
United States Wayfarer Association
248-539-7275
----- Original Message -----
To: Michael Austerberry (W2951)
Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2008 1:36 PM

Great news, Mike! Welcome to Wayfarers! I do hope that we will meet on the water. In the meantime, don't hesitate to get in touch if there is any way in which we can assist you. Best wishes for a happy, healthy 2008 that is filled with great sailing!
 
Uncle Al  (W3854)
...
Subject: floorboards replacement advice sought
----- Original Message -----
From: Kevin Pegler (W1071)
To: rmharrington@sbcglobal.net ; uncle-al3854@cogeco.ca
Sent: Friday, December 21, 2007 8:56 AM
Subject: New Floorboards for W1071

Hi Dick and Al;

Next on my list of things to attend to on Wildwood is new floorboards. The old ones are getting pretty spongy and downright ragged at the edges where most of the load and wear occurs. Any suggestions on making light and strong boards?  Also, how many sheets of ply and what kind are needed?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you might have.

Cheers,

Kev   at  <Pegler.KH@forces.gc.ca>
----- Original Message -----
To: Kevin (W1071)
Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2008 2:02 PM

Hi, Kev:
 
Sorry to be so long in replying. This got buried in the Christmas rush. Hope you and the family had a great Christmas and that 2008 is off to a fine start!
 
I will post your question in tonight's WW. What I did with my floorboards that were thoroughly chewed up at the edges was to fill in the missing inches? with epoxy and then put fiberglass cloth around that whole edge area as necessary. That has held up quite well for the past 10 years or so and is still going strong. My rationale was that new wood boards would just start getting chewed again at the edges anyway, so I would have glassed the new boards' edges regardless. Ergo, why bother with the new boards???  I also added a piece of 2 by 4 as a support underneath each aft floorboard in the middle of the big space between the CB box and the aft bulkhead. That has really helped reduce flex and gives me better/firmer footing in the tacks.
 
If going for new boards, why not phone Hans Gottschling for advice at 905-277-3306.
 
Talk to you soon! Best regards,
 
Uncle Al  (W3854)
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Subject: the tricky question of repairing the inside of a woodie's centreboard box
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 6:16 PM
Subject: Woodie questions!

With the warmer weather that we have had the past couple of days, I got going with the paint stripper and got one half of the hull stripped.  I took a couple of pictures of the centerboard slot to see if anyone has a recommendation on what I should do to beef this up.  Couple of specific questions:  What should I use to clean that slot up?  And how do you apply glass cloth down in there or do you just mix up some filler and fair it up as best as you can?

Any suggestions will be welcomed.  Thanks!  Gary – W1321  <ghirsch@sbcglobal.net>
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 12:19 PM

Gary,
 
I've put the woodie group on the 'cc' so I'm hoping they will give you some responses also.
 
Here are my thoughts:
 
When I did my woodie, I used wood rasps and three cornered scrappers to clean up the slot.  I think some of the others have used routers.  If you're going to lay in glass cloth you need to be careful not to make the slot too narrow.  Opening up the slot some would be wise.  Using a pointed right angle scrapper I dug out as much of the old soft gasket material at the base of the CB case (where it joins the keelson) as I could so that I could fill the area with thickened epoxy.  There will likely be other places that also need to be filled and faired before glassing.  The glass of course needs to span this joint (which is the source of CB case leaking).  You can only expect to get one layer of glass in this small area and still not create a ledge that can become a location for sand and pebbles to lodge inside the case, thus resulting in CB jamming.  Since one layer of glass in this small spot will not provide enough strength to prevent future cracking you should only do this if you are planning to glass the CB base logs on the inside to the keelson as well.  Using three layers of cloth, filleted and well spread out, on the inside will provide the strength needed to form a rigged bridge across this joint.  My job has held up close to 20 years!
 
If you are careful, you can get the glass to lay within the slot pretty well.  There will be some clean up required.  Drips running down the inside of the CB case are a concern.  I wasn't careful enough in this respect and spent a lot of time with a rasp and chisel attached to a long stick trying to remove these.  (If you are going to put epoxy on the inside of the case don't use form brushes.  Pieces of form will break away forming lumps.)  Working within the slot you might consider putting some kind of plug inside to act as a dam.  When I don't want to accidentally glue something I will apply vinyl wrapping tape to the wood surface. 
 
If you don't intend to glass the inside joint then I wouldn't attempt to put any kind of rigged material such as epoxy (glass) in (across) the joint within the slot.  If the joint can be routed out maybe there is some form of flexible compound that can be installed to provide a seal, however, I'm not aware of such a solution. 
 
Good luck...........DICK
...
Subject: North Bay's David Richardson praises educational photo captions, etc.
----- Original Message -----
From: Dave Richardson (W4782)
Cc: Kim 
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2007 2:59 PM
Subject: Ask and ye shall receive ...

Uncle Al
 
I have actually followed your updates daily and don't even wait for your announcements to review the captions. I applaud you on your efforts and keen memory. I am particularly interested in your helpful comments regarding tactics and sail and boat trim. I used to race windsurfers quite competitively and the race tactics are very similar. Ws though are much more complex boats to sail and teamwork plays a much larger role in successful racing.
 
Kim and I enjoyed our first year of Wayfarer racing. She was a real trouper immediately getting back in the boat for an afternoon sail with her son and daughter in law after I unceremoniously dumped her at the Pumpkin Regatta. Her first race of course was the National Cruise race where she endured not one but two line squalls and one major thunder clap. I count myself lucky that she agreed to continue racing with me.
 
Best regards,

David
W4782

(Al's note: David is referring to regatta photo captions that I try to provide for each regatta where many of the photos provide fine educational material - click here for Regattas Links page)
...
Subject: Dave Hansman sends AGM regrets in a unique manner
----- Original Message -----
From: Dave Hansman (W282)
Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2008 11:54 PM
Subject: An Auckland Afternoon

Hello Al:

As I look out my hotel window on this sunny, bright Sunday afternoon in Auckland, I can see no less than 50 sailboats of all descriptions out enjoying the fine afternoon breezes.   What a truly beautiful and fantastic sight!





With this layover of one day, I decided to take advantage of the situation and promptly booked a spot on one of the ex-America’s Cup boats that they keep here in the Viaduct Harbour.  I ended up going out for a wonderful afternoon aboard “NZL 41” which is owned and operated by SAILNZ.



This particular boat was sailed by Japan as their entry in the mid nineties America’s Cup.  They made it to the semi-finals and were defeated by New Zealand, the eventual winners.  After that, the it became the training boat for the British entry into the next America’s Cup but it turned out that this boat was faster than the actual boat that GBR entered.









She is 78’ long, the mast stands 112’ and she displaces about 20 tons.  We sailed in 12 to 15 knot winds in 27 degree weather.  Upwind and sailing closehauled, we were doing 10.3 to 11.8 knots.   Downwind with a Gennaker we did 12.5 knots at one point and later obtained the same speed on a broad reach with main and genoa as we crossed the harbor mouth.  I have to think, and am very sure that this is the fastest I have ever gone in a sloop rigged mono-hull. 





I had a good time at the helm (for the time they let me give it a go) and was quite surprised at how responsive the boat is to the helm. She carries a racing crew of 17 people, 8 of whom are the “grinders”.  There were only 4 “professional” crew on board – so guess who the grinders were…

 I am off to Perth tomorrow, so will be looking for more sailing opportunities next weekend.  Sorry I can’t make the AGM, but this makes up for it in some measure.

Best regards,

Dave Hansman
W282

p.s. love the picture of the guy in the dinghy who was, quite literally, flying by


----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2008 3:49 PM

Hi, Dave:
 
You lucky dog!! Thanks for the great pics by means of which I am enjoying New Zealand vicariously and which will hit tonight's WW. We will miss you and Carol at the AGM. Just in case no one has informed you, I guess I can let the cat out of the bag and be among the first to congratulate you and Carol on winning the 2007 Don Davis Memorial Trophy, the CWA's highest honour, being awarded as it is, for "outstanding service to Canadian Wayfarers over the course of many years".

Perhaps we should set up an awards ceremony at a suitable time during the North Bay Wayfarer Weekend of 2008??? Press release, etc.??? This trophy is, after all, a big deal!! Will copy Exec to see what they think.
 
Have a great rest of your trip!!
 
Best regards,
 
Uncle Al  (W3854)
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