I can’t believe how long it’s taking to get the spars and OB ready. If I’d built the boat at this rate we’d still be building now. I admit we’ve been rather held up by the weather which came crashing onto the scene just as I’d finished applying the first coat of varnish to the deck and spars. Some said I should have checked the forecast but I reckon it would have happened anyway. Sod just loves laying down his law.
Two days of torrential rain and tarpaulin-shredding wind followed with broad-shouldered rollers crashing over the beach, through the gaps in the dunes, filling the streets and gardens in the neighbourhood and leaving the boats, at the Club Nautico on the beach, all a-hoo. Unfortunately a new drainage system was recently installed so these storms don’t have such a dramatic impact—there’s no severe flooding, which I rather miss.
Then two days of excellent windsurfing conditions while the boat dried out and today we’re back in business sanding and fixing bits and bobs. I wasted a fair amount of time re-working the mast steps so that the masts were perpendicular to the deck. It wasn’t until I achieved a right angle with the deck on both the main and mizzen that I realised that the masts had been fine as they were—perpendicular to the waterline. In their new positions they looked quite peculiar; the main raked aft and the mizzen forward, of course when they’re perpendicular to the waterline the masts are parallel to each other and I’m pretty sure that’s how they should be.
If I can manage to refrain from exploring other misguided avenues of boat design, touch wood, we’ll be on the water with our new sails by the weekend.
3 comments:
Appearance-wise, the masts of two-stick work best when the forward mast is slightly canted aft, and aft-most mast leans aft a little more.
The reason is that if they're parallel, perspective makes them look as if they're leaning towards each other - which as you've found is an odd effect.
Also, the angles should be chosen or at least adjusted to achieve a good rig-hull balance - of course designers do their best in this regard though it's always a little unpredictable.
Gav
Yes, I'll start playing with balance once I'm on the water. It's actually quite easy to alter the rake of the masts though to start with I'll experiment by shifting the point where the yard meets the mast.
B
Having seen the photos, I'd want to start by canting the mizzen aft by just a little more than the main. I'm afraid I'd do it for aesthetic reasons (shallow, huh?) and only then experiment with the rig itself.
It sounds like you have every reason to be pleased with those new sails. You've got a nice big sail area, and nice deep reefs for control.
Well done,
Gav
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