Subject: two veteran W cruisers, Ken Jensen and Jim Fraser, compare notes
----- Original Message -----
From: KEN/K.H.Jensen  W1348
Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2004 10:12 AM
Subject: W. CRUISING!

WAYFARER-cruising.
 
In 1955 graduation from keelboat to dinghy-sailing came true, and I started cruising a 5 meter PIRAT-dinghy until 1966,  where stepping into W1348 (the first W. to DEN and later, 1971, the first one to NOR) came true.  About 1963-64, a few W.s came to Sweden from where we brought (1971) W950 to DK, and that's the one now - after being restored by Lars Vibskov Kristensen - presented at "DENMARKS MUSEUM of YACHTING" at Valdemar's Castle built by late King Christian IV (also the place of the Elvira Madigan tragedy). 
 
From the man himself, Ian Proctor, I know WAYFARER is a dinghy that can also be used for racing, which is quite okay for me, but my good late friend was not happy, when we cut out the forward sidebenches.  Seeing "Summercruise" where Frank Dye and Billy Brockbank tug and squeeze themselves under W48's fwd.sidebenches I could not stomach that for our 3-crew, (two to sail and one below decks)  220 n.m. race around Zealand, and brought out the jack-saw.

Afterwards many Scand.W.'s followed, but still I never met a woodie-W. with removed fwd.bench-knees + benches! Easy to do and to put back in; the knee-support is cut to make a nice natural rib-timber, and when you want the the seat+support back in it is bolted on with a scarf on the fwd.+aft part. 
 
My W.-experience is Woodie Mk.1 (from W48, W950 a.m. plus W7172 that sails here), the FRP-Mk.1 experience is W1348 till this date, plus several others, and Mk. 2 several boats belonging to fam.+ friends, again till this date. Really, the wood Mk.1 is lovely (most attractive - when kept well!) with more room in the fore and aft compartments, and 5/4" more room/space between the floorboards and the thwart. But for rugged use, 60 to 80 days/year, I wonder if an old FRP Mk.1 is a better choice!? Mine seems to be a more robust make than later FRP or GRP Wayfarers!

From wood mast+boom, cotton-canvas-sails, to alu.spars, Terylene and Dacron, muscle-box and bendy-spars and furling staysail (a really important item!) is a span of time, but my first W-trysail was in use in 1968.  Got three hereof now,  the latest made last year by McNamara as a medium genoa and W-trysail. Very pleased to let W-sailors borrow one for a cruise. If  you are interested in the W-trysail please check:
 
Uncle Al's Web.site:  http://www.angelfire.com/de2/WIT/Wtrysail.html now moved to
http://www.wayfarer-international.org/WIT/useful_skills_of_all_kinds/Reefing/Wtrysail.html
 
With most of what you great people write I agree.  Some choices I do my way - as most of us do!  Please note: Quote = Q. and Unquote = UQ.  *My way* written in RED.
 
1. Q.  Helyar a genoa reefing system. This is a kind of foil that enables the genoa to be reefed in strong winds without the 'chineese jybe' effect you get with simple furling systems. UQ. Sounds great! I have no experience with that. Have the small jib hooked up at the front and furled over LB (larboard/port-side) of the front decks. When changing to the jib, the genoa is furled, lowered and tied up along the SB-side into the cockpit. Halliard and sheets are changed to the jib, which is hoisted and tigthened with the muscle-box, and the sheets (one continuous line) are trimmed down with barber-hauls before passing through a ratchet-block hanging from the front part of the thwart and then to be cleated on the windward side-deck. Clean decks-sitting-room in front and aft of cleats.
(This is done hove-to, full stop no forward movement, square drift, ½ CB down, tiller lashed/tied/hold all the way down to lee, main flogging at  ~45dg.; if single-handed move forward on the windward side the mast and *Whooosh* furl the genoa - stable sq.drift established and then evt. reef main - roller-reef in less then 2 min. with skill/arrangement/training - before change of foresail. Hove to with a foresail up is o'kay below force 4B. or  < 8 m/sec.).
(Uncle Al's two cents' worth: In my experience, it is more relaxing and safer to do to this kind of thing with the board completely up - no need to lash the tiller to leeward that way and less fear of taking on water in a nasty puff!!)

2.
Q.  When running or broadreaching have the plate up to avoid tripping over it. UQ.  Well, I use it up, but never all the way as I may need to get hold of it, if flipping over! Also if caught in a sudden cross-sea be ready for a quick down-move of the CB - momentare-ly to stop *rock and roll* and an evt. flip!
(Al's note: In my opinion, it is definitely safer to sail a breezy run with half the board down. It is easier to deal with the possibility of "tripping over the board" with careful steering than to avoid a death roll that can happen with no warning if your board is full up on a windy run.

3.
Q. --boom dipping well into the water then heading skyward as the waves overtook  my dinghy. UQ.  No boom in the water using W-trysail !   The wave-trough will automatically demand respect, and ½ or less CB (to be able to side-slip) if waves are breaking/creating a physical push-force while hove-to. Close hauled into breaking waves can be quite thrilling, head up the slope to slow down and meet/deflect the overfall, and then bear off when passing the back-'neck' of the wave. (In play/fun -sailing/racing it's an exciting thrill to ride - on a run - the back-'neck' of a wave, and look down into the nearly dizzy depth of the trough ahead!).

4.
Q.  I don't have a forestay.  My furling gear is attached to the jib halyard and I have rigged a couple of blocks to give a better purchase.  It is unconventional but works--- UQ  Sounds okay, Jim, but for your small working jib I suppose you got an extra halyard (could - in need - work as back up forestay?!) and you then leave the genoa furled and standing?  No forestay, I see rational, if you trust the halyard - and genoa-luff-wire! But you got to go onto the foredecks to secure the furled genoa, remove or shift over the sheets!?? We got no problem with our forestay and furling, use a 4½" plastic lid by the top-swirvel, evt. adjust muscle-box tension. (When cruising everything is done from aft of the mast on W1348. The painter is brought back from the stem-eyebolt to be stationed by the mast ready for bending on the anchor-/drogue-line when need be. Only when intending to land, approaching the jetty/shore will someone - if needed - go onto the front decks).
END.

Nobody shall ever manage to learn all - but we keep trying!  Don't know what Mk III is ?
  Quite enough for now, but I intend to be back to mention my way about our cockpit arrangement, use of outboard, in/out through onshore waves over sandbars -  be warned and beware!
 
Best W-regards to all   Ken