-----
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:
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