Commander #65 "Lucky Dawg"

[mbd]

Keep 'em coming Kyle! For my part, pictures really help to get the ideas for hardware placement and aesthetics rolling. I love seeing what others are doing on their boats. Amazing how "buff" the your original hardware is!

[ebb]

Kyle, Thanks for the shots at #55 of the winch brackets.
Have a real liking for the shopmade welded over the cast. Tho the cast IS special!
It's the openness.

Easy to see that the 'leg' could be tilted in more for more deck room. Foot room. Just an observation. We've seen wood and bronze winch brackets that triangulate on the coamings alone, with nothing down on the deck. But this way they contribute alot of support to the coaming. Double duty.

Have recently played around with 6061T6 (considered marine) aluminum from OnlineMetals. Haven't compared prices. You get just the quanity you want from them. I'll never trust myself to stack-of-dimes welding but making models from ideas can do til next Wednesday. The hard material can be cut with a jigsaw and Bosch blades. Even scrolled shapes out of a (expensive) piece of 6"ID pipe, 5/16"wall was pretty easy, smoothed up with angle grinder and coarse flap wheel, metal file and sand paper. It's really just HARD wood! Took my piece to the professionals to stick it together.
I can 'see' those two sheet winches on a side on one extended bracket with the width the winches need left for the jammers and the incidental bummer.

Thanks for sharing the idea....!
May have seendalite and come up with something for LittleGull.

[Paul]

Kyle, I spotted the track on the toe rail could you tell me what kind of backup is on the inside that's how mine are but there is no backup the machine screws 1/4x20 are just tapped into epoxy when I drilled threw they are so close to the hull I can hardly get a washer on the bolt Ebb, I would like to see a picture of your pipe winch stand

[ebb]

Paul, I can't answer for Kyle,
but I would at least screw a nut onto maybe longer bolts.
Every once in while a nut without a washer is OK in a series, especially if that's all you can do.
I don't know how you can see anything up in the cove. but longer bolts should be able to have nuts screwed on.
You can sometimes cheat and bend the bolt end a little into free space.
Must get the nut on so you can use it to pry the bolt over. This is pretty radical - you may have a hard time removing the machine screw later.
Most s.s. 1/4" washers are 5/8" diameter. You could look around and find 1/2" wide washers - that might fit better up in the cove. Even silicon washers on s.s machine screws would be OK to use. McMasterCarr usually gives dimensions of fastenings in their online catalog.

If you want to be a surgeon: Go to W.L.Fuller.Inc and get a Type "X" counterbore for a 1/4" drill bit. You will need a longer bit than a jobber.
You tighten this counterbore on the bit with a couple set screws -
put the bit into the existing hole -
and drill UP from inside. (you have had the bolts and track removed ).
This counterbore is made to create a flat for washers. Maybe not in fiberglass but what do you care, this is a one time deal.
You may get by by just CAREFULLY probing the area around where the bolt comes thru so that a washer will want to fit there - you don't want to go thru the cove! The counterbore makes a 5/8" hole - but you would be just making a flat surface for the washer and nut.
5/8"s is pretty wide up in the cove. If you have found the smaller 1/4" washers that are 1/2" wide, Fuller has a long Type "M" counter bore for a long 1/4" bit that will make a flat 1/2" circle. Haven't used this one. You're kindof limited by how much room you have to get the cordless drill and bit/counterbore in the cove.
Fuller is a family-owned outfit.


The extended two winch aluminum base along the coaming - with the center seat - is just an idea.

You may be able to find 'cardboard' sona tubes of many diameters that are used in concrete forming. Usually at your local ready-mix supplier. I happened to have an onlinemetal's shipment sent in one that was close in size to the six inch aluminum pipe I didn't know they had till I looked it up.
I just made shapes from paper patterns (ideas) and cut them out of the cardboard tube with the jigsaw til I had what looked right. I was trying to design a bowsprit.

It's easy to see that (winch bracket) legs could be got out of cutting pipe lengthwise using NON-parallel lines, wider at one end or the other. Just like furniture. Get nice tapers that have constant radiuses that'll make anything more interesting. I'm just BSing. If the idea coagulates into something interesting maybe it'll appear in the Gallery forum.

I think Kyle should immediately give up sailing for the rest of the season and develop this aluminum winch island idea. Give up on that silly varnished mahogany island he covets so much and spend all the time he can like I do making improvements under a tent in a boat yard. SAILING? H-r-u-m-p-h!

[Lucky Dawg]

I think Kyle should immediately give up sailing... and spend all the time he can like I do making improvements under a tent in a boat yard. SAILING? H-r-u-m-p-h!

HA! Come to MI Ebb and I'll host some on the water vacation hours from your toils under the tent.

I would love to score some affordable interior space for the winter. Working on that option... The chiding I need is "I think Kyle needs to give sailing a rest one weekend and address the peeled paint at his toe rail and scuppers!"

Paul if you look back at post #27 in this thread, there is an interior picture of the backing to the toe rail. Maybe 2"-ish bolts and nuts. No backing plates though - I'll add something to that effect down the road - hopefully before a sickening groan from the t-track extracting itself from the toe rail under genoa load.

[Lucky Dawg]

Hosted my college roommate and his family on Lucky Dawg last week.
- Dave and his family
- El Capitan KW

As is normally the course of events, sailing put them all to sleep before it was all over.

[Lucky Dawg]

Amazing how "buff" the your original hardware is!

Thanks Mike, again, kudos go to PO - he had much of that chrome redone. I am realizing now what a significant investment that was. The only thing I'm "doing with (my) boat" so far is sailing!

[Lucky Dawg]

Fun, very windy day on the lake. Wind built to 17kt with 22kt gusts - overpowering us a smidge! Sooo… new experience of reefing the main whilst underway – a little hairy threading a line through the reef points what with frenetic flapping in the gusts. I know I can use hooks, but making due under the circumstances. I have to research here a better reefing setup – especially outhaul – not that I needed sail efficiency in the wind today, but the sail shape probably wouldn't pass muster…

[Che]

Hi Kyle...
We have experienced some gusty winds this summer here in the Bay Area...and I have noticed that when I am underway and need to reef...I simply hove-to....everything mellows out...and it gives me all the time I need to put a reef in the Main...once the reef is in....I simply tack the jib over and continue on my way...My main is set up with Jiffy reefing and it has worked well...Just a thought...enjoy...

Adam

[Bill]

"Jiffy" or "slab" reefing is simple and a relatively easy system to operate. It can even be a "single line" set up (see Harken). Running the line(s) back to the cockpit make it very safe -- Starboard tack, lower the main, pull the reefing line(s), raise the main. Continue sailing. A Google search on jiffy or slab reefing will likely show you the setup.

[Lucky Dawg]

ahh yes... heaving to would have made more sense. I apparently like to do things the hard way. My vast experience shows....

[mbd]

How to heave-to?

I know it's here somewhere, but I'm curious how it's done, especially when you need to reef. Backwind the jib and tie the tiller off to windward, right?

Can you heave-to with both sails?

PS. Recently saw a picture of Che on the Monitor Windvane site...

[commanderpete]

I've found it varies with the wind, sea state and how big a jib.

You may need some drive from the main to get the bow closer to the wind--ease the main and/or tie the tiller to leeward

[mbd]

Thanks CP - I got over my laziness and hit the search and have been reading up on it. I just need to get out there and try it out, now. Not much season left though, haul out is scheduled for October 11.