New gripe sheet for an old 19
Posted: July 28th, 2020, 11:11 am
After a false start a few weeks ago (a 12-hour day yielded a 15-minute sail after both rudder lock pins went to bits - old UV-killed plastic, got replacements from Tom) I finally got out for a couple of proper (though still too short) sails.
1. I'm still running the stock '83 wraparound tramp and wire traveler and have no immediate desire (or budget) to get a new tramp and switch to a car-on-track traveler. The existing setup, though, sucks pretty badly. My objection is that when there's tension on the traveler line, that tension rotates the cleat to lee and away from the user, making it harder to adjust than it should be. Seems to me the problem is that the fairlead (bullseye) rotates with the cleat rather than being fixed while the cleat alone rotates. Has anyone come up with a fix for this?
2. This is a little thing, and barely sail-related, but pretty stupid. This yellow mesh tramp came with a big matching bag that has four rings that mate with four spring clips on the tramp. What idiot decided that the the spring clips should be on the tramp to snag your clothes, wetsuit, harness, etc., rather than putting the rings on the tramp? Not pulling it apart now, just hoping they don't kill me before I take the tramp off and have them switched over the winter.
3. What are the feelings regarding trailering w/ or w/o rudders? Unlike (e.g.) Hobie rudders, the tiller isn't part of the locking mechanism and can't be secured down to keep the rudders raised on the road, so some other means of keeping them from dropping needs to be devised. At a glance, it seems to me that a suitable length of wood dowel through the rudder lock notch adjacent the transom (when the rudders are raised) will keep them in place. I'm a nomadic sailor looking for every trick possible to reduce setup time for day sails.
4. This is the first boomless rig I've ever owned, and thus the first without a mast rotation yoke. This seems to have made it a lot harder to unhook the halyard ring from the mast when dropping the sail. Comments and suggestions?
All for now (I think).
1. I'm still running the stock '83 wraparound tramp and wire traveler and have no immediate desire (or budget) to get a new tramp and switch to a car-on-track traveler. The existing setup, though, sucks pretty badly. My objection is that when there's tension on the traveler line, that tension rotates the cleat to lee and away from the user, making it harder to adjust than it should be. Seems to me the problem is that the fairlead (bullseye) rotates with the cleat rather than being fixed while the cleat alone rotates. Has anyone come up with a fix for this?
2. This is a little thing, and barely sail-related, but pretty stupid. This yellow mesh tramp came with a big matching bag that has four rings that mate with four spring clips on the tramp. What idiot decided that the the spring clips should be on the tramp to snag your clothes, wetsuit, harness, etc., rather than putting the rings on the tramp? Not pulling it apart now, just hoping they don't kill me before I take the tramp off and have them switched over the winter.
3. What are the feelings regarding trailering w/ or w/o rudders? Unlike (e.g.) Hobie rudders, the tiller isn't part of the locking mechanism and can't be secured down to keep the rudders raised on the road, so some other means of keeping them from dropping needs to be devised. At a glance, it seems to me that a suitable length of wood dowel through the rudder lock notch adjacent the transom (when the rudders are raised) will keep them in place. I'm a nomadic sailor looking for every trick possible to reduce setup time for day sails.
4. This is the first boomless rig I've ever owned, and thus the first without a mast rotation yoke. This seems to have made it a lot harder to unhook the halyard ring from the mast when dropping the sail. Comments and suggestions?
All for now (I think).