Tag Archives: Informational

looking forward to 2018

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What about some events to look forward to in 2018?

Vintage Sailing in the city
“Les journées bruxelloises de l’eau“.
The Belgian GIRAFF Yacht Club invites to show old varnish on a lake near Brussels 25 March.

Ian Proctor Centenary Rally
The Ian Proctor Centenary Rally at the Bosham Sailing Club 2 -3 June

MS Europeans 2018
Very probably mid June in Wormer Holland or Ostend Belgium.
Here how it was last time

MS Nationals
Rupert suggested (on facebook.com/groups/minisail) to use the CVRDA Bowmoor Rally 2018 (18 Aug 2018 – 19 Aug) as a venue for a get together.
All to be confirmed and massaged.

470 forestay chain plate repair

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IMG_6679
Some weeks ago two lovely sisters, good sailors and friends of mine, found the forestay chain plate of their old 470 finding it’s way through the deck and asked me if I could take care of it.
Having told them I probably could, but cosmetic surgery aftercare would be for them, they agreed.
Browsing the interweb I found a documented report of a similar repair on the French website forumvoile.com.
With a good insight of the specific construction I went over to have a second look at the patient and it was obvious I wouldn’t be the first one to get that nose done.
The deck had been lifted before and was sealed shut. No way I would lift it from the hull with a few gentle ticks from the hammer.
Out with the (fantastic) oscillating tool and off went a good part of the front deck.

Found the original GRP square profile gone and the repair GRP-wood combination end-of-life since the (second?) wooden back-up material had dissolved.

I cut away most, if not all repair-GRP.
With some pitch pine wooden stock I made a wedge profile and fitted it snugly in the corner, wel soacked in epoxy and three layers of 280 g/m² over it, re-creating the original GRP profile… Sort of.

That needed curing so hang on, I’ll finish this nose next week.

Second attempt with the Meson

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But it didn’t work.
Arriving at the club this morning I found out it was occupied by a triathlon circus – no club facilities for the members, everything reserved for the triathlon intruders – so I had to return home.

Anyway I made a non-skid floor: two battens and some strips of abrasive tape glued in. (Very abrasive, I recon its grid 60. Hope I don’t fall on the strips, this would eat some skin or wetsuit no doubt)
Next time also I will be using the mast that came with it. It is after all 100 mm longer than the one from Minisail 9000, and I think it will be a gain in comfort during maneuvering with the boom 10 cm higher up.

Oh and yes, I’ll paint the hull. The Mrs thinks the scruffy look doesn’t do justice to the lovely old wooden boat. She might be right (and it needs at least one other coat anyway).