Recent content by wjejr

Hi Bradrueb. I would be leery of adding sail area, especially at the top, to an unstayed mast. The additional force is not something the original designers would have planned for. Good luck in whatever you decide.

Someone will know for sure, but I don’t think you need an inspection port. Your attaching to a wooden transom, and I would think wood screws would be enough. I would try that route first. If it seems that the screws are not holding properly, you can always go the other route. Personally, I...

Hi Stollie, I have the 220 version, but my comments should/might apply to the 200 version as well. The two cross pieces (fore and aft) are different lengths, but strangely the holes in the longer piece are not drilled at the ends. The result is that there is no difference in the lateral...

Also I'm sure your answer to my original question about the boom rigging must be right. I simply have not been (and maybe never will be) sailing in winds strong enough, or with a sail big enough, that I would need that extra mechanical advantage of the sheet hauling from the end of the boom...

Hi, Yes, I was only suggesting filling in the gouge with gel coat and then wet sanding to level followed by buffing.

Hi Steven, Without a picture it’s hard to tell, but I would think you would want to use gel coat for a gouge thus avoiding the need to paint. Gel coat is much more durable than paint and will look more original. Gel coat is also fairly easy to work with. You can paint, but one scratch and you...

Hi Pirate Marc. You definitely need the lower bracket screwed down as Charles Howard mentions. My guess is the block isn’t rotted, or at least that much, if the screw broke and didn’t just pull out. Once you have the old screw out, I would fill the hole with thickened epoxy, and then drill a...

Hi Andy, I would encourage you not to put in the second port. I have a port near the stern, and every time I look at it, I just think ”UGLY”! It was ugly when I put it in, and it’s even uglier now that age, even with the boat under a cover, has yellowed it. When I see other boats with ports...

Yes, i would move the bunks close to the trapier tongue and out more to the sides. To cut the curve, I would scribe a line using the hull of the boat as a guide. Use a saber saw to cut the wood. Hope that helps. Good luck!

Hi Frank, The short answer is, “Yes,” but I would try desperately to avoid it. The simple reason is that an inspection port on the bow IMHO is not, how shall we say, aesthetically pleasing. I have one on the stern of my boat, and every time I look at it I regret putting it in, even though it...

Hi, I would look to move the bunks outboard and forward so that the boat is supported close to the chines where the boat is strongest. The ends of the bunks want to be past where the cubby and footwell meet, however. I would also shape the bunks so that they fit the hull properly and round...

I agree with you, registering a trailer as homemade is EZPZ in Mass. I’ve done it twice: once for a 24’ sailboat, and once for 30’ sailboat. Besides the easy registering of trailers, extra bonus in Mass is that you don’t have to register a sailboat unless it has a motor.

Hi arsweb, I will check tomorrow, but I believe the screw is a #12 bronze. I think the length is 1 1/4 “. If you are hitting something hard at 1/2”, I would check to see if the old screw didn’t shear. If the old screw did shear, you will need to use one of those screw extractors that looks...

Astroturf decks, party barges... I think being in lock-down is starting to get the better of us all. :)

Hi Benswingin, Executive overview: Don't do it. Summary report: I did once tow my children's two kayaks, with them aboard, side by side or "side by each" as they sometimes say around here. It did sorta work, but I think the others are right, what you are proposing is just too much drag...