Archive for August 2015
A slower race today meant that the handicap times expanded out enough for us to finish sixth in a fleet of thirteen yachts. I had expected to beat Enigma, Viva and Britannia who were behind or in close company on much tougher handicaps but I never imagined we would be at the front of a group of six boats all within 90 seconds on handicap.
The race started in quiet conditions not at all like the forecast. In the seven to ten knots we were surprised to see the big blue hulled caravan Viva matching us on the reach to the heads. This was doubly unfortunate as she blanketed us for most of the reach and rounded in front. Rainbow went high for clear air and while she was well above the course it seemed to pay off. Izzi, the same design was stuck below us and Viva and did not get away until she also decided to go to windward for clear air.
The work back was a long beat to Steel Point. We tacked on one knock and back on the next to be above the fleet and while that looked good for a while the fleet in front lifted above our line so we came our about line ball with our starting position at the Rose Bay turn but just sneaking around in front of Viva.
On the work to Point Piper for the turn around Shark Island we picked up Britannia and Enigma who were caught with a big header as they approached the mark. Britannia got away but we kept Enigma and Viva at bay to the finish.
The tight beat to the finish was not all beer and skittles as we had a No 2 division yacht right in front. She was too big for us to go to leeward and too quick for us to pass to windward so she slowed our finish. I was blaming this yacht for our demise until I saw the handicap results. Rainbow the fifth placed yacht on handicap was so far in front I doubt we could have beaten her even with the interference we were suffering so now I can stop muttering.
I now have the Edson radial wheel drive which will be used to connect the autopilot drive to the rudder shaft and also the Hydralign feathering propeller so there is almost nothing to stop me installing the rudder stock and prop shaft bearings. I say almost nothing because JBC Yacht Engineering is turning down one end of my stern tube to match the internal diameter of my Radice shaft seal.
Other photos show the stern tube which I built up from 2.5 mm walls to 7 mm wall with epoxy glass and the epoxy glass housing for the lower bearing for the rudder stock. Both of these items have to be glassed into the hull. In the photo of the bearing housing you can see the Vesconite hi lube bearing already glassed in. In the space above the Vesconite I will install gland packing which will be held in place with the epoxy glass shaft follower that is almost completed.
Edson radial wheel drive with pin fitted for the autopilot arm.
Epoxy glass housing for the lower bearing on the rudder shaft.
Making a shaft follower to retain the gland packing on the lower bearing housing
Stern tube with 7 mm thick epoxy glass walls prior to turning the end for the Radice seal
15.5 inch Hydralign three bladed feathering propeller in the feathered position
It is unusual for me to be happy with a ninth place out of thirteen but in the circumstances of today I am genuinely pleased that we finished that far up the fleet on handicap. Despite the breeze dying on us on the run home after the front runners were over the finish line we were only two minute out of second place. We started down the line on time but found the fleet lifting inside us on a very large and long progressive shift. Not wanting to tack away from the lift we found ourselves locked on the north side of the harbour waiting for a solid shift back. We were out in the outgoing tide and in clear air so the tacking angles look fine but not good enough. We came back from the shore on a small knock but were forced back to starboard on the long board out by a couple of starboard tackers including Rainbow. When Rainbow tacked away she took the long board all the way to the south shore and when she tacked back onto starboard looked a mile in front. By comparison our port tack into the top mark was much shorter than her long dig across the harbour so we came out not far behind. To our surprise we crossed the eventual winner Larrikin on the leg into the top mark and it was only her superb running speed that got her back to the front. Also behind was Izzi who together with Larrikin had looked to be a long way in front half way up the beat.
A big progressive shift off the start line was a setback and there were few opportunities to cover the fleet.
The sun sets on a great day on the water
On the run back to Steel Point the rhumb line out in a bit of tide had better wind strength so we overtook Rainbow and Agrovation. Rainbow chanced the inside run around Steel Point and managed to nose into the breeze well in front of Agrovation and us who were becalmed out wide from the point. On the run home from Rose Bay to the shortened course finish line we never caught Rainbow but did manage to finish within shouting distance of Agrovation in front and Izzi behind and well in front of Crackerjack and Viva. The conditions were perfect for a day on the water. We tweaked everything we could from moving genoa sheeting positions forward to loosening the cap shrouds to power up the main and while it was not enough to win the race it was enough for a great day.
Now that I have made the holes in the hull for the shaft log and P bracket it was time to double check the alignment of everything with the centre line of the hull. My home handyman Laser level is not bright enough to do be able to see the line in daylight but at dusk the lines light up on the hull.
I am very pleased with the check as the holes for the shaft log and P bracket were right on the centre line. The laser beam even went through the shaft log hole and shone onto the centre line mark for the engine and onto the bulkhead at the aft of the saloon.
From inside the hull I could look up through the keel bolt holes and see the laser beam passing across the centre line bolt holes.
Meanwhile the shaft is back at JBC Engineering having the three bladed feathering propeller fitted and the rudder stock is being fitted with the steering quadrant for the autopilot.
Using the laser level to check the alignment of the shaft log and P bracket on our Didi 40 Cr.
The laser beam shone through the shaft log onto the centre line of the engine bed.
Another day and another hole in the hull. This time it was for the P bracket that holds the cutless bearing and supports the propeller. To locate one end of the shaft I fitted a bracket with an alignment hole to the rear end of the engine mounting template. The exit from the hull provided a second alignment position to hold the shaft in line. Then the location of the P bracket was set by the distance of the shaft from the hull at the rear of the P bracket. With the hole for the bracket formed in the hull and the bracket temporarily secured with wooden wedges I was able to measure the shaft length ready for the over long shaft to be trimmed to the final dimensions.
Engine mounting template with guide hole for the propeller shaft.
Shaft and P bracket temporarily in place for checking the shaft length.
I have started to set up the prop shaft by installing the engine beds and drilling a pilot hole for the shaft. I started with an 8 mm pilot hole and now have in increased to 25 mm on the way to about 46 mm for the shaft log.
A plywood jig used to check the engine bearer alignment and establish a centre line for the shaft.
A broom handle used to get a rough alignment of the shaft. I have the shaft ready to use once the hole is large enough.
With conflicting forecasts today I chose the big black carbon genoa only to find the wind picked up to over twenty knots for the start. It was too late to change down and perhaps it was just a front that would blow through so we took off on the reach to the top mark fully powered up.
The extra power kept us closer to the top of the fleet and in front of Enigma and Larrikin. Allegro was surprisingly close ahead and separated from us by only L’eau Co. It was a tight single leg back to Steel Point and the reef we put in just before the top mark helped us keep Passion under control. Running into Rose Bay the breeze lightened off but we left the reef in ready for the work to windward. With the benefit of a shift to the right we all but made the turning mark on a single board but some dirty air and a small shift back meant we needed a short work off the shore. We tacked back below the line of the big Margaret Rintoul V from division 1s which was steaming into the mark on starboard and had to contend with her dirty air for a short time. Along the work we had passed L’eau Co and overtaken the Division 2 Gwhizz and Silky. The latter two started five minutes behind us but turned at the shorter top mark and had been ahead on the reach into Rose Bay. Now that we were on the broad reach to the top of Shark Island it would have been nice to shake out the reef but again caution prevailed as there were still some strong gusts on the course. On the reach back to the bottom of the Island Gwhizz made up some good ground on us and carried a strong gust almost to our stern but once back onto the wind we pulled away again.
From the bottom of Shark Island we again benefited from a left shift which was against the predicted shift to the west so I was keen to hang on as long as possible. We did tack to port once we cleared the Division 3 yacht that wanted to tack around the turning mark for the trip around Shark Island. From here we took a long board out to the lay line to the finish. I was nervous out this far in anticipation of the shift back to the west and kept a bit of mark room in the bank. As we approached the finish the wind did progressively move west and we just cleared the finish line on a tight work.
In the end Izzi beat us across the line by a couple of minutes. It must have been Izzi that I mistook for Rainbow who did not show up for the race. Crackerjack was just over a minute in front and Allegro only three and a half minutes in front.
Fidelis won the handicap race from Viva and Amante. There are no surprises here. Fidelis loves the reaching conditions and Viva fronts up week after week waiting for a blow to show how fast she is so I am very pleased with our fourth place and the performance to windward of Passion under the conditions. At times I saw windward speeds of seven knots which is well above anything we have seen of recent times. The carbon fiber genoa and the reefed main seemed to be the perfect combination for balance and speed in the conditions and we were helped by an incoming tide.
All of the days tacks on one short section of the course
We used a long RHS welded to the surplus plate at the front to get leverage to wrap the plate around the tight curve.
A view of the bulb of our Didi 40 Cr from the stern
We have finished plating the keel delta bulb on our Didi 40 Cr. I worked with the fabricator to ensure that the plate wrapped properly around the foil shapes and the process went remarkably smoothly. it helped that we left the 3 mm plate about 300 mm over length at the front and that we welded a RHS to the front to give us leverage. The large section of surplus plate at the front ensured that the plate wrapped smoothly.
As well as the painting and fairing I have a couple of other tasks under way. After a long break I have been back working on the rudder and now have all the plywood layers of the two halves glued together ready for the stainless steel rudder stock to be glued in.
The two halves of the plywood rudder of our Didi 40 Cr ready for fitting to the rudder stock.
Before gluing in the stock in need to install the bearings in the hull as once the plywood is attached to the stock it will be too heavy to man handle around the hull. So today I used the laser level to project a vertical line from the underside of the cockpit floor to the centre of the keel. The pilot hole I drilled on the laser vertical came out exactly on the centre line “V” on the hull but for good measure I used a metal rod to check the vertical with the spirit level. Happy with the alignment I cut out the hole in the keel for the bearing to full size. Tomorrow I will do the same for the top bearing housing in the cockpit floor and then install the stock while the bearings are set in epoxy and laminated in place.
Checking the alignment of the rudder stock on our Didi 40 Cr.
Bottom rudder post bearing ready to glue into the keel of our Didi 40 Cr
The other task under way is the keel construction at a local steel fabricator. The job is progressing well now that we have made up very accurate templates from 1 mm steel plate to get a perfect shape. One side was plated in 3mm plate today. We started from the trailing edge and left the plate 300 mm overlenth so that we had some leverage to bend the plate around the tight curve at the front. We had to weld a long RHS to the plate to get the leverage required and as I pulled the plate into the base the welder tacked it in place. It looks a mighty fine job and I hope the second side goes as well tomorrow.
1 mm steel template for marking out the bulb bottom plate.
Didi 40 Cr keel bulb ready for plating with 3 mm plate.
The result from Wednesday’s RANSA race was a surprising and disappointing thirteenth out of seventeen finishers. Until the results came through I was confident we had finished in the top half. The day had been very pleasant if chilled off by the seventeen knot westerly and we had already enjoyed spotting the dolphins in the harbour. Post race in bright sunshine we saw a seal resting in the water off Long Nose point with one flipper in the air catching the breeze.
It is tough doing a post mortem on a race where nothing went wrong and yet we placed at the back of the fleet. We selected the No 2 genoa which seemed like the right choice given the wind conditions and as the breeze lightened off at the end of the race we were catching L’eau Co with a smaller No 3 and Solange with a reef in their main. Also we were making time on Gwhizz which is a good benchmark for us. What I now appreciate is that the yachts with larger genoas and full mainsails also pulled away from us in the lighter conditions and a small loss of time meant a lot of places.
In the fresh conditions the fleet were well bunched at the top mark so while we were at the tail end we seemed to be ahead of our handicap. Allegro and Trim were just in front and unusually close to the back of the fleet. Allegro never recovered time but Trim shook our the reef and just pipped us on handicap. The big blue Viva was enjoying the fresher conditions and even she was over canvassed rounding up multiple times on the work back to Steel Point. Izzi with full rig finished a full five minutes ahead of us and managed a very good third on handicap.
In conclusion we gave away a little on the strong downwind leg by setting the smaller No 2 genoa but lost out more on the upwind leg in the lighter conditions.
What genoa will we set when next confronted by these thirteen to eighteen knot conditions?
I have two coats of primer on one side of the Didi 40 Cr and one on the other. A younger person might manage a coat a day but with the sanding between coats all I can manage is one side a day. I have a good photo that shows the progression of first one coat of Interprotect, then some spot filling, then an aggressive sand back with 60 grit paper and finally a second coat.
Priming the new Passion showing the aggressive sanding of the first coat after spot filling
Two coats of primer on the port side
The second coat requires spot filling too and then it will be sanded back with 80 grit. The third coat will be sanded back with 120 grit and by that time I hope all the spot filling will be finished. Between the second and third coats I have some International Microsurfacer on order for final fairing of the round bilge sections. That won’t arrive for a week so I might get back to some real construction. While we were away sailing in Canada the sailmaker modified an old mainsail off Passion by adding a 900 mm deep panel to the foot. It is only 4.7 metres on the foot compared to the planed 5.5 metres but it will be enough sail for cruising for Elaine and myself.
The old North mainsail off passion has been extended again. it now has 2.6 metres longer luff than the original.
Bill Bollard a retired naval architect and model maker was a regular Laser sailor at Gosford Sailing club until two seasons ago. Bill regularly assists the Lasers with a start boat, one he designed and build from molded ply and today he was again helping for the first August pre season race at Gosford. Bill and I regularly talk boat building and he has been interested in my current project the Dudley Dix Didi 40 Cr. He has very kindly produced a half model of the yacht which he presented to me after today’s Laser race. It is a lovely model and a very special gift which I will cherish.
A photo of Bill’s boat taken at the Laser Worlds at Terrigal in the 07 08 season.
Half model of our Didi 40 Cr built by Bill Bollard