s/v Ariel, Cape Dory 36

More furling pictures

2009-06-22T21:49:00.002-04:00

Spin-Tec furlers are unique in that they use bushings instead of bearings, so there are no internal moving parts. The open drums virtually eliminate jams and are pretty slick looking. Initial report is that the units function smoothly and greatly add to sailing enjoyment.

I led both the jib and staysail furling lines along the starboard side of the boat. The line visible at the forward end of the staysail boom is the staysail outhaul and runs down the port side to a cleat.

We anchor quite a bit, so we're hopeful that the drums and lines don't interfere with handling the tackle. It's going to be a tight fit.

Roller furling pictures

2009-05-29T20:57:00.000-04:00

Hurry up and wait

2009-05-26T19:06:00.003-04:00

I spent part of the afternoon waiting for the marina crew to launch a couple of boats before they could bring Ariel's mast down to ground level so I could install the new foil, wire our new masthead tri-color, and give the mast a good cleaning. All I managed to accomplish was to run the duplex wire through the mast and tap holes in the masthead fitting to secure the tri-color. It's amazing how much time it takes to do so little.

Thanks to the design of the AquaSignal mounting plate, I had to modify the base to fit alongside the strap on the masthead. Fortunately, my local marine store was kind enough to let me use their bench grinder so I didn't have to make a run home and back. Now that the base is modified, I have to carve a new groove in the light bulb base to orient the dome in the appropriate position. It would have been nice if the manufacturer had included multiple notches to make it possible to mount the light baseplate in different configurations. This is an older unit, so perhaps they have changed the design.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to get the foil installed, finish the masthead light installation and wiring, and clean the mast before stepping on Thursday. It's raining now and it's supposed to continue into tomorrow. Hopefully that will change.

Ariel goes high-tech (sort of)

2009-05-25T21:03:00.004-04:00

We swore we'd never do it; we're too traditional and it's potentially unreliable. The increased windage is a nuisance. And the expense . . . way too much. We'd rather invest the money in more important things.

Well, we did it.

Ariel is on her way to sporting - not just one, but two - roller furling units. We stopped by the Spin-Tec booth at Strictly Sail Chicago, intending to do some research, and we walked away with an order for furlers for the staysail and jib.

I assembled the foil for the jib today. It was fairly straightforward, although the directions are a bit sketchy in parts. The most difficult part of assembly was inserting and positioning five bushings in each foil section. The directions read "insert the first bushing until you feel slight resistance..." Slight resistance required a whole lot of grunting and brute force - even judicious use of a hammer and wooden dowel.

Tomorrow I'll reattach the headstay and foil, and get the mast ready for stepping on Thursday. No pictures - yet.

Snug under her cover

2008-11-09T11:35:00.002-05:00

Ariel is officially put away for the winter. The boys and I got her covered this morning. I didn't bring my camera, so no pictures, but the cover is snugger than it was last winter due to a different approach with the frame.

The other night I sewed some reinforcement in critical spots and added a flap to the rear opening to completely cover the taffrail and stern of the boat. She's looking good.

A new harness

2008-11-08T12:50:00.004-05:00

I made a few changes to my harness design and made one for Josh. Improvements include velcro shoulder pads and seized strap terminations. I built enough adjustment into the harness to fit Jake, so Josh won't outgrow it too soon.

A little sumpin' sumpin'

2008-09-15T22:42:00.008-04:00

This is an in-progress film of our summer cruise covering the first half of the trip. It leaves off at the Manitou Shoal lighthouse, so don't expect more pictures/video after that - just enjoy the music.

Just fine

2008-09-15T18:28:00.002-04:00

Ariel is fine. Her lines had stretched a little, but otherwise she was fine. Jake and I visited her today. We snugged up the lines, then went below and hung out for a bit. The marina is still a little sloppy, and the channel is moving at a swift four or five knots.

Leftovers

2008-09-14T21:05:00.002-04:00

The remnant of Ike appears to be making its way into the Midwest. The southern Lake Michigan buoy indicates a steady 24kts, gusting to 28kts, out of the NW. Wave height is already 7.9ft, which means that our marina is going to be getting sloppy. I was at the boat earlier today to check lines and secure chafe protection. Ariel was doing fine then, there wasn't much slop. Hopefully she'll be fine overnight. This time of year always brings extra anxiety about the boat as the northwesterly winds set in and boisterous waves roll down the channel.

Sleep tight, girl.

Feeling safer

2008-08-10T08:34:00.012-04:00

After discovering that most of the harnesses made for kids use plastic snaps and buckles and are difficult to adjust and don, I decided to make my own for Jakob.

This harness is more robust than any of the other child harnesses on the market, which makes sailing with children more enjoyable. Combined with a good tether and a solid anchor point, the harness keeps the child securely attached to the boat, with no worries about plastic snaps or buckles letting go in a fall.

The design uses 1" nylon webbing for the shoulder and crotch straps and 2" webbing for the chest strap. All hardware is stainless steel: 2" rings and a buckle for the chest strap, and 1" buckles for the shoulder and crotch straps. The webbing is doubled and sewn using v-92 thread. All stitches are tight, locked, and secure.

The stainless buckles allow easy adjustment without sacrificing security. Optional soft leather shoulder pads add comfort.

The harness can also be reversed to keep little hands from fidgeting with tether snap.

Daysail Aug. 2

2008-08-04T16:40:00.002-04:00

A fresh wind out of the NW made for an invigorating afternoon sail.

Summer Cruise 2008

2008-08-01T10:23:00.003-04:00

Dad and I returned from our summer cruise last night at about 8:30, 3.5 hours earlier than we'd promised.

Our northbound trip took us to Charlevoix and Beaver Island. Southbound included an all-nighter from Beaver Island to Arcadia. After that it was a relaxed cruise home. Approximate total distance = 550nm

Hopefully I'll be able to generate some cruise logs and update the site before school resumes.

I must down to the seas again

2008-06-29T09:13:00.005-04:00

Beautiful day on the water yesterday. Wind 12-15. Blue sky. Sunshine. Temperature in the low 70s. Jake, Grandpa, and me.

Note Jake's new harness. Nice piece of work, if I do say so myself.

Dodger done

2008-06-26T22:34:00.002-04:00

I wrapped up the dodger project this evening after finishing the contours of the leading edge and installing the fasteners. Things look good. I'm pleased. It feels great to have the project completed.

I'd like to get rid of the wrinkles just above the side windows. I thought I'd gotten rid of them when I attached the fasteners. Clearly something shifted when I installed the grab bars during the final step. Overall, though, I'm happy with the dodger.

Two days in a row

2008-06-20T19:15:00.007-04:00

While Josh took a four hour nap, I finished sanding the interior of the CD10 - this time in the Tyvek suit.

Photo credit goes to Jake, who takes the hazardous material warning seriously and stays far away.

With the interior sanded, I propped the boat on its side and hosed it down to get rid of all the dust and debris.

Last night, before putting the boat away, Jake and I epoxied the drain hole in the bottom of the boat. We mixed up a batch of slightly thickened epoxy and topped up the hole. There's still some filling and fairing work to do when it's time to take care of the bottom.

I had noticed during sanding that the seat fillets were cracked and that the tabbing was a little loose, so once the hull had dried sufficiently I reinforced all four attachment points for each seat with fiberglass tabbing.

When work resumes, I'll give the tabbing a washdown and sanding before wiping down the interior of the hull with acetone in preparation for a layer of lightweight cloth. I happened to have a piece of cloth on hand that will cover the aft section.

Here's the original aft seat. I've decided to salvage most of the wood, partly to save money but also to preserve the boat's original character. Bits that are missing or too far gone will be replaced.

Jake's boat

2008-06-20T08:52:00.007-04:00

The CD10, which I purchased almost four years ago, has been resurrected - if only temporarily.

With summer underway, I've been home with the boys for the past two weeks. Although I've managed to get a bit done, most of my time has been devoted to playing ladder golf, climbing trees, swinging, fishing, and riding bikes. Yesterday, at Jake's urging, we dragged the CD10 out of the garage and began work, stripping off the old, damaged gunwale and sanding the interior of the hull.

Between filling Jake's pool and keeping an eye on Josh, I sanded most of the interior in shorts and a t-shirt, generating a mess of dust in the process (I should have known better, but I was having so much fun I didn't give it a second thought - and I'm still itching).

Jake and Josh inspect the CD10, glad to be doing something with it.

Jake has made it clear that this is his boat, and he intends to do "whatever I want". He already seems to know that sailing means freedom and independence.

The plan at this point is to finish sanding the interior, give it a good cleaning, then lay in a lightweight fiberglass cloth. After fairing the surface, I'll turn my attention to the exterior, which is a mess of crazing, flaking paint and gel coat. I think the exterior will get about the same treatment as the interior: a lightweight fiberglass cloth and fairing.

Once the hull is sound, I'll turn my attention to converting the CD10, originally a rowing version, to a sailing dinghy, cutting a slot for the centerboard and building a trunk. Unless I can get some information from other CD10 owners, the centerboard size and location will involve a little guesswork. I've gleaned enough pictures off of the internet to make a pretty good guess, but it would be nice to have some detail shots of the centerboard trunk and a few measurements.

After all that's done, it will be time for paint. When will that happen? Jake asked basically the same question and I gave the project a one-year timetable. We'll see. For the moment, we're having fun.

And when it ceases to be fun, there will always be swinging, ladder golf, bike riding, fishing, relaxing in the hammock, swimming, climbing trees....

Ah, summer. Yes.

First sail of 2008

2008-06-17T10:30:00.004-04:00

Father's day arrived a day early.

I managed to get Ariel's rig tuned and other items taken care of on Friday so she was ready for the first sail of 2008 on Saturday. The day couldn't have been nicer. A gentle 10-12 knot breeze blew from the south out of a clear blue sky, the temp was about 70, and the water flat.

What a way to start the season - and celebrate Father's day. (Dad, you should have been here!)

Launch day arrives

2008-06-01T09:22:00.005-04:00

Ariel splashed at 2 pm on Wednesday after the usual pre-launch flurry of activity. Launch was uneventful, just the way I like it. I moved Ariel off the fuel dock and to a transient slip for a couple of hours while I stowed some gear and got her anchor on board.

I needed to rig up the docklines at our marina before taking Ariel over, so I ran home and picked up the lines - and Jakob, who was excited Ariel was finally in the water. Jake and I inflated the dinghy and prepared the slip (our marina has ridiculously high cement docks with abrasive edges that chew through docklines. The height also equates to leads of 45 degrees or more down to the boat, making the geometry to chocks and cleats all wrong. We solved the problem by wrapping a length of chain around the cement pillar that supports the dock. The docklines are then attached to the chain, providing a relatively chafe-free attachment point and much better geometry).

By the time we were done rigging the docklines, it was 4:30 - time to pick up Josh from the babysitter. We did that, returned to our marina where we left the car, then the three of us walked the mile or so to West Basin Marina and Ariel. What a trip! Jake was "tired", so I ended up carry both boys almost the entire time in 90 degree weather. All three of us were drenched in my sweat by the time we got to Ariel.

We tied up at The Waterfront around 5:30 and got home about 6:00 in time for supper. The boys were great, and Jake even helped pick up a spring line. He's getting more and more useful every day; perhaps we'll keep him.

Details, Details

2008-04-20T21:44:00.005-04:00

As of Saturday evening the side curtains are fabricated and attached. I ended up using the pattern for the port side to create both side curtains to ensure that they'd be identical. I was in a hurry and didn't take any pictures of the construction. The process was much like the other panel construction.

Mom and dad were here for the weekend, so dad and I went over to the boat today to work out the attachment details for the front panel. I'd purchased some PVC channel material from Sailrite last week, so we determined the mounting locations. One section of track will mount to the aft end of the seahood, just under the traveler. The other will mount on the port deck just beneath the traveler. I brought the seahood home to over-drill, fill with epoxy, redrill and tap for final mounting. The holes in the deck will have to wait until I get an angle attachment for my drill or rotary tool that will allow me to get under the traveler - my current angle attachment is too big.

Sailrite's awning track:

Fastening the forward edge of the dodger to the deck with snaps or twist-locks is standard practice, but neither dad nor I like the idea of projections cluttering up the deck when the dodger's off the boat, hence the awning track idea. The track requires creating a boltrope along the edge of the dodger, but sewing as one continuous piece along the dodger would make it difficult to install or take down. Borrowing an idea from some dodger construction pictures floating around the internet, I decided to create zippered panels that attach to the boltrope on one end and the dodger on the other. Then, installing or removing the dodger is a matter of zipping the front panel in place. Much simpler - not to mention slicker.

Test Fit

2008-04-14T18:17:00.003-04:00

I had the day off so Jake and I removed Ariel's cover and reinstalled the dodger frame to do a test fit. I need to determine just how best to attach the dodger's edges to the boat. I'm not eager to use a bunch of snaps, so I think I'll order some awning track from Sailrite and boltrope material so attach the majority of the front panel to the traveler bridge. The dodger is wrinkled in all of the pictures because it isn't secured along the forward edges, but the pictures give a basic idea of the final appearance.

Zipper-flap-thingie

2008-04-11T17:49:00.003-04:00

Mother Nature is toying with my emotions. The weather service is forecasting snow tomorrow and ice on Sunday, so it doesn't look like Ariel's cover is coming off any time soon.

Before cleaning up my mess in the living room and dining room, I added a flap to the aft edge of the dodger that will allow us to quickly attach a cockpit shade. I cut a piece of Sunbrella 50" long and 1-1/4" wide to match the rear curve, attached one half of the zipper, and added binding to all of the edges. I then sewed the piece to the dodger top.

Nearly There

2008-04-10T19:56:00.004-04:00

A major part of the construction is complete. The dodger is now ready for the frame and final fitting on the boat.

I got the top and front panels assembled a couple of days ago, and just this evening I added the trim along the aft edge and installed the rear zippered sleeve, which I cut shorter than Sailrite directed so it wouldn't interfere with the side windows.

Here are a few pictures of the fit so far. The dodger fits good and tight between the forward and aft bows. The wrinkles on the sides will (should) disappear when the front panel is tightly attached to the deck and the sides are finished and secured. Moderate tension in the right spots smooths it out nicely. Once the weather cooperates, I'll peel off Ariel's cover and reinstall the frame, fit the dodger, and take some final measurements to determine side curtain size. I have patterns, but I'm rethinking their size.

I omitted Sailrite's tail piece, as they call it, a flap designed to wick water away from the dodger's underside. Instead, I'm going to add a zippered flap to the top of the aft panel, right near the rear bow. This flap won't do much to wick away water, but it will allow us to quickly connect a cockpit shade that will be secured aft, most likely at the backstay. I arrived at this idea only recently, so I'll need to order a couple more yards of Captain Navy Sunbrella. The shade, and its ease of installation, will be a major plus during those scorching windless summer days.

A couple observations about the Sailrite kit:
- Include zipper terminations rather than melting or whipping teeth
- Attach the forward zipper from the aft sleeve directly to the top panel - there's no need to add the complexity of cutting the tabling strip in half, installing the zipper in that, hemming the ends, adding a 1/4" fold, then stitching the assembly to the top panel. Next time (if that happens), I'm stitching the zipper to the top panel with a piping piece sandwiched between for reinforcement.
- And while I'm on "next time," rather than construct the dodger out of four separate panels - top, front, two side panels - why not make it out of two: a top panel long enough to create the side panels, with a nice fair curve along the aft edge; a front panel that doesn't terminate at the dodger frame and mounting point, but one that runs aft, right into the top panel (side curtains).
- Patterning: pattern all pieces on the frame, one on top of the other, carefully transferring match-up marks. Oh, yes, don't use the cheap plastic junk that Sailrite includes in their kit; use Canvex(?).
- It's not necessary to follow the kit's steps in order. In fact, doing so makes it incredibly difficult to do detail/finishwork on the panels. I didn't follow Sailrite's suggested order, and instead worked with the panels separately, a much simpler proposition.
- Beef up thread size. V-92 is probably sufficient, but why not either upsize the thread or buy a stronger thread - such as Profilen?
- Use contrasting thread for accent. I assumed that the kit would come with white thread, but instead it came with black. I considered going with white, but decided that using a less visible thread would be a better option for an amateur, who might not always make the most even stitches. In retrospect, I'm to the point where I feel fairly confident about being able to stitch prettily enough, so I should have gone with it.
- With all of that said, the Sailrite kit is very complete, the directions are clear, and it's a great introduction to the art and craft of dodger making. Their designs, and the amateurs that produce them, are better than many professional dodgers I've seen. With a bit of tweaking, one can have an even more professional looking dodger. I'm very happy with Sailrite, and I will patronize them again.

Panel Assembly

2008-04-08T17:41:00.002-04:00

Basting tape ready for vinyl trim along forward edge of top panel.

Vinyl trim prior to sewing panels together.

Top and forward panels joined together.

Detail of forward seam and binding. Seam includes top panel, vinyl trim, front panel, and zippered sleeve.

Forward trim secured.

Detail of forward trim.

Top and front panels assembled.

Hiccup

2008-04-01T15:08:00.004-04:00

Last night it dawned on me that there was a potential problem with the aft zippered sleeve interfering with the side panel window. Sure enough. It turns out that the sleeve is supposed to be secured in the area where it overlaps the window. I appear to have two options: terminate the sleeve above the window, or reduce the witdh of the sleeve. Terminating the sleeve above the window is probably the easiest option, but what I don't know is if doing so will prevent the dodger from fitting snugly in the lower part of the side panel. I loathe the thought of a wrinkly, loose-fitting dodger, especially after all the work. The alternative, reducing the sleeve's width, might be a better route, but it may make it difficult (or impossible) to secure the dodger to the aft bow since the sleeve tolerances would be so narrow.

Anticipation

2008-03-31T14:49:00.002-04:00

Now that the major pieces of the dodger are taking shape, it's nearly time to begin assembling the panels. Last night I constructed the two zippered sleeves that attach the dodger to the forward and aft bows. Tonight I'll cut and bind the tabling strips that form the small flap that extends beyond the dodger's aft edge - I'll probably add zippers to that piece as well to give us the option of adding a zip-on awning for the cockpit. Other steps will have to wait until I get a shipment from Sailrite - a yard of SurLast to reinforce and protect the aft edge of the dodger, Sunbrella facing to trim out the inside edges of the windows, and another yard of Captain Navy Sunbrella to use for the side curtains. Once those parts are in place, it will be on to final assembly.