"Precourt gaffer", and lashings.

[amalling]

Hi

I'm new to this extremely nice place (and new to boat-building/rigging), but I'm in the process on deciding which type of small boat to build - it depends quite much on the rigging. Something like a small sandbagger type of boat, seems to be ideal to me. Or the couta in a bit lighter, smaller version.

Anyway, my plan is to build a small, open 5,5-7mtr (18-22ft) gaffer. A modern sort of thing, inspired by the couta-boats, rig-wise, and I have an idea ñ if it can fly (the idea, not the boat), then I will be able to decide which type of hull I will build. Which sort of plans to buy, et cetera, and if it not a convenient road to go down. Anyways, Hull-wise it will be strip-plank, and have a swing-keel/steel daggerboard. (as has the couta and the Joli Morgann).

The Sandbaggers I have seen have much of the same sort of hull as the couta-boat.

Basically, I'm looking for replies like "Good/bad idea", "Why not do it like this or that instead". General replies.

Oh, and sorry for the long-windedness, and my language, I'm danish, so I might not use the right terms.

My plan is to first build my own hollow wooden spars (cheaper than carbon), and then at a later date, upgrade to carbon and/or aluminium/ better blocks (if I can't afford it to begin with.

First, though, this is the rigging of a couta-boat
(Btw, that picture is from http://www.couta.net/website/classrules.asp )

My plan was to make something similar, although a bit more high-peaked, and perhaps not have the bowsprit bend as much (it seems to bend down a whole lot more in real life). Oh, and keep everything as simple as possible (when done).
All spars will be tapered.

Questions ñ are these good ideas, or should I stay away from these:

1) A higher peak than the couta, perhaps make the saddle of the gaff (even the one from wood) in carbon fiber.

2) main lashed both to boom, mast and gaff - modern ropes.

3) precourt rigging, www.precourt.ca with deadeyes etc.? Mr. Precourt himself warns against using them with spreaders, and that leads me to the next question:

4) how do you feel if I don't use spreaders? I like to keep this as simply as possible.

5) The bowsprit, is there some simple way to make it retract (into a hole?), or should I go for having it "always on"?

6) Modern rope for the bobstay? Will it cope? Will I be able to use a dead-eye set-up there you think? My gut-feeling is that it will hold just fine, but gees, have I been wrong before.

7) "Block Lashings" etc. ... Ouch ... I want to drill as few holes as possible, and lash as much as I can instead. The reason being that I want to keep it simply, and try to get as close to "can repair anything on the boat with a sailmakers palm, a knife and a screwdriver" as possible. Can I lash the following (preferably without drilling any holes at all, no metal attached to the spars):

7b) Boom down-haul (except a metal fitting on mast/deck to lash onto) Will it not slide on the boom?

7c) All main-sheet blocks on boom

7d) The clew-outhaul - any ideas - shapes for the boom end, perhaps some sort of designed "hub" in it? Also - deadeyes for that instead of blocks? It's not going to be a racer, so I won't have the outhaul go all the way along the boom and to the mast.

7e) Gaff-blocks?

7f) Blocks for gaff on mast.

7g) Main-halyard block - will I be able to have it lashed on the mast

7h) How about having lashing an eye to the saddle, and attach the halyard to that, instead of having a metal fitting drilled to it?

7i) MAstband? A lashing, or should I make a consession there (as well?), and go for metal, or any other ideas? It will slip, won't it, if I lash the blocks on, up there, won't it? I mean, it would be very cool (to me) if I could lash the shrouds, topping lift, forestay /jibstayetc. onto it.

7j) Any other place where lashing might be used? The cranse iron?

8) Precourt deadeyes instead of blocks for the topping lift?


Since this is something I will be building myself, I'm well aware that somethings aren't certain, however, I'm not exactly frightened by experimenting. So, please don't hold back on ideas on, say, boom-end shapes and the like, because it is customary to do it by attaching a d-ring by rivetting. I'd rather have a special shape than rivets.

Again, I would be very grateful if you guys would comment on my questions, and, of course it doesn't have to be every single one. I know I have put forth quite a lot.

Thanks
Andre

[Brion Toss]

Hello,
I really like the looks of that project, but the length and depth of your query is really on the consultation side of things, if only because it is difficult to answer any of your questions without answering all of them, plus a raft of others.
For example, starting with peak angle: If you peak it any higher, you'll be approaching a Gunter, and in any event the span wire as shown will cause the peak blocks to clash, plus the same span wire is way too wide-based, imposing much more of a compression load than seems advisable, and reducing effective purchase.
Or take point 7, about not going all the way forward with the outhaul because, "it's not going to be a racer." What does that have to do with it? Racers just use lighter, more expensive tools, harder and more obsessively. But if you've been on a beat, then get on a run, you won't want to go to the end of the boom to slack the outhaul. And no, deadeyes would be a poor choice here, as outhauls typically need all the purchase they can get.
I hope you can see that you have a large system here, not a series of questions.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

[amalling]

Thanks,

I see your point.

It's just that I've never done this thing before, yet I want to do it "my way".

But, I guess, then, that how the Couta is, rigwise, that is how high I want to go.

Deadeyes for anything but the standing rigging is out.

I have to find a nice, simple block-system for the outhaul.

I need to have a narrower space between the blocks up high, or as you say, "wire span" (never heard that expression before)(I'm danish, and apparently empty headed, hehe).

Thanks for the answer, Brion - I do see that it's not just a series of questions, now that you put it like that. I need to buy some more books about this. More planning.

One question, though. Does anyone of you know of boats where most blocks are lashed to the boom, gaff etc? It doesn't even have to be a gaffer, although that would be nice.

I guess, in the end, that the lashing doesn't matter much, because if it can't hold/stay in place, I could attach some metal to hold the blocks in place, though. Trial and error.

Anyways, Thanks,

Andre

Edit: I'm sorry about the "bells", but I really am not trying to cheat in any way. I am in the process of finding out if my ideas were just simply stupid, because that way I might be able to choose the boat-style I want. My thinking was that if I could get so far as "Good idea, but you have to work a little more on it, especielly "there"", I would buy some plans for a boat, and then try somethings myself. If that didn't work, I'd find someone here that could help me (i.e. buy help). I had no intention of cheating, just to make it clear. I wanted to ask about some ideas to some people that knows about this stuff.

[amalling]

Hi again.

I have figured it out now (I'm in the process of building the hull - money, or lack thereof gives me a little spare time to think).

I will be going carbon eventually, but I will begin with a birdsmouth, hollow fir mast.

The peak will be as the original, and the standing rig will be preocurt aluminium deadeyes (they don't make the micro-ones in steel).

The main will be loosefooted, as opposed to the original, and the boom for the foresail will be attached to the bowsprit instead of being lashed to the sail (I will ask my sailmaker how far form the front he will suggest I try, when the sail is made).

I will be using a U-bolt instead of a bobstay plate, because of the angle of the thing, and have precourt there as well.

If you look closely on the picture, you will notice that there are no spreaders, in fact there's nothing on the sides, but I will install that, and on the mast they will be "attached" via leather-covered eyes, slit down on the mast, and held in place by wooden blocks/clamps, so will the forestay, and the foresail up on the mast.

The rudder will of course be very different than the original, as I like to be able to steer it.

Everything will be "lashed", and when necessary, held in place by wooden blocks.

There will be gaff-vangs instead of the higher peak.

Where necessary, because of chafe, the rope will have leather covers.

The boom will be made with jaws, like the original, only it will be laminated, and I'm contemplating having a laminated "back" instead of beads or metal as in the original.

There will be hardwood-strips around the mast, at the boom, the gaff, first, second and third reefs.

Erm, oh yes, since the mast is movable, my turning blocks will be connected to the deck via spectra and folding padeyes, that way they are out of the way when the mast is moved forward, and vice versa.

One more thing, I hope it's okay - if you look at the way the bowsprit sits, you will notice that it is in fact the stem working as a butt-block, and therefore I will make two raised points along each side of the bowsprit, using two metal or hardwood crossbeams/stringers that will keep it down. That way it will be easier to take it off and on, instead of the bolts shown. (there will be a waterproof compartment under the foredeck).

Heh, sorry for the longwindedness, I just thought that I would update this thread since I had more information.

http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/att...7&d=1143725043