| Author |
 Topic  |
|
Chris Cope
Skipper
Australia
2350 Posts |
 Posted - 09 January 2007 : 12:57:45 PM
|
As previously mentioned, Rod is currently on annual holidays and has been busy preparing the Hagar for the Nationals. He has been ably assisted by his 12 year old son, Micheal as well as Old Pete & myself. Yesterday we went out to the boat and took a few measurements and did some minor bits & pieces. Pete stitched up the outer covering of the halliard which we had unsuccessfully replaced with a new, too slippery new spectra rope. I cut out a piece of teak to raise up the back-up halliard cleats which are between the winch clutches. This has been a helpfull back-up in the past and today Rod will be going out to the Hagar to re-install the main halliard and reverse it on the mast. He will also install the teak pad and raise up the two cleats.
The bad news is that the new number one light-weight headsail we ordered two weeks ago will not be ready for these nationals. However we will most likely never use it as the weather is looking like being fresh. It looks like a big southerly on Saturday which will be interesting with three starts.
Chris. |
 |
|
|
Go Flow
Helmsman
Australia
751 Posts |
Posted - 09 January 2007 : 5:58:23 PM
|
Hi Chris,
You are optimistic about the Southerly on Sat. My reading is 12 knots SE turning E.
It looks like a light weather series, nothing more than 12 knots. Try seabreeze.com.au. The BOM seem to be up in the clouds at the moment.
Adrian |
|
|
|
Chris Cope
Skipper
Australia
2350 Posts |
Posted - 09 January 2007 : 8:36:02 PM
|
Adrian,
Have checked out the Seabreeze site as suggested and it is reading to 15 knots north eaterly Friday and a southerly up to 23 knots on Saturday and moderating to 15 for the Sunday. However I'm looking at the Sydney forecast which is very different from the midnorth-coast, Newcastle forcast which is closer to you.
More than likely it will be something in between, however with all the big troughs about it could be anyones guess.
I'm hoping for it to blow dogs off chains as we need strong conditions to bet our old girl moving. Fifteen to twenty five would be just nice!
Chris. |
|
|
|
DougT
Main Sheet Hand
Australia
120 Posts |
Posted - 09 January 2007 : 9:40:21 PM
|
| BOM are forecasting S change for Friday 15-25 knots easing later. The southerly could arrive a day sooner than we expect. |
DougT |
|
|
|
Go Flow
Helmsman
Australia
751 Posts |
Posted - 09 January 2007 : 10:59:16 PM
|
Hi Chris,
Apparently the S change is going to die at at North Head. Forecasting is a lottery!
Adrian |
Edited by - Go Flow on 09 January 2007 11:01:45 PM |
|
|
|
Go Flow
Helmsman
Australia
751 Posts |
Posted - 09 January 2007 : 11:10:01 PM
|
Seabreeze.com.au has changed its forecast for Newcastle to show a Southerly Change up to 30 knots at precisely 2.00pm on Saturday. Apparently they update the Sydney graphs first.
Adrian |
|
|
|
Chris Cope
Skipper
Australia
2350 Posts |
Posted - 10 January 2007 : 11:48:52 AM
|
Adrian,
While I use the Seabreeze website and find it the best and most accurate, the weather patterns & especially the troughs have made our weather very unpredictable of late. So at the moment it looks like Hagar weather on Friday afternoon and all day Sunday as well as a possability for some stronger winds Saturday afternoon. Adrian, you may only get a chance on Saturday morning.
It shall be fun!!
Chris. |
|
|
|
Go Flow
Helmsman
Australia
751 Posts |
Posted - 10 January 2007 : 8:50:54 PM
|
The Sailing Instructions say we don't sail if the breeze is consistently over 25 knots.
Adrian |
|
|
|
Chris Cope
Skipper
Australia
2350 Posts |
Posted - 15 January 2007 : 6:20:09 PM
|
Hi Adrian,
In the sprint races or speed dial ranged from 12 knots and was mainly from 16 to 20 with gusts up to 31 knots. But who was counting, we clocked 9.6 knots with the jib poled out in the second race of the day.
Chris. |
|
|
|
Chris Cope
Skipper
Australia
2350 Posts |
Posted - 20 January 2007 : 09:42:12 AM
|
Well now that the 2007 Nationals are out of the way we can now begin preparing the Hagar for the upcoming Easter Regatta as well as for next years 2008 Nationals. And I'm not jesting because there is always room for improvement on the Hagar. Rod and Andy spent yesterday afternoon on the boat looking at the Electronic Ignition System which has been giving us some grief. The glow plug light is working intermitently and there is not enough power going through to the starter motor. From what all the experts tell us it is an elctronics design fault with Volvos'. So it has been decided to get the Electronic Mechanic in to re-wire the system and to get rid of a lot of the whistles and bells so the engine gets the full kick. There was also the recurring problem of the fuel pump which gave some grief when the boys were bring her back from Gosford Yesterday they jury rigged a backup spare pump.
Rod has to check and adjust the shrouds and forestay. I have to chase up the ordered new No1 light-weight headsail.
We need to re-align the main luff tension so that it can be adjusted from the cockpit.
And there are many more whould-like to do jobs.
Chris.
|
|
|
|
Chris Cope
Skipper
Australia
2350 Posts |
Posted - 29 January 2007 : 6:37:07 PM
|
While Rod & I have been discussing the future development of the Hagar we are going down three courses, these include:
1. Safety and bringing her up to Cat 4 or Cat 3. Much of this has already been achieved with new systems, fire extinguishers, the gel battery, etc.
2. Making her functional with the electronics for both the nav instruments as well as the engine electronics to be re-wired and simplified etc.
3. Making the boat go faster. This is probably the most difficult and intricate task because there are a thousand and one things that will contribute to improved boat speed. However we have already made big steps in discovering that by increasing the rig tension we gained more boat speed upwind as well as height.
The next area to improve will be to the downwind speed of the boat, which we believe can be improved through correct sheeting angles as well as pole length. We are thinking of a bigger kite with tall high shoulders, similar to the E26 big kites, however that is in the future.
However, while new sails are seductive, there are many other areas to fix and rectify which will improve performance.
One area which we are looking at modifying is the coachouse winches base pads which look like they could pull out.
If the crew could race together regularly, some of us loosing weight, myself included and getting fitter, would all make us go much faster.
Chris. |
|
|
|
Chris Cope
Skipper
Australia
2350 Posts |
Posted - 30 January 2007 : 6:03:11 PM
|
Sometime in February, and again in April there will be held one day Marine Diesel Engine courses at Manly. Another member of our Club and most likely myself will attend the February course. Two of our owners have already attended the course and came away praising its content and the knowledge they obtained from it.
Sooo... If any of youall are interested drop me an email and I will try and give you all the guff on it. I will post more info with dates when it comes to hand. My mobile number is 0416 108639.
Chris. |
|
|
|
Chris Cope
Skipper
Australia
2350 Posts |
Posted - 01 February 2007 : 3:19:11 PM
|
Of late Rodney has become very pre-occupied with the rig tension of the Hagar and he and Old Pete ave been having private meetings up on the foredeck where they have been measuring and recallibrating the forestay and both sets of shrouds. They have a number of settings in relation to the backstay pressure. It has paid off handsomely with improved results in the twilighters as well as having won at the Nationals!!!...don't we know???
Anyway, having read a previous posting in which Adrian mentioned that with the hulls getting older they tend to soften, I was wondering to what extent the boats will physically deteriorate. It seems amazing that the Hagar would ever go soft, considering how thick the skin is and with the steel frame about the shrouds and mast.So the question should be aimed at the old lads and especially Colin who worked on their construction:
1. How long will these boats hold together?
2. How much flex is there and where?
3. Can we brace up any soft spots and where are they?
However, I belive that we should not be chicken littles and that the boats in all likelyhood will out-last all of us.
Chris. |
|
|
|
Go Flow
Helmsman
Australia
751 Posts |
Posted - 01 February 2007 : 9:18:31 PM
|
Hi Chris,
I was referring to the E26s which seem to develop a softness around the keel area which can lead to keel wagging.
Adrian |
|
|
|
Colin Cole
Helmsman
Australia
676 Posts |
Posted - 02 February 2007 : 2:51:58 PM
|
That would be SOME E26s! Personally I've never owned one that keel wobbles! and if
Idid it would be an easy fix - relitivly.
Appart from pad areas for leads and blocks, tension areas such as under your mast and flats ie decks that may flex over time. How long a peice of string? I remember working on a Cris Craft (actually one of the first) circa 1950 - sandwich construction albeit hessin bags were used for the core! It was only a thin layup and a speed boat - but it was in remarkable condition, this was in 1985 soooo the boat was 35 years old! see where I'm goin with this?
To my knowledge GRP does not break down to quickly - and given the care taken in the layup of most Endeavours - hand layup that is, and that the scantlings were on the robust side of overkill - I think you can enjoy the safety of you hull Chris for quite some time yet! :)
|
|
|
|
DougT
Main Sheet Hand
Australia
120 Posts |
Posted - 02 February 2007 : 2:58:23 PM
|
| Yes Adrian, and the only effective way of correcting the "softness" in the keel area seems, to me at least, to lay extra glass, including woven rovings, over the keel area and extending up the hull toward the waterline as far as is possible. Then, glass in floor webs, again running across the keel area and as far athwartships as is practical consistent with the demands of preserving some headroom. It's not a bad idea to do the same in the v-berth area also. We've done this on Endeavour and, although we haven't had the boat out of the water since the work was done to check possible keel waggle, there's no doubt the boat does drive a lot better in hard chop with no signs of hull flexing from which we suffered before the work was undertaken. Now all we need to do is learn how to sail better. |
DougT |
|
|
|
4Seasons
Helmsman
723 Posts |
Posted - 02 February 2007 : 9:37:55 PM
|
| Unlike me , 4 seasons will last for ever .EH. |
|
|
|
Chris Cope
Skipper
Australia
2350 Posts |
Posted - 02 February 2007 : 9:49:53 PM
|
Don't worry Eric, we'll tan your hide when you've died and hang it up against the shed........
With appologies to Rolf!
The reason for all the questions about the flex and possible deterioration of the glass hulls is that we are finding that when we tighten up the rig and it seems to regress and go soft in a short time and I'm wondering if this is normal or will it eventually collapse.
Chris. |
|
|
|
Chris Cope
Skipper
Australia
2350 Posts |
Posted - 02 February 2007 : 9:50:38 PM
|
Don't worry Eric, we'll tan your hide when you've died and hang it up against the shed........
With appologies to Rolf!
The reason for all the questions about the flex and possible deterioration of the glass hulls is that we are finding that when we tighten up the rig and it seems to regress and go soft in a short time and I'm wondering if this is normal or will it eventually collapse.
Chris. |
|
|
|
LCJOHNSTON
Helmsman
Australia
258 Posts |
Posted - 03 February 2007 : 12:32:51 AM
|
Chris,
How old is the rigging wire? Perhaps it is it that is stretching (presuming the rigging adjusters have lock nuts or pins and they are preventing things coming loose). On "Caroline" we set it up with a tension gauge when it was new, readjusted after a short while to take account of the stretch in the new wire, then even after some pretty hard coastal passages it did not move. We had 32:1 adjustment on the backstay, so could easily get a heap on that, so backstay adjustment shouldn;t be doing it in. To ensure you are measuring the same thing all the time, don't forget to let the backstay right off, main sheet and vang off - if you haven;t been doing that, it will affect what you measure. |
Leigh Ex E30 MkII "Caroline" Hobart |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
A New E30
