Remote Access Projects: sailing

Gin pole to raise and lower mast.

The leverage that the mast has on the person raising the mast is greatest when the mast is down. Without a gin pole the raising line can be a foot or two from the mast base for as much as a 25:1 advantage for the mast. This would require well over 1,000 pounds of pull to raise the mast which is quite a lot even with a 4:1 tackle. An 8 foot gin pole would reduce this to under 150 pounds which is very easy to handle with a 4:1 tackle (and can be done even without mechanical advantage).

New rope clutch and halyards.

The very cheap rope clutch provided by Compac chews the halyards after a while. A better rope clutch would be easier to engage and release and would do less damage. When the rope clutch is replaced the halyards should be replaced since they have some damage. The double should be replaced with a triple to accommodate a spinaker halyard.

Spinaker halyard.

There are only 2 sets of sheeves in the masthead. An additional halyard may need to use a hefty cheek block very securely bolted or riveted to the mast plus a block led to the stainless steel loop at the very front of the masthead.

Mid boom traveller.

There are two places that a traveller can be added, either using mid boom sheeting or end boom sheeting. There is too much interference with the transom hung rudder to make an end boom traveller feasible without an arch. After considering a traveller arch the idea was eliminated due to cost and the complexity of getting someone to fabricate it. Other Compac owners have added travellers using mid boom sheeting and placing the traveller at the aft of the bridgedeck. This is clearly the most cost effection and may be quite convenient with all sail controls forward of the tiller but within reach of the helmsman. Using either the tiller tamer or an autopilot singlehanding should be quite easy. A traveller kit will cost $350 or more.

Light air genoa.

A windward light air sail is generally a light dacron genoa or a nylon drifter which is a compromise windward and reaching sail. The North Sails rep strongly suggested a dacron genoa. A genoa can be poled out and used downwind as well, though not as effective as a spinaker. The genoa will be used strictly as a light to moderate air sail and not as the working headsail and therefore will be built light. A traveller may do more to improve windward performance in light to moderate air than a new sail at a substantially lower cost, therefore a traveller will be added before buying a new windward headsail.

Cruising spinaker.

An ideal sail inventory would have both an asymetric reaching spinaker and a symetric running spinaker. Due to the additional cost and the difficulty setting and trimming a symetric spinaker, instead a single cruising spinaker will be purchased for both reaching and running.

New mainsail.

The original sails leave a bit to be desired. The mailsail will eventually be replaced with a mainsail with full battens and three reef points. More important is adding a traveller. The existing mainsail has very recently had a second reef added by Yachtcloth Sail and Canvas. A storm trysail might be considered in addition to a third reef after the mainsail is replaced.

Better winches.

Self tailing winches are quite a convenience when sailing shorthanded or single handed. If single handed in heavy weather, this could be considered a safety issue. Two speed winches are an aid to tired arms. When cruising the number of manuevers are much more limited than when sailing on a small body of water such as Pleasant Bay. Sails still do need to be trimmed when cruising. The relative rarity of maneuvers when cruising supports the conclusion that self tailing winches are not a necessity but are nice to have.

The existing winches produce more than sufficient power to handle the jib sheets for the small craft and sails. Two speed self tailing winches would make single handing on long sails easier but at a high cost.

Sculling oar.

This job will be done in two iterations. The first sculling oar will be a prototype built from inexpensive spruce. The spruce intended for the prototype has some knots which may result in weak spots. The purpose of building a prototype is to verify that the measurements and initial design produce an oar that is comfortable and well balanced and to determine if spruce is too bendy for such a long oar. If any adjustments in the design are required throwing away the first iteration won't seem like much of a loss.

The final sculling oar will be built from clear select spruce if spruce proves not too bendy. Otherwise the final sculling oar will be built from heavier and stiffer wood such as white ash.

In order for the sculling oar to be stored in a cockpit locker it will have to be built such that it can be broken down into three sections. This will be done using stainless steel bar hinges and 2" stainless steel collars the slide over the joint and then secured with a pin or some form of latch.

Electric tiller autopilot.

When singlehanding hand steering for long periods of time can be exhausting. We have a Davis "Tiller Tamer" which helps but requires quite a bit of attention. It is not a good idea to go into the cabin for more than a minute or two using only the tiller tamer when sailing downwind. When sailing upwind the tiller tamer should be checked every few minutes though it may not need attention for 5-15 minutes at a time, and then only a slight bump on the tiller.

An electric tiller autopilot is the least expensive solution to this problem. The no frills Simrad TP10 can be had for about $300. The Raymarine ST1000PLUS runs about $400 and the Simrad TP22CX runs about $450. The lowest cost wind autopilot costs $1,900 but would be superior for passages of more than a day or two and would require less frequent attention as the wind gradually shifts. Since budget is a consideration at the moment the TP10 may be the way to go.

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