Re: Hiking board on a Gypsy
--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "gypsyonlakewinnipeg" <mkrauss@m...>
wrote:
As it is, I doubt I will ever use the
the wayside from neglect,it sounds like fun! And you get to be the
trail blazer,to boot:-) Just keep in mind that she was never designed
for this use and that any failures(or successes!) will be all yours.
how do I
Gypsy.Perhaps you can get a small drawing of the Laser sail plan from
the Laser Association which shows its exact c/e.
How long
board,then I would glue/screw a plywood panel several inches wider
then the hiking board to the side of the hull with a slot cut out on
top where the board slides through it.As for the hiking board,I'd
make it about 14" wide and long enough to hang out by 30" when fully
extended.At each end of the board,I'd fasten a small cleat( 1"X1")
across the ends to serve as stops when pulled through the slots of
your added supports.When not used,it is slid half way in leaving
about 15""wings" sticking out on each side. As your experience grows
and barring any catastrophic failures,you could even try using longer
hiking boards.Mind you,if you hull is already somewhat tired,there
may well be a practical limit she will handle before just braking
apart.The board need not be any thicker then 3/4" ply.
How can I do all of this and keep the weight
weight.Besides,you want some weight for its steading effect in higher
winds,no? Finn sailors wear water ballast jackets to improve the live
ballast effect.:-)
I would appreciate any advice. I apologize in advance to
(although I did own a Laser,my first boat,28 years ago) and wish you
all the best with your experiment.Post some pictures of her under her
new rig once she's all done.At least this experiment beats the hell
out of the scrap pile!!
Good Luck!
Peter Lenihan
wrote:
As it is, I doubt I will ever use the
> Gypsy and it is wasting away from lack of use. I am thinking thatcounterbalance
> it would be fun to experiment with the Gypsy giving her a much
> larger sail area and adding a sliding hiking board to
> the added sail forceConsidering that the other option is apparently letting her fall by
the wayside from neglect,it sounds like fun! And you get to be the
trail blazer,to boot:-) Just keep in mind that she was never designed
for this use and that any failures(or successes!) will be all yours.
how do I
> determine the centre of force of the Laser rig and where do ITrace a drawing of the Laser rig right over the sail plan of the
> situate the mast step to balance the COF in the boat?
Gypsy.Perhaps you can get a small drawing of the Laser sail plan from
the Laser Association which shows its exact c/e.
How long
> should the hiking board be to counter balance the sail force? HowIf it were me,I would beef up the gunnel in the area of the hiking
> should the sliding mechanism for the hiking board be designed? Of
> what material and how thick and wide should the board be to support
> one 185 pound crew?
board,then I would glue/screw a plywood panel several inches wider
then the hiking board to the side of the hull with a slot cut out on
top where the board slides through it.As for the hiking board,I'd
make it about 14" wide and long enough to hang out by 30" when fully
extended.At each end of the board,I'd fasten a small cleat( 1"X1")
across the ends to serve as stops when pulled through the slots of
your added supports.When not used,it is slid half way in leaving
about 15""wings" sticking out on each side. As your experience grows
and barring any catastrophic failures,you could even try using longer
hiking boards.Mind you,if you hull is already somewhat tired,there
may well be a practical limit she will handle before just braking
apart.The board need not be any thicker then 3/4" ply.
How can I do all of this and keep the weight
> down.Use plywood,without fiberglass and get used to the extra
weight.Besides,you want some weight for its steading effect in higher
winds,no? Finn sailors wear water ballast jackets to improve the live
ballast effect.:-)
I would appreciate any advice. I apologize in advance to
> admirers of Bolger's creations for my intention to alter an alreadyFinal word,I have absolutely no experience with any of the above
> perfectly designed craft.
(although I did own a Laser,my first boat,28 years ago) and wish you
all the best with your experiment.Post some pictures of her under her
new rig once she's all done.At least this experiment beats the hell
out of the scrap pile!!
Good Luck!
Peter Lenihan
My Gypsy is about ten years old and it requires restoration, again:
filling checks in the plywood and repainting. I don't use the boat
very often because it is not competitive in club races matched
against Lasers and other high performance craft. I am interested in
sailing quickly and I have other boats (Tasar, Lightning) that
satisfy my need for speed. As it is, I doubt I will ever use the
Gypsy and it is wasting away from lack of use. I am thinking that
it would be fun to experiment with the Gypsy giving her a much
larger sail area and adding a sliding hiking board to counterbalance
the added sail force. I plan on using a laser rig because they are
common and I have one on hand. A Laser rig cannot support a trapeze
and it would be very uncomfortable to hike out on a Gypsy's thin
gunwales. I have no experience with hiking boards beyond seeing
them in illustrations and pictures, especially on the International
Canoe. Nevertheless, I think it would be a fun option for
counterbalancing the boat. I believe that if I can keep the weight
of this retrofit to a minimum, I could have a fast boat because of
the light weight, flat bottom, relatively narrow beam and long
length. Does anyone have any experience retrofitting a Bolger
dinghy in this manner? I have some fundamental questions: how do I
determine the centre of force of the Laser rig and where do I
situate the mast step to balance the COF in the boat? How long
should the hiking board be to counter balance the sail force? How
should the sliding mechanism for the hiking board be designed? Of
what material and how thick and wide should the board be to support
one 185 pound crew? How can I do all of this and keep the weight
down. I would appreciate any advice. I apologize in advance to
admirers of Bolger's creations for my intention to alter an already
perfectly designed craft.
filling checks in the plywood and repainting. I don't use the boat
very often because it is not competitive in club races matched
against Lasers and other high performance craft. I am interested in
sailing quickly and I have other boats (Tasar, Lightning) that
satisfy my need for speed. As it is, I doubt I will ever use the
Gypsy and it is wasting away from lack of use. I am thinking that
it would be fun to experiment with the Gypsy giving her a much
larger sail area and adding a sliding hiking board to counterbalance
the added sail force. I plan on using a laser rig because they are
common and I have one on hand. A Laser rig cannot support a trapeze
and it would be very uncomfortable to hike out on a Gypsy's thin
gunwales. I have no experience with hiking boards beyond seeing
them in illustrations and pictures, especially on the International
Canoe. Nevertheless, I think it would be a fun option for
counterbalancing the boat. I believe that if I can keep the weight
of this retrofit to a minimum, I could have a fast boat because of
the light weight, flat bottom, relatively narrow beam and long
length. Does anyone have any experience retrofitting a Bolger
dinghy in this manner? I have some fundamental questions: how do I
determine the centre of force of the Laser rig and where do I
situate the mast step to balance the COF in the boat? How long
should the hiking board be to counter balance the sail force? How
should the sliding mechanism for the hiking board be designed? Of
what material and how thick and wide should the board be to support
one 185 pound crew? How can I do all of this and keep the weight
down. I would appreciate any advice. I apologize in advance to
admirers of Bolger's creations for my intention to alter an already
perfectly designed craft.