As many of you know, for the past year and a half, I've been trying to set my 430 up as an F14 (430 with kite). I have to tell you it's been quite a difficult task from the get go. Aside from design worries and sail/boat management problems, there have been significant issues with rig balance. I've had to work on rudder mods, mast rotation mechanics, down haul and diamond tension/mast pre-bend, mast rake etc., etc. A new front beam and d/striker has made the boat a lot stiffer under the added loads.
Rigging time is now down to about 2hrs after eventually having sorted [almost] the five million potential process mistakes.
Such is a developer's lot and is to be expected but, although there is plenty of satisfaction, it does get somewhat tiresome at times. Lately though, it seems there have been additional problems every time I take the boat out, even if not directly associated with the fitting of a spi which has been puzzling to say the least. These last two weekends have been particularly disappointing with new problems with rudders emerging. Last weekend I contested the two day Koonawarra Bay CC 14ft regatta keen to finally tackle some well sailed, quick 14's on a big track with the kite. I'm still not race efficient setting and retrieving the spi, and the angles still have me somewhat groping but I'm getting better all the time.
I started the first race, a massive triangular course, and soon found that the boat's pointing ability has been compromised [as suspected] by the pole and snuffer set, and boat speed wasn't all I expected either. I was holding the quicker Paper Tigers up the works and while going OK, I wasn't making the boat speed I should have off the wind under spinnaker. Launching and retrieving the kite can cost substantial time if not done efficiently and the angles and settings were again causing me problems. Approaching the 'A' mark for the second time [in second place] a committee boat sound signal suggested [to me anyway] that the race had been shortened and we had in fact crossed the line. In reality though, they had code flag 'M' flying to advise a change of the 'B' mark position and the signal was to attract our attention to the flag. On my way back to the rigging area, thinking I had finished I hit a giant Jelly Fish breaking the stbd alum. rudder control rod. Some of these things are the size of a small island.
After returning home [a 3hr drive] and some quick shed work I had it fixed and back on the boat for Sunday's racing. Some rig adjustments gave me marginally better speed but again pointing ability was still off though in a stronger wind my VMG had improved. As we raced the windward leg for the second time in race one, on the last tack for the windward mark on the second triangle the spanner let go. I returned to the beach. Taking the boat out of the water in the strong wind with the rocky shore, and using the narrow launch ramp, the other rudder control got broken.
I built two new fibreglass rods during the following week and replaced the small connector line holding the block at the end of the spanner.
While sailing to the start line at my home club [CRSC] Saturday morning, one of my newly [badly made from poor material] fitted control rods failed. Satdy nite I built another [re-enforced] rod and re-enforced the original.
Sunday I went to Kurnell CC to race. In the middle of Botany Bay, on the second reach of the second triangle in the first race, no kite, my complete rudder system parted company with the boat and was lost overboard. After five seasons of racing in three states since 1999, the complete system, blades, stocks, cross control rod and tiller extension, found a way to push itself past the spring retainers, bending them substantially, [see attachment] and launch itself off the stern!
A 14sq Nacra eventually came to my assistance, offering me his shackle key to detach the mainsail clew from the boom. Thrown from about two meters it missed my tramp and hit the water headed for the bottom. My helper, on reflex, dived over the side to retrieve the tool and his boat sailed away without him. 2 boats out of control, one with and one without a skipper. After much yelling, whistling, and arm waving, while helplessly sailing away from him, I was finally able to attract the attention of some helpers on a Tornado for my swimming buddy and have a message relayed to the rescue boat which arrived to help after aprox. half an hour. I was almost ashore.
After two failed attempts from a] a fishing runabout, and b] the rescue boat, to tow me, I eventually made it, under my own steam [wind power], back to a beach not far from the club where I de-rigged.
My would-be savior's boat was eventually retrieved from Brighton.
