If anyone is interested or cares, I have taken some pics of the mods I have done on my boat.
1. Doubler for rudder pull down.
2. Changed skipper trap to not go out to the eye on the outboard hull (comes straight up the eye in the tramp).
3. Got rid of clips on spin bridle lines. I use a knot in vectran with a cover and tied to the end of the pole. I think I might do what Timbo suggested and just do a loop in the future.
4. put clip on rotator for easy removal.
5. ran downhaul line to spin block eye on the hull.
6. Rudders and boards are currently being professionally faired (no pics as of yet).
7. small line to prevent spin sheets from getting wrapped around spin hoop.
8. spectra spliced into middle of spin sheets (ends up with knot holding end of spin sheets together on the tramp). This eliminates the weight/mess of tying bowlines to the clew of the spin.

Does any of this make me faster? Hell no, but I like working on my boat!

I got one better on this.

I never used bowlines in my spi sheet. Just plain figure 8 knots on both ends of the sheet after they have been run through the spi clew in opposite directions. Then I have a small line pulling both sheet lines closer together.

The net effect is that you have a smooth (continious) line on the trampoline and the small line near the spi clew prevents the clew corner hangin up on anything.

Best of both worlds this way. It is very easy to removed the spi from this setup and the only drawback is that the spi sheet stays on the boat. Although it is not hard at all to undo the small line. Getting it hooked up again is the hard part.

But for the worlds I'm going to leave my spi sheet on my boat for the whole week so no problems there ! For recreational sailing I'm working out a quick fix so that the sheet can be taken of the boat easily as well. Im think about stitching a permanent opening in the spi sheet and have the small thin line lead the thicker mean line. I expect this to work out well enough. Pics later.

Wouter

I would ideally like to use single braid spin sheet that can have eye splices in the ends so I can then just tie a small piece of spectra through both loops then have a continuous line on the tramp. But I have only found Apex to allow that type of eye splicing. The problem with having the knot on the ends of the spin sheets on the tramp is that a tension-bungee system to take up slack is impossible.
The way I have it now is very easy to take off the boat and can be left attached to the clew and stuffed into the sock if necessary.
I like the way it is now for the most part though.

I'm not a fan of that system ... yes, clean tramp; but I find the spi' sheet doesn't *blow* easily when needed (like when you **REALLY** need to ...)

The solution to have the best of both worlds is not difficult.

Sadly I don't think I will be able to photograph it in the next couple of days.

Wouter

I care and I'm interested.

I haven't posted much on this forum but I think I have read the whole thing (including the old one) and I have learned a lot.

I don't have a Blade yet but when I do I would like to know what can be changed and how to do it...so... Where are the pics? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />


Miguel

Agree! Pat, I assumed you were about to post the pics.

I can post some, I was wondering what people wanted to see <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />
I don't actually have pics of the spin sheet with the spectra in the middle... but I can explain it somewhat.
I will post some pics tomorrow (pics are on a different comp)

Pat,

I'd like to see whatever you think were the most useful mods. Don't rush for me, I don't expect my Blade to appear anytime soon. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Thanks,
Miguel

Oye Miguel, de que parte de Puerto Rico eres? Vives en la isla? Mi botecito se llama Crazy Taino - ya sabras porque!

Saludos

Oye Robi, I live in the north west in Quebradillas. A quiet little town where time almosts stands still. I like it here!

Where are you from?

Todo nosotros son Crazy Tianos!<img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Miguel

pic of the simple knot for the bridle lines. YOu don't need to take the whole line out when trailering. You can either tie the bridle line to the bow tang or to the trailer.

Trap lines. I lik the skipper line this way. If the bungee gets loose at all then everytime you go to grab the ring to trap you end up havign to look up to see whether it is fouled on the stay and it is usually wrapped around in some funky way. This works better- especially for soloing.
Something I didn't mention before in the mods is that I ran the trap bungee for the skipper to a block on the front of the tramp track on the hulls to the other side then back up through the tramp grommet. This makes it so that there is less pull on you if you are on the wire at the stern of the boat. At that point you don't need anything else pulling you forward. It also makes it slightly more likely that the bungee will survive if you pitchpole.

Yep, that is exactly the setup we have been using on the prototype F16 (my boat) and the prototype Blade F16. All the other setups came later. For a while I used a quick release setup, but found it to be without advantages.

But there is on exception, we use figure 8 knots or blood knots. The later is a figure 8 knot with an extra encirclement of the line in front of the knot. This give a fatter and flatter knot that sits better.

Wouter

I usually do that extra loop on the figure 8 knots (did on the knots that go into the rudder.)

Here is a pic of the simple line to prevent the spin sheet from getting fouled on the hoop. It is run into the track on the hoop with a simple knot tied in the line then run to the bow tang and to the pole. I put a purchase loop on it to make it easier to tighten.

Here is another pic showing the "preventer" line but also shows the way I looped the bridle lines.

I'm interested in that snuffer setup you got there.

It looks like the one as supplied by Landerberger ; http://www.landenberger-onedesign.com

It looks the same as the snuffer in these pics:

http://www.landenberger-onedesign.com/spip.php?article48

How do you like it ?

Wouter

Simple and strong. There is a large bolt rope on the sock that fits into the ring. It seems very secure. I like it alot. The snuffer bag material seems a little heavy but that is fine. The Nacra bag we got for the HT in Feb is lighter and already faded big time (in its defense, it is in the sun all the time with mast up storage).
I haven't had any problems with the hoop or bag system. It is more robust than the plastic Nacra hoops.

p.s. here is another pic of the hoop with the spin hanging out.. and you can actually see the spin sheet with the spectra on it.

That preventor line(s) are standard on the AHPC snuffer hoops and they do indeed work.

There is also a trick to fasten the line that goes to the pole. Drill a small hole in the pole going from side to side. Run the line through it and tie it off on teh other side with again a figure 8 knot. Best is to drill the hole a little forward on the pole so the line angles back towards the loop.

This way it looks very tidy as well.

Also drilling any holes on the side of the spi pole do not weaken the pole in any way. At these points there are no bending stresses, this contrary to the top and bottom surfaces. But as always the smaller hole are better then large ones.

The take the sharp edge of the hole. Pick a much larger drill after making the holes and just quickly tip the holes with it. You can even do this by hand. The result is a flattened rim that is much less sharp and won't wear through the line.

You can use a similar trick to secure your light green spi tack halyard line to. Mine holes for the spi halyard are just to the rear of the ring and Again this looks very tidy. Really simple fixes and they do make the boat look better.

Also you may try to not have 1:2 purchase on the spi tack line and just have a single green line attached to the floating block. This way you mimic the two-line spinnaker halyard systems while keeping the advantages of a single line setup. Basically when hoisting the spi it will first go forward and then up. The reverse when doucing the spi. This should also help in not having the spi hook the bridles or other parts behind the ring. I've been planning to try to modification myself but haven't gotten round to it. I will give it a try before the World Cup however. I expect some improvement from it. And it will look simpler and more tidy again.

Slowly we are getting there.

Wouter

I have been trough 4 different prototype snuffers. The alu hoop is the best one so far. When it comes to snuffers, I have found that radiuses on the mouth/opening is critical. All radiuses should be largish. In addition the angle/setup of the mouth is important unless you have a centre snuffer. It is good if the top of the snuffer protrudes well over the spi-pole so you dont get the friction from pulling the spi over both the spi-pole and snuffer ring when dousing on the "wrong" side.
The latest addition we have done to our snuffer is putting the end of the sock on the trampoline, not below the trampoline. No friction, no loss when going trough turning blocks etc. Just a straight pull when dousing. Sock need to be perforated to let water out, but we tought it well worth it.
Last weekend I inspected a Marstrøm carbon center snuffer, like this one: http://www.marstrom.com/images/tornado/snuffer/T750.jpg
It is carbon, but the retrieval line had cut trough the laminate many places, forcing the owner to tape the opening with duck tape. Unless you enjoy pulling on stripped cores, alu hoops looks better and better to me, even if I see other advantages to the center snuffers. Windage and dousing on the "wrong side" should be better with a center snuffer.

Sorry for the ramblings..