Just fired up the Stealth F16 I got from Gary, and I love it. But the thru/under tramp snuffer system has to go, way to much friction. I'd like to do a mid pole set up, and I'm happy with the SNU on the HT, but are there other options I should consider for this boat? The spin pole is a very small dia, maybe 1.25", and pretty lightly constructed(carbon).
Thanks guys!

Dave

Wouldn't the snuffer from the other boats work?

get a hoop from Matt M at falcon marine. sturdy, aluminum, no nonsense. not sure how much $ though. a hoop and bag from performance is 400$ +

i purchased my hoop and bag from Jill at funinthesun@juno.com (robbie danials wife) for much less than $400

I've settled on the alu hoop and dacron tapered bag snuffer. Simple, light and reliable. Mine came from Landenberger Sail in Germany...back when they were pretty new to the market so no US sources. Paid ~$250 USD shipped. This one has a milled slot around the alu hoop for a bolt-rope to hold the dacron. Makes for a very clean transition. Select dacron over mylar since a wet sail will adhere to mylar with more drag than to dacron.

Sounds like the standard Blade hoop.

My mylar snuffer is just about spent.. i have had it for less than a year.
i will need a new one within a few months...

The Stealth snuffer changed to mid-pole shortly after your boat was built. As did the Spitfire. JP sells snuffers direct. Why not contact him?

http://www.stealthmarine.co.uk/

Cheshirecatman

All great responses guys! Am following all leads!

Dave

FYI The current Stealth snuffer is a nice aluminum hoop. The bag is a tapered mylar bag which slides into a groove on the hoop.

pepin,
what's a Stealth R?

I've emailed Jill and Matt and JP, anyone got Dennis' # at SNU? Are any of these folks offering a dacron sock?

Dave

The pole is plenty strong with the way it is supported on your Stealth. Get the Snu--best design for the price you'll find right now.

It's the Stealth as was BEFORE is was midified to be a F16.

Slightly thinner beam and had a smaller mainsail and bigger Jib.

As Simon said, that's the boat JP originally designed before the F16 rules. Actually there were 3 major versions, the original Stealth, the Stealth 'R' and the Stealth F16.

From memory, the original had the following characteristics:

- Smallish not square top main (Ullman)
- Small jib (Ullman)
- Spi (Ullman)
- Rudder and daggerboard where identical (in fact 49er rudder foils)
- 2.4m wide
- canoe bows

The 'R' had the following changes, using the exact same platform:

- Huge overlapping jib (Ullman)
- Longer daggerboard

A lot of original Stealth were upgraded to the 'R' version. Mine is one of those: I have two jibs and two sets of rudder foils.

The F16 version was then optimized for the F16 rules with some other changes thrown in for good measures:

- Larger beam (2.50)
- beefier front beam
- Straight bow
- All sails made by Landenberger, and more recently by Grant Piggot.
- F16 compliant main (square top, larger than the 'R')
- F16 compliant jib (smaller than the 'R') with an optional self-tacker
- Longer spi pole
- Anti-pitchpole rudder foils
- Thinner daggerboard
- Different trampoline lacing
- Mast rotation at mast base

A lot of upgrades have been applied to older Stealths, anything from canting the hulls, changing the sails to F16 sails, adding foils, widening beams, you name it...

Thanks pepin, mine has the canoe bows, grooves for the tramp, Landenberger sails, jib self tacker, foiled rudders, and it's a 2002, according to the title.

Dave

What's your sail number? The number is also available part of the CE marking stamped on the inside of the hull at the rear beam. It should be between 500 and 600.

The boat's on Flathead Lake in MT, hopefully I'll get over there this weekend. Although I'd like to have made a decision on the snuffer, and bring that along.

Thanks for all the input guys! This almost as much fun as sailin' her!
Dave