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Re: WETA trimaran - pretty cool boat [Re: erice] #201260
01/25/10 05:21 PM
01/25/10 05:21 PM
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 70
Outer Banks, NC
OBXCC Offline
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Outer Banks, NC
A good lookover and there have been improvements (see above post). Feel free to contact me anytime through wetatrimarans.com and I can go over all the changes with you. Also, we have a great owners group on Yahoo where you will get more feedback on the Weta. We like to hear all feedback! Good, Bad or Indifferent!

-- Have You Seen This? --
Re: WETA trimaran - pretty cool boat [Re: OBXCC] #201267
01/25/10 06:47 PM
01/25/10 06:47 PM
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,383
Kingston SE South Australia
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G'day Erice our one is 2 months old now so I'll enquire about the mast foot, we have the big hatch in the front. Our downhaul arrangement might be different, we have two little V cleats on the decks about 2 feet apart that you have to pull the sheet level with the deck whereas a single swiveling cam cleat would allow us to adjust the downhaul as needed from anywhere on the boat. When you sail solo if you are in a decent breeze with the three sails up do you have to go forward and adjust your downhaul? Our tramps have open pulleys (which look like they’ve been put on the wrong way) and V cleats to hold it that don't line up with the direction the tramp is pulling it, I think it's designed so you don’t have to untie the knot to take the amas off but when they come a bit loose they come off the pulley. The jib and gennaker halyards tie off to big 5 inch cleats so I have to pull hard and tie off then roll up the halyards which are held about 3ft up the mast by velcro, the jib brushes past this lump every time it flaps, it's also time consuming and impossible to adjust on the water so I sail the boat for a while then take it to the beach and tighten, all it needs is 3 swiveling cam cleats at the mast base so you thread the 2 halyards and downhaul through them, easy to adjust easy to set and pack up. These are little problems which is why overall I think its a good boat for what it is. The block problems I'm sorting out but if we get the next one for our disability program we'll order it without blocks so we have clear decks and don't have holes every where.
regards


Jeff Southall
Current boats
Nacra 5.8 1703 Animal Scanning Services
Nacra 5.8 1667 Ram Raider
Nacra 18 Square
Arrow 1576
Re: WETA trimaran - pretty cool boat [Re: JeffS] #201297
01/26/10 07:47 AM
01/26/10 07:47 AM
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 757
japan
erice Offline
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erice  Offline
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japan
Originally Posted by JeffS
G'day Erice our one is 2 months old now so I'll enquire about the mast foot, we have the big hatch in the front.

just been out to the frozen backyard and taken a pic of the mast foot of #294, if your mast base doesn't have the nylon base cap, find out why not

Our downhaul arrangement might be different, we have two little V cleats on the decks about 2 feet apart that you have to pull the sheet level with the deck whereas a single swiveling cam cleat would allow us to adjust the downhaul as needed from anywhere on the boat.

that's the same as i have, i seem to remember that it only takes me 1 hand to uncleat/cleat...

When you sail solo if you are in a decent breeze with the three sails up do you have to go forward and adjust your downhaul?

compared to my 1982 nacra the weta downhaul is a huge advance, but i'll give you that it isn't up there with the $100+units available as standard on many top cats. but then you get other things like the alloy custom beach dolly thrown in that you don't get with other multi's...the mast on the weta strikes me as being VERY flexible so i haven't really been trying to muck about with the downhaul that much. if it's looking like a big wind day i haul down on the jib and gennaker halyards so much that the mast tip bends forward, (as per the manual), doesn't seem like such a good idea then to wail on the downhaul every beat as well...

Our tramps have open pulleys (which look like they’ve been put on the wrong way) and V cleats to hold it that don't line up with the direction the tramp is pulling it,

that's got me puzzled too, i was thinking of using this winter to remove 1 screw, change the block angle slightly and then drilling a new hole...but decided i would sail another year 1st and see what others were doing 1st

I think it's designed so you don’t have to untie the knot to take the amas off but when they come a bit loose they come off the pulley.

i'm finding that weta likes things to be tensioned just right and it takes a while to work out how tight for each item, ie the amas are held into the boat by those tramp line cleats and blocks. they need to be really tight, so tight they don't come loose. my tramps were laced to the beam frame with a cross stitch, too saggy for me so i've re-laced them with a ladder stitch, pics on the yahoo group site...you also mention tension issues with the gennaker, that needs to be tightened just right and AFTER the jib has been tightened with a loop to make a trucker's hitch for extra purchase, and the forestay needs to be tight enough to lift the amas in their hull sockets

The jib and gennaker halyards tie off to big 5 inch cleats so I have to pull hard and tie off then roll up the halyards which are held about 3ft up the mast by velcro, the jib brushes past this lump every time it flaps, it's also time consuming and impossible to adjust on the water so I sail the boat for a while then take it to the beach and tighten, all it needs is 3 swiveling cam cleats at the mast base so you thread the 2 halyards and downhaul through them, easy to adjust easy to set and pack up.

if it's for disability sailing and not 1 design racing, go for broken changing stuff, i think they just had to draw the line somewhere with the equipment level, the weta is basically a hand built boat and must be a monster in terms of construction hours



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eric e
1982 nacra 5.2 - 2158
2009 weta tri - 294
Re: WETA trimaran - pretty cool boat [Re: OBXCC] #201320
01/26/10 12:20 PM
01/26/10 12:20 PM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 3
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Posts: 3
OBXCC.......IMHO, the Catsailor forum is the largest of it's kind. This would be a great venue to air out changes to the WETA. The '08 boat I looked over showed potential problem areas. Many will choose to fiddle with blocking and sheeting, as the class allows, but my concerns are hull and float construction. For a "cored" build, I felt the main hull to be soft esp between forward tank wall and bow. The floats, especially inboard, showed layup imperfections quite visibly, with some delamination/gel cracking topside forward of amas post. A honeycombed bulkhead was mentioned, but with limited access, I felt no framing directly below mast step ? I've had 2 piece masts in the past, and found reinforcement necessary when carrying a spinnaker. It's been noted that the mast is quite flexible, a good depowering attribute. Aside no mast shoe, I wonder what design strength and mechanical testing went into the designed loading for such a build, especially pertaining to the sleeved joint and multiple hound fittings ? Further, what precautions/remedies were made for the possible failure of the mainhull's amas frame tube sockets. I liked the boat's design parameters, but walked away from the sale.

Re: WETA trimaran - pretty cool boat [Re: acat] #201349
01/26/10 06:27 PM
01/26/10 06:27 PM
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,383
Kingston SE South Australia
JeffS Offline
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Just went and looked at ours acat and there's a bulkhead that looks like it makes a forward flotation chamber that comes up just forward of the mast base to support it.


Jeff Southall
Current boats
Nacra 5.8 1703 Animal Scanning Services
Nacra 5.8 1667 Ram Raider
Nacra 18 Square
Arrow 1576
Re: WETA trimaran - pretty cool boat [Re: JeffS] #201558
01/28/10 08:36 PM
01/28/10 08:36 PM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 3
A
acat Offline
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OBXCC, I was over to the Yahoo group and found many "gaga" over the new boat, and well perhaps they should be. However, I saw no critiques. Please consider the forum here so we all benefit.

thanks for the observation. Jeff...."seeing is believing".

Re: WETA trimaran - pretty cool boat [Re: acat] #201576
01/29/10 06:31 AM
01/29/10 06:31 AM
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 757
japan
erice Offline
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erice  Offline
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japan
do you have a weta acat?


eric e
1982 nacra 5.2 - 2158
2009 weta tri - 294
Re: WETA trimaran - pretty cool boat [Re: erice] #201663
01/31/10 01:13 AM
01/31/10 01:13 AM
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 678
Palm Beach County
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Palm Beach County
I'll have to take a look at one of these boats.


Mike Shappell
www.themanshed.com
TMS-20 Builder
G-Cat 5.7 - Current Boat
NACRA 5.2 - early 70's

Re: WETA trimaran - pretty cool boat [Re: erice] #201679
01/31/10 06:13 PM
01/31/10 06:13 PM
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,383
Kingston SE South Australia
JeffS Offline
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Kingston SE South Australia
G’day Erice, I’ve taken a while to digest your reply, look at the boat how I sail it and we're going to ask Weta about the mast foot.
I feel the downhaul is important to not stretch the sail and with a mast that lays over I tension it on the beach but the lines stretch, knots tighten on the water creating some slack, the halyards are on the outside of the mast , when the mast lays over it creates slack in the line. I don’t need a trucker hitch to tighten the halyards, I have enough strength the same way I didn’t need to cleat the main on my 5.8
Our club paid AUD$15000.00 for the boat plus a further AUD$3000.00 in freight, insurance etc. If we were asked if we wanted the blocks package that takes longer to rig and makes no sense or the block package that works for a bit more we would have paid the bit more. The person at our club that organised this boat wants a couple more for the same program but we’ve decided to wait to see how the boat and program goes before we get any more, if we do we most definitely won’t be getting the Weta block package. Probably the most telling thing for me is that I’m the only able bodied person at our club that has taken the Weta out even though it’s available to any club member for free the others prefer their own boats.


Jeff Southall
Current boats
Nacra 5.8 1703 Animal Scanning Services
Nacra 5.8 1667 Ram Raider
Nacra 18 Square
Arrow 1576
Re: WETA trimaran - pretty cool boat [Re: JeffS] #201727
02/01/10 02:35 PM
02/01/10 02:35 PM
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 502
Port Noarlunga, SA, Australia
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Darryn Offline
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Port Noarlunga, SA, Australia
Sounds like its a bit of a toy rather then a race boat. Do you think they will still be around in 10 years Jeff or will they dissappear like the other small trimarans have?

Darryn
Mozzie
1782

Re: WETA trimaran - pretty cool boat [Re: Darryn] #201732
02/01/10 05:25 PM
02/01/10 05:25 PM
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 502
Port Noarlunga, SA, Australia
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Darryn Offline
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Just been watching the you tube videos, looks like a fun toy and they race them.
Does the Weta have class rules? How much can they be modified?
Surprising the other club members dont want to sail it.

cheers,
Darryn

Re: WETA trimaran - pretty cool boat [Re: Darryn] #201757
02/02/10 04:56 AM
02/02/10 04:56 AM
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,383
Kingston SE South Australia
JeffS Offline
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Kingston SE South Australia
G’day Darren it’s definitely not a toy and I think it’ll be around in the future. I really like the boat for what we use it for, there is nothing like it for the people I’ve taken out so far. I’ve had the ex cat sailor with no legs, the stroke victim, 80 year old ex cat sailor-ex rescue boat driver, scared small kids with equally worried parents and people that have had sailing experience, all happily sailing without getting wet unless they want to. It’s a real privilege to take these people out and have them take the tiller.
The boat is well designed for what it is and my complaints are only superficial blocks etc, when I sail it on my own I find it a bit lame unless I reach every where with the gennaker and I think that’s the problem with it not unfurling, if I was going dead downwind which is boring it may come out ok. After an hour of reaching with the gennaker in decent wind and the ama under water I came back exhausted but entertained. It has a definite use for introducing people to sailing, I get people that are unsteady on their feet to hold onto the side as I pull it in the shallows so they can walk without anyone on the beach realising they have a disability, then in about 1 foot of water I get them to stop while I pull the tramp under the back of their knees, they then sit on the tramp and swing their legs into the hull they look normal and retain their dignity. Then when they’re sailing quite often I lay on my back on the ama tramp holding the gennaker and leave them to sail, because it’s so forgiving if they make a mistake we just go in a circle and there’s no boom to hit heads. As for the others at the club not sailing it they own high performance cats that are more entertaining for them and quicker to set up, we had a visitor from WA use it for our Cape Jaffa regatta you can have a go if you want the next time you come our way.
regards


Jeff Southall
Current boats
Nacra 5.8 1703 Animal Scanning Services
Nacra 5.8 1667 Ram Raider
Nacra 18 Square
Arrow 1576
Re: WETA trimaran - pretty cool boat [Re: JeffS] #201760
02/02/10 07:17 AM
02/02/10 07:17 AM
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 757
japan
erice Offline
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erice  Offline
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japan
just a thought Jeff

you might be able to kill 2 birds with 1 stone if you do fit a a pivoting downhaul cam-cleat to the mast base as the 2 current jam cleats could then be taken off the deck and put on to the mast and replace the factory horn cleats for jib and genny halyards, you'd still have all that line to tie up but adjustments could be made on the water much easier

this current front page pic on the velocitek site shows them quite well to the left and right of the red circle

http://www.velocitek.com/community/news/weta

Last edited by erice; 02/02/10 07:19 AM.

eric e
1982 nacra 5.2 - 2158
2009 weta tri - 294
Re: WETA trimaran - pretty cool boat [Re: Darryn] #218802
09/02/10 08:07 PM
09/02/10 08:07 PM
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 757
japan
erice Offline
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erice  Offline
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japan
very cruisey little toy at times

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQgkAcoHWbE

Last edited by erice; 09/02/10 08:08 PM.

eric e
1982 nacra 5.2 - 2158
2009 weta tri - 294
Re: WETA trimaran - pretty cool boat [Re: Acat230] #219283
09/12/10 07:23 PM
09/12/10 07:23 PM
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 42
1
16nut Offline
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Posts: 42
I wanted to comment about the Weta... I think this boat is awesome but for inland waters I think its a bit under canvased. At our last years regatta a H14 and several H16's smoked the Weta. Still it has great stability for those that need that characteristic and is fairly easy to rig but not as easy as the Wave. Also not as durable as a Wave, not even close. The Weta is a great boat to get ex laser sailors, etc. into multihull sailing!

Jeff as for being good for the disabled, I would agree to a point. I find the boat good for persons with disAbilities not for the disabled. The fact that the persons you are taking out are willing to do so tells me they are not disabled regardless of their pre-existing conditions. So its great you are doing accessible sailing.

Have you tried a Hobie Adventure Island or Tandem yet. These boats are easy to sail and allow a person to pedal or paddle from and to shore. So not only can a persons with a disAbility sail this boat but they can leave and return to the dock also with no assistance and that is true independence in sail. Simply the most accessible boat out there. Also H16 Trapseat sailing is a blast.

Just some thoughts...

Re: WETA trimaran - pretty cool boat [Re: 16nut] #219304
09/13/10 04:43 AM
09/13/10 04:43 AM
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,383
Kingston SE South Australia
JeffS Offline
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Posts: 1,383
Kingston SE South Australia
G'day 16nut, glad to here someone putting up some useful info about the Weta, I did 2 weeks of sail training then sailing on Saturdays which probably added up to 40 hours this year on the Weta. Personally I think the Weta is a 420 dinghy with training wheels, I've had the racing 420 with spin planeing which required less effort and went not a lot slower than the Weta. If you put all the extra sail area on a 420 the Weta has it would kill it and take half the time to set up. As for the disability side I suppose it's the degree of disability, I spent about 9 Saturdays coaching and helping, then put together a team to sail the Weta off the beach here. The skipper is an ex A class sailor that lost his legs, his crew had a stroke has limited mobility cant look down, has no balance and takes a long time to make a decision, I consider these guys disabled. They tow the boat to the water, set it up, sail it, pack it up, tow it back to the shed, wash it, put it away, with no assistance now. The problem with the Weta is the people selling them saying to novices they can go out in 25 knots when they cant hold the boat on the beach in that, when the boat capsizes in the shallows and cant turtle, the air pressure in the ama wont let you undo the hatch cover to right the boat. We had to sink the ama by standing on it and wrenching the boat after the boat capsized in 18 knots. I have strong arms and hands, I ultrasound up to 5000 sheep a day (not a misprint) by pushing a probe into their guts and then push them out the crate all with my right arm and still couldn't undo the cover. The fittings on the boat are really poorly thought out, the hatch covers only turn half a turn to lock and nip up, I'm putting handles on the hatches to provide purchase for removing them, the ama’s get water in them, when I phoned the supplier for support and told them where we’re located I got the Homer Simpson, Duuuu. I still think their not a bad boat for what they are, the people saying they have similar performance to a Hobie 16 or similar aren’t lying to you they're just bull shitting they’re not really a cat they’re a safe dinghy.
As for the Hobies, unfortunately we don’t get any Hobies that come to our club so I couldn’t guage their performance and last time I tried to sail with the Hobies in Adelaide they sailed away and did their own thing leaving us other boats to race.
Just my thoughts since you asked


Jeff Southall
Current boats
Nacra 5.8 1703 Animal Scanning Services
Nacra 5.8 1667 Ram Raider
Nacra 18 Square
Arrow 1576
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