Hi all,
thanks for the positive thoughts, It's getting realy hard to not get to excited about the prospect of getting Altered in the water. But it is still some weeks away, work has been keeping me away from home limiting my time to work on it.

This photo was taken when I was measuring for the kite so it is not as complete as it might look. Still no fittings on pole or top of mast no rudder fittings etc. Don't worry you will see it first here Tim is as keen to take photo's of it as I am to show it to you. Must go, Altered awaits.

Regards Gary.

Great paint job, what type of paint did you use for that?

Regarding boat names, if she does go like a shower of [censored]......maybe "All-Turd". Sorry, just had to say it!

All the best

Hi all,
well today was the day Altered finaly hit the water. minus the kite. But after sailing I was glad I didn't have the kite ready as with a fresh breeze gusting to 15kts. I was busy just trying to sort out little problems with sheeting etc.

Tim was racing on the Mossie but I wasn't ready in time so I joined in behind the fleet as they raced around Raymond Island. The boat accelerated realy well in the protected water between the island and the mainland and I quickly passed the monos and large cats, Tim was off in the distance beating to windward, Altered hit the more consistent breeze and started to realy show some speed gradualy pegging the mossie back as we tacked around the end of the island. Then came a tight reach with Tim sailing higher to allow him to set the spinnaker early, Altered loved this angle flat trapping with the leeward bow pressing under but not slowing, spray everywhere to leeward me high and dry on trap it was a blast. I had almost drawn level but well to leeward when Tim set the kite and off he went, leaving me vainly tacking downwind in his wake as he dissapeared around the corner. I needed no further reminder of why I sail F16, the kite will be on next week!!!!!!!!!!!!

In conclusion the boat sailed realy well, the helm balanced and all the big things worked, (the mast didn't fall down and the boat floated) but seriously it does appear to have enough bouyancy despite all the extra weight as compared to the A class it came from. It seems very happy to trim bow up or down upwind, definetly bow down downwind but it didn't seem to slow it down much. Not until a wave hit the main beam but it did that upwind to. Incredible amount of water comes up the leeward hull and turns into spray but I guess this is normal for a plumb stem with a narrow deck, from my big cat experience with hulls of this shape this is how they act. Certainly makes it look like it's going fast.

Hopefully Tim will post photo's soon and I had some video taken to, so I will get him to work on that as well. I am afraid it is all in flat water though, off the jetty at the club but as you will hopefully see the gusts were strong enough to get a hull up and throw some spray around.

can,t stop grinning Gary.

P.S. I nearly forgot in reply to the question the paint is Northane two pack in Botany Blue.

Here's the photos.

Hi all,
another club member took some photo's to here they are.
regards Gary.

Okay, WOW ! and you win.

Some time back you mentioned that you didn't know wether this would be the ultimate F16 or not. When looking at your Carbon stick and boom and the Irwin mainsails I just I just have to declare your boat the winner of the singlehander F16 fleet.

Been laying a ruler along side your hulls in the pictures and she just looks to be absolutely perfect in all proportions. Mainbeam right there in the middle, 4.5 aspect ration mainsail. Sail very close to the top of the mast. The hull shape looks good from what shows on the pics. As if the boat was designed to be a F16 from scratch.

And now that the first real life sailing reports are coming in : Wow ! Signs are that she is all that and more.

My hat off to you for attempting this project and making it work so well.

Wouter

Hi all,
I've been away form this forum as I finally bought my cat (not an F16 I'm afraid...)and now spend my time trying to tame it.
But today I've remembered, what about that guy, the class A cutter?
I've check it out and I was delighted.
It sails already, and very well it seems.
And the finishing... that's professional artwork.
Congratulations, Gary!
Excelent job.

A hobie FX-one I wager. At least that is what your tag pic is showing.

Wouter

Hi all,
Glad you like the look of the boat.
Still don't have pictures with the spinnaker up. I have only sailed it with spinnaker up once. It handled pretty much like the mossie, wasn't much of a day for it though very gusty 10 to 20 kts. was very cautious at first but it didn't do anything unusual stretched a lot of new rope though. Can't wait to get it back out, if this wind would stop blowing so hard, gusted to 40kts. all last weekend, will hopefully have pictures soon.
Regards Gary.

Hi Wouter,
That’s true, I got the FXone.
Balancing all the aspects, I think this was my “best buy” for a first cat. I get support and fleets in the neighbourhood and I managed to get all the stuff within budget.(Yesss, i got the spi... )
It’s a pity it’s not an F16 but, who knows the future.
Thanks once again for your insightful and enthusiastic advice.

Best winds,

Gary finally had some nice light to moderate breeze for Sunday's race. Ideal for the spinnaker. Neil Joiner also had his new Mosquito on the water for it's first race. He will have the spinnaker gear on soon.

Tim

Just Blue-tiful !!

Well done Gary, she looks amazing. You must hate the 5 days you have to endure between weekends that keep you away from her !!

Love to hear how she goes in a mixed fleet, (just be kind to the Mozzies !!)

Cheers
Steve

Really a beautiful boat, and fast as well I hope?

It's a bit hard to see how much the mast is rotated on the lower picture, but is the mast bending sideways, or is it just bending along the major axis?

Also, it looks like the driver is not taking any chances, and drives the boat a bit aft-heavy?

Any idea of how much $$$ has gone into the platform (sans sails)?

Blue-tiful indeed.

I think the mast tip is bending away to lee Rolf. The spreader suggest that the mast rotation is just a little in front of the mainbeam. So you almost looking to the mast parallel to the main axis.

Gary, maybe we should give you a few more weeks to get to know you boat and than **** a date of the NSW or VIC states. I'll bet you'll be the combi to beat.

Wouter

Hi all,
yes I do hate the days in between sails. Especialy as I am madly trying to weld up trailer etc to travel to Colac reggatta and yes there are A class and usualy Taipans and hopefully F18's there.
I have been told Glen Ashby and Greg Goodall will be attending, not that I need that sort of competition at this stage. Colac is a inland lake nice flat water so should make it easier to sort Altered out amongst the mixed fleet I hope, Colac is also Tony McKenzies home base maker of carbon rudders etc. as used on Blade F16 and other cats.

Last year we had 10 mossies there, 5 with spinnakers, so hopefuly they will get a good turn out again and yes Steve I will take it easy on them, I am sure they will beat me on handicap.

As far as the cost of Altered it is very hard to compare to costs elsewhere because the platform cost realy just depends on what you can pick up second hand. The modification costs were minimal just time as I did it all myself. I hope this doesn't get anybody too excited but the complete boat on trailer as seen in final pictures cost around $10,000. AUS. but this relies on picking up a cheap ruff A and knowing where to source cheap parts and materials and heaps of labour hours. By comparison in AUS a new Mosquito was going to cost a bit more and Taipans sell second hand from around $8,000 good ones $10,000 plus.

Regards Gary.

Hi all,
having trouble writing this post. Have to just blurt it out.

Altered has failed structualy!!!! The starboard hull has collapsed forward of the main beam, on the inside it has completly broken through the skin and the core. The only thing holding the hull together is the carbon I layed up on the outside of the hull.

It collapsed sailing upwind with me on trap and it was the leeward hull, in about 15kts. breeze and fairly flat water I had everything pulled on hard flying a hull. I had no warning just felt the rig come back and I fell into the water came up expecting the forestay or shrouds to have failed took a while to realise the leeward hull was flapping back and forth. Got the sail and rig down alright all that is intact. Don't worry I think I know why it failed, the bridle loads were something the boat was never designed for. It was my experiment and I have to live with the consequences of not engineering the alterations well enough. Makes the price of the boat (previous post) look alot more expensive now.

Don't know what I am going to do now???????????????????????
maybe cry some Altered has become part of me!

Actualy it's all Wouters fault he jinxed me with the post backing Altered to win titles, I almost said in my return post don't jump to that sort of conclusion to quick. I thought I had alot of sorting out to do yet, but nothing this big.

I'm feeling a bit better now, hope you guy's don't mind a sad post.

Regard Gary.

disaster, feel for you.

Rebuild over the winter ?

Oh man, that is just so sad!

Is a repair feasible, or is the hull beyond hope? Pictures?

If it is beyond repair, you do have all the hardware for an F-16, sans hulls. There are plans for nice 16 foot hulls out there.. (A wild tough, you might use the remaining hull as a plug for a set of new, stronger, hulls. But all this is quite laborsome)

Sorry about your loss, but I hope you and Altered will bounce back!

If you transformed a "A" cat into an F16, repairing this should be a cake walk. Although it may sound easy enough, and even easier for me to say so, but I think you can do it. No need to give up now, just a roadblock that needs to be overcome.

We all followed Altered, you got yourself a group of fans, she is a beautifull work of art. Get the engineering settled over winter, and get that bad boy back on the water!

You can do it.
No need to be sad! you have accomplished a lot already.

So sorry - she was so beautiful.

I think that sentence shows that you are already bouncing back - and I am sure by now that you already have ideas for "Altered Too" As Rolf says, all you need are two hulls, which should be no problem to you after the wonderful job you have already done.
I am sure that we all look forward to hearing (and seeing) how you get on.