Has any one weighed the VM Blade, fully rigged or in components?

How about the Stealth?

I'd hope they are both 107 2 up and 104 single handed ! (with correctors)

When I first got my (old style) Stealth, I made an attempt to weigh it using two bathroom scales. It was not an easy job and I'm not altogether certain that it was accurate as the scales didn't really settle due to there being a bit of a breeze about that was causing the boat to 'wobble' a bit.

What I thought was my best attempt gave a reading of 116Kg (56Kg + 60Kg), so my particular Stealth is a bit overweight <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />. Being one of the first F16s built, I'm not surprised (or disappointed).

So no one has weighed a Blade???

How about a newer Stealth???

Not I, I should though. hmmmmm

is the method of using two bathroom scales on level ground (concrete) a good way to do this? Will it give an accurate number (assuming the scales are fairly accurate themselves)?

I can try this, as my boat is in my driveway.

Obviously, hanging scales would be more accurate, but I do not have access to that equip.

Tom, I don't know that it would be accurate enough for a Champs, but it is a quick(ish) way of getting some idea of weight.

Two scales (preferably the same) one under each hull at the balance point (just at the front of the plate cases on the Stealth). You can 'trim' the balance with loose items such as daggerboards and rudders. On the day I did mine there was a bit of a breeze and the boat was moving around a little bit so a still day is best.

As you probably know, you just add the two readings. I took about four attempts before I felt the boat had been settled enough to trust the readings. That's when I got the 56 and the 60.

I weighed my Blade today...sloop rigged and hoisted it by a fish scale from the spi' pole. No bent poles here--as vertical compression on the pole handles the weight just fine <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Okay that wasn't really true! (For the enjoyment of Robi and Wouter) <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I did weigh it at the local weigh station (for trash hauls and such). Quite funny experience as the attendant thought I wanted to weigh the boat and trailer...No..No..just the boat. Apparently no one has ever wanted to weigh JUST THE BOAT.

I'm not sure this is helpful as the accuracy of the scales are +/- 20 lbs and hadn't been calibrated recently.

Weight was 260 lbs.

P.S. I know what some will think ... "but tback capsizes alot and probably had water in each hull". Inspected all four ports and no extra weight due to H20. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Hmmmm...didn't check the mast though.

So that's 118Kgs? Maybe my boat's not so heavy after all <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I heard, that the prototype blade, which is the blade that was weighed by Terry, is a bit heavier than production blades.

Only MattM will be able to confirm this information.

My 12ft is in the mail <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Some years ago we did the comparison between weighing a cat on multiple bathroom scales and by "hanging" the boat under our (accurate) 250kg scales (dedicated scales for just this type of weighing) and we found that 1. Bathroom scales are notoriously inaccurate, and 2. There was quite a large discrepancy between the weight from the bathroom scales and the correct weight, (as much as +/-15kgs in 200kgs total)

So that would be about 7Kgs per 100Kgs or 7%.

On that basis my boat could actually be close to min weight <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> or it could also be 16Kgs over <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />!!

Interestingly, waaay back in the early eighties at Kiele Woche, the Tornados were weighed in using 4 identical 'bathroom' style scales - obviously they were properly calibrated pro types. It was the first event where we weren't weighed from a gantry and it was the first time my boat came out under and I had to find another half Kg!!!

Being out of things for such a long time now, what's the 'standard' practice? Is it still a case of hanging the boat?

Still hanging the boat, but they often use load cells these days instead of scales.

Yes, where at all possible.

I just took delivery of my Kevlar Blade here in OC, CA. When I have it fully assembled, I'll take boat and trailer to a scale at a local metal yard and weigh them together and then the trailer by itself. That should get it pretty close.
John, Blade ? (haven't unrolled the sail yet)

Not sure that will be accurate enough. Best check what the tolerances are on them; or are they "proper" hanging hanging scales. I assume by you saying that you will weigh boat+trailer and then trailer that they are "big weight" drive on ones for cars / trucks / lorries etc, If so I don't think they are going to be anywhere near accurate enough to pick up +- 5 or 10kg

Still will be interesting mind.

Don't know if this means anything, but I've seen my boat on the DHL web site and they think my Blade weighs 215.5. (It says kg, but I think it must be lb.) The dispatcher says that I'll see my boat, finally, tomorrow. I've one bathroom scale, should I weigh each end of each box giving me eight numbers to play with. Probably if I leveled the box with blocks of wood at the end opposite the scale the error in my cheep Chinese scale would be greater than the error in my method .....?

We weighed my mosquito with one set of bathroom scales in the middle with just a plank across it for the boat to balance on. We piled all the equipment on top then subtracted the weight of the plank.
I just had to crawl under the tramp to read the scales. Otherwise it was easy. It's also as accurate as the scales can be.

So how much did your mosquito weigh?

That is probably the boat WITH the crating combined. So kg's over LBS

Wouter