We have a youth forum here, but it is not very active. Click on "Main Index" at the top of this page, and it will take you to all the other forums. Scroll down to find the youth forum.

Maybe your daughter can get some kids talking on it. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Wouter, thanks for the web sites. I wish I could read them. My daughter did not build in any angle into the rear tires. I do not remember any info about needing it in the information she got from the web. If you could measure it on yours, I am sure I could build it into the axles. I have come to take ownership of the land sailor as my daughter is sailing for the University of South Florida (Saint Pete). The wheels that are on the rear now have bearings, but the metal structure is to flimsy to handle the loads and now wooble. I considered the plastic wheels for the front but we thought that the spoked wheels would be stronger (wrong again). Anyway thanks for the help,

Carl
Saylor Specialties
www.saylorspecialties.com

My stigcher landyacht (above picture) has 7 degrees inward angle on the rearwheels. I can lift one side up by 200 mm before the leeward wheel becomes perfectly vertical. I think this to be quite small and I figure you can easily go up to 10 degrees.

My other landyacht, class 5, has more angle to the rearwheel. See picture below. This is about 11 degrees.





I hope this helps.

Wouter

Wouter,
Thanks so much. now to find the wheels and have some fun again.

Carl

Carl ,
There is a section on wheels and tire selection on the ice flyer web site.

Ice Flyer wheels and tyre selection

even gives part numbers.

As I've not been following this closely this may or may
not be of use.

Regards,
Phill

Getting back to "yoots" sailing, the lightning class has done something that I think could help. It would have certainly helped me get into the game earlier than I did.

http://www.lightningclass.org/Boat_Grant/PressRelease.htm

Sirocco Sprint
www.windline.net

Well, I have solved my personal problem of getting my four grandchildren sailing. I found a Snark for $50 at a flea market. It is interesting how many cat sailors I know who have told me that they first learned to sail on a Snark.

You can flame me all you want about not starting them on a catamaran, but I think it is more important to just get them sailing. And a flea-market Snark is all I can afford --and all they can carry, since it weighs only 50 pounds.

Way to go, Mary! My first boat was a Sea Snark, too. I was 16 years old and wanted to get on the water in some fashion, and I happened upon a Snark for sale in the local paper. It was ugly--it had a ragged out "Kool" cigarrette sail (remember that promo?), and someone had done a pretty poor job of trying to glass over the styrofoam hull. But it floated (like a bathtub!), was cheap ($75), and most importantly, I could throw it on top of my car and get it on the water with just a few minutes of setup. I can honestly say that some of my best sailing memories (and stories!) are from times in that boat...

Which underlines two thoughts: first, that some people DO transition from monohulls to cats, and second, that low $$ and quick setup are essential to get most youth on the water.

Had some fun with kids in the last few weeks
I did the Goolwa to Milang with my 9yo and 11yo daughters on the wire me hiking, had their first pitchpole put a hole in the jib and the main, broke tiller extention and sail battens once they got over the shock they loved it and got back out once we were off again.
I went up near Morgan on a big lagoon off the Murray river with the same kids, Brett from Glasscraft was there and let us try his new "Bic Open" its only about 8ft long with a windsurfer sail and open transom. My 9yo hopped on and had no trouble righting it when she went over. My 11yo didnt go over. I went on it even though its maximum crew weight is 90kg at 105kg I had a lot of balance issues but what a hoot in 25 knotts it was indistructible. If you get a chance check one out because my daughters said it had "bling" and it was exciting they desperately want one.
regards