What to do before the season?

I have to renew the antifouling in a few patches where trailering and beaching has rubbed it off.

Then, a small detail: I have modified how the mainsail halyard is attached to the Gunter gaff yard. I have drilled the carbon yard for the halyard, which theoretically makes the carbon yard loose it\\\'s floatation. I will therefore foam that bit of the yard where the hole goes through it.

And then, one job which is however not really necessary: I wish to have a wheel in the main mast for the mainsail halyard.

And then, to replace the steel shrouds with Dyneema, and reduce the weight of the masttop fittings. Overall objective is to reduce the weight of the standing rig as much as possible.

All a bit over the top I agree, but it\\\'s winter slack, so better do something.

It\\\'ll be fun trying the changes out if the weather comes back to normal.

What have you left to do with your boat?

That last one came from the heart! I saw Matt at the London Boat show today. He said people keep asking him to build boats.
My winter jobs are progressing. Sadly all of my modifications add weight rather than reduce it. I have fitted slatted floor boards in the cockpit. Partly to give a level surface over the ballast tank hatch, and partly to let short-legged people brace themselves because the cockpit is too wide to stretch across. I have also added some storage in the cabin, which I will fill up with heavy things over the summer. Remaining jobs are to touch up scratches in the paintwork and do a modification to the run of the jib sheets. But not till teh snow goes. I cannot actually get to the boat at the moment as it is in a barn in the middle of a snowy field at the end of a snowy lane.

Jobs to do before the spring/summer launch?? The following are a few mods that I am doing to the Bayraider:

1. Eliminate the rudder play. You cannot have both worlds, namely a lifting rudder and absolutely no play but I think I have done as close as I can. A small bit off the tubular stainless steel insert, 2 large plastic washers and some marine grease. The lifting rudder on this boat is an excellent idea.
2. A cunningham setup off the mast for the mainsail. Just to give a small bit of tension here with an optimist type block setup. You do not need anything stronger as its pulling against the main halyard.
3. fit a block off the end of the mizen boom for easier tensioning.
4. fit a snap shackle on the main outhaul. for easy release.
5. Bullseye swivel and cam on the centreplate housing for asymmetric.
6. Burgee and pennant arrangement as per Claus\\\'s previous suggestion.
7. Name on transom using stick on in italic roman as per Bayraider writing on the side of the boat. Looks very neat. Cost only 8 euro at a signwriters.
8. touch up hardwood with teak stain.
8. Rubber eyelet to end of jib boom as per previous suggestions
9. Polish hull. I\\\'ve got coppercoat on the bottom. So far brilliant performance and I keep it moored in the richest growing mussel area in Europe. The stuff grows while your watching it. Admittedly the boat was only in the water 2 months. This year will be a serious test at 5 to 6 months!! But so far so good.

If anyone wants details on any of the above mods, let me know. I will be glad to post some photos or details. Looking forward to getting out on the water.
regards
Paul

Hi Peter,
the photo is the same as in the Dyneema Shroud thread. If you look closely you\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'ll see the slit in the mast. The nut that holds the shrouds fitting is on the M8 thread length through the mast which also is the central axis for the halyard wheel. The 8mm thread is covered with a brass tube 10mm x 1mm, so the wheel rides on the smooth brass.

I do not know which kind of mast you have. You should first check the hollow part of the mast begins at least 1\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" underneath from the incision you have to make to insert the wheel. If the solid top section of the mast is too short, you can epoxy a longer core plug piece in.

I have done it with four different masts now and it is very simple. You drill with a smaller diameter bit first. You put in lead pencils in into the holes to check the borings are at right angles. Then with every bigger diameter bit you correct the angles if not perfect. Basically you just do the two holes on either end of the slit, and connect them with a jigsaw. Fine tuning for thickness you do with a good file.

When you do the cross boring for the wheel axis you must be very precise about the 90 degree angle vs. the slit and the mast axis.

Hope this helps.

Claus

Hi Julian,
funny you noticed that. But it\\\'s true, that was the reason why. And there is actually another double purpose thing in the photo: That hardwood (Teak) plug set into the mast top goes down inside the mast to about where the hard eye is. Thus it not only seals the mast, it also serves to absorb the strain from the halyard wheel through-axis and the shroud plates.