anyone got.....an old topper rig in the garage

[dylanwinter]

I am planning to do a fair amount of river and canal sailing

being an old topper father I dug out a rig from the garage - the topper hull is long gone

I did an experiment of putting a topper rig in the bow and it worked very well


the topper rigs are easier to drop and raise than the wooden and rather complex gunter rig

I would love a second one so that I could sail Katie L as a cat ketch by putting the second one by the htachway

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ9QxSL1JlE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXJ5v58Oojw

semi-permanent loan basis would be great

so if ever you need it back very happy to return it but would like to keep it for a decade or so

geography is important - I live near Oxford and the boat is on the Humber

but could drive an hour or two to pick it up

Dylan

 

[prv]

Perhaps you should have just bought a Liberty rather than a Minstrel in the first place

Pete

 

[Searush]

Perhaps you should have just bought a Liberty rather than a Minstrel in the first place

Pete

Not much chance of dropping an unstayed Liberty rig while sailing towards a low bridge tho is there?

 

[dylanwinter]

the front one comes down pretty easily

it just pivots

not sure about the one by the hatchway

never seen on close up

the topper rig is so easy to shift around - and the mast splits in half

besides.....

the gunter rig will, in my opinion, look better on the video cases

the topper

Dylan

 

[tidclacy]

Got a sail, boom and top half of a mast lying in me garage if you want it.

Over in Danbury, Maldon way but my daughter works in Stanstead Airport if you could get there?

 

[dylanwinter]

brillianrt

now all I need is a bottom half

I assume it is the bottom bits that break

essex is doable - I could take the duck punt for a spin at west mersea at the same time

 

[tidclacy]

The bottom bit mysteriously disappeared one day on the pontoon!! pm me for directions etc.

 

[dylanwinter]

The bottom bit mysteriously disappeared one day on the pontoon!! pm me for directions etc.

bless you

I won't come until I can track down a bottom section or another complete rig

any others got a bottom section or complete rig?

Dylan

 

[Searush]

I have some Skipper spars, but need to know the dimensions you need. OS Diameter of bottom section spigot is probably the important bit, diam of the bottom tube doesn't matter & length is irrelevant if you have a hacksaw.

I'm a long way away in the midlands, but could possibly courier it to you for a tenner.

 

[Greenheart]

You could ask at the Northbank Hotel, Seaview, Isle of Wight. I left my Topper there in October 1994 and I never went back! If I remember, they found space for the foils, mast, boom and sail in the garage amongst their tatty classic Jaguars, and we dropped the hull in a dinghy park nearby...

...the rest of the 'nineties were a busy time for me in London, and I had other things on my plate...

...but when I stopped in Seaview last summer, a sign on a gate near the Old Fort cafe said "red Topper for sale, £250". I had to wonder if it might be mine...

 

[dylanwinter]

thanks searush

I have some Skipper spars, but need to know the dimensions you need. OS Diameter of bottom section spigot is probably the important bit, diam of the bottom tube doesn't matter & length is irrelevant if you have a hacksaw.

I'm a long way away in the midlands, but could possibly courier it to you for a tenner.

the bottom section of the topper mast has a recessed keyway to take the top section

pretty precise

a rig will turn up eventuallly

Dylan

 

[dunedin]

I assume it is the bottom bits that break

Yes the bottom sections do break easily - perhaps one or two a year for the serious racers or heavier sailors

I wondere whether this could be a problem for your use. The Topper is light weight so when there is a lot of pressure in the rig the boat will tip over, so reducing pressure on the mast. In a heavier boat this pressure release won't happen so much more likely to snap?

 

[dylanwinter]

it might snap

but I am not planning to use them in strong winds

just as an aid to drifting between the bridges

the topper rig mark 1 seems to work fine

I am planning to put a tube beside the hatchway and just drop the rig in

should be fairly easy

D

 

[dunedin]

Just a thought - have you considered a Laser rig? Loads of them around also, and bottom tube tougher. Also comes in 3 sizes which may help tuning

 

[Greenheart]

Just a thought - have you considered a Laser rig? Loads of them around also, and bottom tube tougher. Also comes in 3 sizes which may help tuning

Plus, no need to deface your yacht with a multicoloured Topper sail...

 

[dylanwinter]

Just a thought - have you considered a Laser rig? Loads of them around also, and bottom tube tougher. Also comes in 3 sizes which may help tuning

could do

I shall look into that

although the topper rig breaks down small enough to fit inside the boat

okay,anyone got a spare laser rig in the garage

as for tuning.... what is that?

 

[Seajet]

Dylan,

how about a gunter rig from something like a Mirror or Heron ?

Need not take a lot of staying, a few tightly pulled lines should do, and lowering is a case of simply undoing things then standing out of the way !

 

[Searush]

Laser rigs tend to go for silly prices, I am looking out for a cheap small sail for mine so the g-kids can sail it. I was hoping to pick up a sail for about 20 quid & they keep going for lots more than that.

 

[dylanwinter]

Dylan,

how about a gunter rig from something like a Mirror or Heron ?

Need not take a lot of staying, a few tightly pulled lines should do, and lowering is a case of simply undoing things then standing out of the way !

the unstayed topper mast works so well and is such a doddle to unship