Dinghy using windsurfer rig.

[Rohorn]

Hi....
The ABS dinghy on my cat is 2m50 long and 1m50 wide and hangs from the davits across the stern, takes a 2.5 mariner and works well....but...
Realistically, I'm just not capable of windsurfing anymore, but have lots of bits around. Compulsive DIY , frustration etc tempts me to make an alternative light plywood dinghy, with provision for a windsurfer mast sloping back from the stem, and try to extract some sport from the result, retaining usual yacht dinghy uses..
Has anyone done this, or know of downloadable plans or sketches? Suggestions?
Cheers.....R

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[jeanne]

I have an 8ft home made ply dinghy, with a sprit rig [like an Optomist], which is a bit under sized until the wind is F4+, so I tried it with a spare windsurfer rig, with a bigger sail area.
It worked well in light airs, and in some respects was more convenient than the sprit rig. The higher boom cleared my head , and the whole rig can be unplugged and put on deck in one piece. On the other hand, it was too big when the wind was F4+! On a windsurfer, you pick the size of rig that suits todays wind. But that is not too practical when the kit is to be stowed on a yacht, so now I am back to the sprit rig.
The dinghy is the 'workhorse' tender to my yacht, and I made it to be the largest size that could fit under the boom, between mast and sprayhood. It is 'stitch and glue' construction, like a Mirrror, but made with epoxy/glass instead of grp. It was easy enough to build, but then it was the third one I've made, so perhaps that helped. Unless you have some peculiar requirement, or just want a 'project', I would rather buy a dinghy than build one. You never know if the thing will sail properly until it is finished when you build, and you may have wasted your time.


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[Rohorn]

Hi Jeanne...thanks for your comment. There's a little sailing club mostly for teaching kids here on Paros and they've a fleet of Optimist / Cacouette clones, which have rectangular box hulls with flat bottoms, and they fairly go in the often strong winds and flat water of Parikia bay. That's sort of led me to think that with an experienced eye the hull shape would be better than that, so not too critical to get some fair performance . Also, I would keep the original dinghy for "serious" tender work, and take the sailing one when out on picnics or short cruises, where fiddling around would be part of the fun.
You're quite right to suggest buying one....I've lured myself into so many projects over the years ...one should multiply the expected time and cost by at least 3.142 . However, the rig would cost nothing and I've this sweet idea for a tunnel hull which wouldn't need a centre board, and I could organise a way to orientate the mast under way, and my wife can't windsurf anymore either, and...and...
Save me somebody..
Cheers....R

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