Enterprise sailing dinghy

[tt65]

Have just purchased an old Enterprise. Wood hull, wood boom, aluminium mast. This to provide idyllic family days out in Chichester harbour in partnership with my Westerly Fulmar.

Does any one know of a website or other publication with full details of how to set up the standing and running rigging of such an Enterprise

 

[Cloven]

Try here:

http://www.sailenterprise.org.uk/

 

[Skyva_2]

If its an old boat it should not be too complex.

Try a look or enquiry here - enterprise association

or try a local club like Emsworth. I don't think they sail Ents as a class but someone will know about them.

 

[bluedragon]

I used to race Ents many years ago. If you're just cruising make sure you have some mast rake and tighten up the jib luff as much as possible. That's about it. If you want to race then there's a little more too it, but not much as I recall.

 

[DinghyMan]

Make sure it has plenty of flotation bags - if its real old then four bags, two long ones each side and a big triangular one under front, as they float like a brick once capsized, something which they do a lot..... and with the flotation they will float with the bottom of the mast level with the water once righted.

Also check the sail size as you can get a small set of sails for themt, I've got a small set and a sandard set and you can sail in some pretty decent wind with the small set or spend a lot of time swimming if you put the full size ones up.

I have a tension guage for the rigging but don't use it as the "recommended" tension is very tight for an old wooden boat. I just tighten all three bottle screws until the wire is pretty tight - not high tech but I don't race much.

Also forgot to mention that there are at least two different sets of standing rigging on the Ent; old ones are probably just three 3mm wire standing rigging with bottle screws at each of them - lift the mast vertically and sit in wooden / plastic shoe fitting whilst crew run around attaching bottle screws and the tighten so that mast has a bit of a backwards lean. More modern Ents have the front shroud left slack and the Jib with a wire through the luff - on these the two side shrouds are usually attached with chain plates with no adjustment and the jib is fitted, pulled up and then a highfield lever on the bottom of the mast is used to get the front of the jib into the bloody tight setting, usually needs a crewmember pulling on the unused locating front shroud to get enough tension to fit it.

Ent's have a reputation for being a bit tippy but are still good fun, mines over 40 years old and still going well. Whats your hull/sail number as a bit of web searching should give you its age?

 

[tt65]

Thanks people for the advise. Boat was built in 1959

 

[alistairedw]

Good choice of dinghy!

All the key information for tuning the Ents is here:

http://www.allspars.co.uk/tuningguides/enterprise.html

 

[ex-Gladys]

I learnt to sail on ENts in the late 60's on the sea and "enjoyed" the expereince so much I never sailed one again. They are over canvassed for their size which gives good light weather performance, but they are a complete bitch in a blow. Nearly as bad as a GP14.... If you are going to use it just for cruising, get the cruising rig.