Sea trials

Need to sit on the side!
Trouble is it was so flukey, next moment she snapped upright, if I was on the weather rail I'd get a wet arse and probably everything else. She'll sail along happily with water just lapping aboard. i think you are right about balance, see I let go the helm, she carried on.
 
What an amazing change in her behaviour ! I think you have done 80% of what is necessary, so the refined 20% is matter of fiddling with bits of string and blocks.

Does the deeper rudder blade have a bungy cord to control it's draft ? I'm thinking of running into hard sand and not breaking the blade and cheeks.

Capsize buoyancy. I rspeckfully suggest you need to move those dahnbouys outwards. if you have all the 'lift' centrally and down by the keel, the free surface effect and dahnbouyss will tip her over again.

But you have a gem of a boat. Doesn't matter a damn if you have sails from other dinghies, the strings and flappy bits all look as if they are doing a good job. Looks as if you have got some miles of smiles ahead.
The rudder has a new bungy, it flips up OK. It floats out readily, I had to put a bungy over the tiller.
Capsize will be on test this week if we get the heatwave promised. Buoyancy bags along the sides if any probs.
 
Still think you need a leeboard (or, if you feel brave and skilful) a centreboard.
I experimented with a leeboard on a project. I just clamped it to the gunwhale. (Remembering to fit a lanyard to the board and the G clamp)

Or extend your mini bilge keels to create small foils. Hopefully to help reduce tenderness and leeway.
 
Sank her yesterday, on purpose and alongside the other boat, she went down to the thwarts, I jumped in and bailed her out in about 5 minutes, given a breather or two. I am stalking some buoyancy bags on ebay, they will be better.
 
Sooo......Quite (!) breezy in the river, I tooled around in the shelter of Frenchman's, then in the best spirit of "I'll only stick it in a little way" I poked her nose out...after a frantic few minutes and not hardly any poo coming out I was trying to go about on the far side, but all in all still felt safe, just as well as no safety boat today.
This going about business. The only way I've achieved it is by bearing off a little, then cam cleat the jibsheet, gently gently coming up and standing in the stern push down on the boom and push it to windward to maintain the turn. Greg has a standing lug on a 18ft gig: looking at it I can't see quite how the sail can be tightened hard in the same way. If I move aft at the right moment it lifts the bow so the backed jib can shove it round.
It's tricky on a day like yesterday, when a quick decision to gybe has to be made and I did run into the trees once.
The boat is balanced well, after a gybe I can bring her upwind and complete the next tack without touching the tiller although not pointing as high as steered. I beat up to Tremayne just to prove it possible, I don't think leeway is a problem although to be fair I had the tide under me. Took nearly an hour, five minutes to run back. Travel hopefully rather than arrive.
The s lug: he has to pass the tack round the mast. Click on the '2'

 
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