sparyhood fitting problem - Hummingbird 30

[Mandarin331]

I posted this on the PBO forum, then realised this would be a better place.

We have just bought a Hummingbird 30 and want to fit a spray hood. There are a couple of problems we are trying to sort and are looking for someone in reach of the Tollesbury area who has a bit of imagination when making up a hood for us.

She's never had a hood, and that's possible due to a couple of things:-

1) The halliards are all led aft, but the jammers are fairly far forward

2) However the mainsheet is secured on two points on the coachroof, either side of the hatch garage, aft of the jammers.

I'm happy to have the jammers forwards of the pramhood as the halliard winches are self tailing and its not too much of a hassle to hold the weight on the winch whilst reaching round the hood to operate the jammers - or even have a velcro'd flap we can open to operate them. But so far we've only had shaken heads from sailmakers telling us its going to be difficult, what we need is a sailmaker who likes a challenge!

As a sweetener we also want dodgers fitted - but that should be a doddle by comparison

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[tillergirl]

I am currently having new sails made for TG by Doug Seadon. Whilst that is sails and not a sprayhood, TG is non-standard in pretty much everyway and I have been very impressed with Doug's knowledge and ability to work through practical things that will affect day to day use of the sails - he has advised on extending sheet track etc. He has only just started up in business for himself after many years at Gowans and has based himself at Peldon so he is not far. His email is dougseaden@hotmail.com but I'll pm you some telephone numbers. I think you would find him worth a call.

 

[Mandarin331]

Many thanks - i'll give him a call.

 

[sailorman]

here is another contact also ex Gowen

[FONT=&quot]N & J Mussett
Unit 26,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Waldegrave[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Business Park[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Waldergraves Lane[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]West Mersea[/FONT][FONT=&quot],[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Colchester[/FONT][FONT=&quot],[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Essex CO5 8SE
Tel: 01206 385658[/FONT]

 

[Stormy Petrel]

Hi Shamal. How is the good project going? I too have a humming bird 30 (fin keel) and this is going to be one if my next projects. I too have the same set up as you described, so any tips pictures would be mist useful. We have had 'stormy petrel' since 2008 and love her handling. I cruise and live on the west coast of ireland. Hoping for perhaps Isle of Skye or Mull next year.

 

[Mandarin331]

We've found someone prepared to do the job (which was a challenge) and are now working on the design with them, and have had a couple of long discussions on board. It's slow simply because we've not got around to taking out the headlining panels yet to get the fixings mounted. We decided to have it mounted on deck, rather than the sides of the Coach roof to keep the side decks clear. We've also got the shape designed after numerous alternative ideas and studying other designs in the marina and double checked the lowest clearance for the boom when sailing (54cms). However now's it's nearly August we're going to focus on doing it over winter. Will let you know how it goes, it's definitely happening, after a very damp trip back yesterday from the clacton air show head into 23-29 knots we feel the need more than ever.

 

[adamstjohn]

Hello Tia, is this a bilge keeler called hummingbird from Suffolk yacht harbour, Clarke and carter I think-I too have an HB 30 on the orwell and used to see this boat about a bit, Calvin Breadman used to own it. adam

 

[bluerm166]

Hi Tia,
Ref.your deliberations:
The original mainsheet position on a Super Seal/Parker 27 is taken from a single point in the middle of a substantial horse lying across the hatch.The sprayhood required involves a canvas sleeve toward the lower front of the hood that allows the sheet attachment to pass through.The sleeve is then tied up with an attached cord.In fact many boats have made the horse redundant by shifting the mainsheet attachment to the floor of the cockpit or by adding a track just outside the companionway.Your boom may well allow one of these and remove that issue.

I inherited a boat with jammers that lie beneath the sprayhood when it is down.I was able to shift these back by using a 9mm ali. plate fixed over the existing 'mound' in the fibreglass deck using the original multiple bolt holes and cantilevered back to shift the jammers by 100mm. just clear of the hood.The winch position(s) will determine how much you can gain.

I'm not familiar with the Hummingbird but I discovered on my oldish (late 80s) 'SOPHUS JERENSEN' jammers that you can take them apart and reverse the levers.The twin pivot holes allows them to apply the same cam action either way.This was also helpful on our boat.

 

[Mandarin331]

Hello Tia, is this a bilge keeler called hummingbird from Suffolk yacht harbour, Clarke and carter I think-I too have an HB 30 on the orwell and used to see this boat about a bit, Calvin Breadman used to own it. adam

Hi. Yes, that's the one. She was called Calliope but we've changed the name to Tia and she's in Tollesbury this year. What's the name of yours, it would be interesting to raft up sometime and compare notes, they seem to be pretty rare birds.

 

[Mandarin331]

Hi Tia,
Ref.your deliberations:
The original mainsheet position on a Super Seal/Parker 27 is taken from a single point in the middle of a substantial horse lying across the hatch.The sprayhood required involves a canvas sleeve toward the lower front of the hood that allows the sheet attachment to pass through.The sleeve is then tied up with an attached cord.In fact many boats have made the horse redundant by shifting the mainsheet attachment to the floor of the cockpit or by adding a track just outside the companionway.Your boom may well allow one of these and remove that issue..

Many thanks for the thoughts. You've sparked an idea which is that if we create a rope horse, with a fixed centre eye for the lower mainsheet block, then build two flexible sleeves into the hood as you describe then there's no need to move the sheet attachments, they become the attachments for the rope horse. The mainsheet would lead forward to the gooseneck, then back aft to the cockpit.

The jammers can be moved aft without too many problems anyway.

We wanted to avoid a cockpit mounted mainsheet as one of the many attractions of Tia for us was a cockpit clear of flying ropes and without a mainsheet across the companion way.

Thanks, I think you may have helped us solve it.

 

[adamstjohn]

Hi. Yes, that's the one. She was called Calliope but we've changed the name to Tia and she's in Tollesbury this year. What's the name of yours, it would be interesting to raft up sometime and compare notes, they seem to be pretty rare birds.

Yours is the only bilge keeler that I know about, there may be more but as nobody seems to know how many were made or even by whom it is a difficult one. Think we have a Webster made one with a prof. fit out down below, no internal plastic mouldings as I have seen on another one in Scotland, lots of teak veneer, a friend calls it a mock tudor pub! They all seem to be named after hummingbirds, mine is called sungem. Its a well used boat that we have had for 10 years , although as I have 2 small children its not getting as much use as I would like! They sail well and the first sail of the year when she is polished and clean always sees us, oh dear I nearly said overtaking didn't I.....I shall re phrase that and say going along quite nicely. Weather helm in a blow is a bit of an issue though on ours but now we have got furling genoa and an easily reefable main, its easier to combat. I could wax lyrical about these all day.....I have an email copy of a sailing today review where it was proclaimed it a good comparison to a contessa 32, and also an original review of the boat, my email address is adamstjohnclarke@Hotmail.com, send me a mail and I will dig them out if you are interested. Does yours still have the sabb motor it had when calvin had her? Cheers adam

 

[Mandarin331]

Tia sounds much the same, no plastic down below but very nicely fitted out in teak veneer, and been well cared for over the years. Sounds like she's not lost any performance with twin levels as we find the same, even at this time of year she slips along nicely. We've found the touch of weather helm in heavier winds is fixed with a tuck in the main, and she generally very easy to sail. Not sure about a Saab, but she now has a very nice Vetus 20hp installed. Will email you separately, thanks for the offer.

 

[Stormy Petrel]

We've found someone prepared to do the job (which was a challenge) and are now working on the design with them, and have had a couple of long discussions on board. It's slow simply because we've not got around to taking out the headlining panels yet to get the fixings mounted. We decided to have it mounted on deck, rather than the sides of the Coach roof to keep the side decks clear. We've also got the shape designed after numerous alternative ideas and studying other designs in the marina and double checked the lowest clearance for the boom when sailing (54cms). However now's it's nearly August we're going to focus on doing it over winter. Will let you know how it goes, it's definitely happening, after a very damp trip back yesterday from the clacton air show head into 23-29 knots we feel the need more than ever.

Hi there Mandarin. I am just getting a hod designed at the moment and have the same setup of mainsheet as you described. Would mind sharing your learning on how you overcame this with your sprayhood?

Thanks a million, John Sweeney

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

Tia sounds much the same, no plastic down below but very nicely fitted out in teak veneer, and been well cared for over the years. Sounds like she's not lost any performance with twin levels as we find the same, even at this time of year she slips along nicely. We've found the touch of weather helm in heavier winds is fixed with a tuck in the main, and she generally very easy to sail. Not sure about a Saab, but she now has a very nice Vetus 20hp installed. Will email you separately, thanks for the offer.

I had an Elizabeth 30, the Hummingbird 30 being a modified version without a sloping transom. The mast was set up with a forward lean, which looked a bit odd, but made her much more balanced and windward work much easier. I found she was comparable to a Contessa 32 at about half the capital cost. Enjoy!