Wayfarer - great little boat

[lw395]

When I wrote that "they are not easy to right after a capsize" I should have written that they are not easy to keep righted after a capsize when full of water, which was my own experience ... although I am quite prepared to admit that I may not have 'known what I was doing' at the time.


I do vividly remember that the bailer was in the foredeck compartment that I dare not open because the swamped boat would have decanted into it. I had to resort to a small, brass pump fitted to the centreboard casing that took ages to clear with no self-bailers. From then on I kept the bailer on a line tied to the mast step.


I've never sailed a 505, they intimidated me with so much string doing things I had no clue of. They looked far too high-tech for me and far beyond my competence level. The later Fireball was the peak of my dinghy sailing but only on a Swiss lake, so no rough water stuff.

One method that works righting a swamped boat in waves is to forget the old RYA 'scoop up the crew' method and have the crew hang on the shroud. If you can each end up with an arm around a shroud, the boat is unlikely to re-capsize.
I've not owned a dinghy without self bailers (or completely self draining) since the mid 70s. ISTM a basic requirement for going to sea.
The wayfarer (or at least some versions of it) is among the worst boats to sail dry of its era, because it has a big stern tank, which means either no transom flaps at all or they don't work nearly so well.
I have capsized a Merlin, which has only two pillow sized buoyancy bags at the back. You right it, swim into it and the boat sails uphill leaving the water behind.
The Merlin is another boat which will look after you, getting you around the course while lesser boats are falling over a lot.
My 505's were pretty low tech, we're talking about boats bought for 3 figure sums more than 25 years ago! I'd moved from being an inland Fireball crew, to Solent hooliganism.

 

[lw395]

In contrast to the story off the IOW above, I followed this when it was happening.
http://www.xtremedinghycruising.com
A truly stunning adventure achieved in a remarkable time! Also a great advertisement for Wayfarers.
Allan

Absolutely.
Considering the fuss people make about rounding GB in a yacht!

 

[BrianH]

In contrast to the story off the IOW above, I followed this when it was happening.
http://www.xtremedinghycruising.com
A truly stunning adventure achieved in a remarkable time! Also a great advertisement for Wayfarers.
Allan

As to my Frank Dye allusion earlier I obtained the the loan of the cruise to Norway film for my yacht club back in the 1960s that clinched the choice for our dinghy class. For those that can tolerate the low-tech footage, it is here.

From the explanatory YouTube description: "This old film documents the Norwegian Sea crossing from Scotland to Aalesund, Norway, by Frank Dye and his crew, Bill Brockbank aboard a Wayfarer sailing dinghy. They encountered a Force 9 storm during the passage, survived four capsizes and a broken mast. It is a remarkable feat of dinghy sailing."

.

 

[EdWingfield]

Capsize is not mentioned on UKWA site, although we know the Clubs of the Assn carry out capsize drills in millpond conditions. These will be a vital first start. But since the W is promoted as a serious cruiser then maybe the training should extend to sea conditions, albeit with safety RIB in attendance. Perhaps 2 or 3 crews might have a go at each session?

 

[lw395]

Capsize is not mentioned on UKWA site, although we know the Clubs of the Assn carry out capsize drills in millpond conditions. These will be a vital first start. But since the W is promoted as a serious cruiser then maybe the training should extend to sea conditions, albeit with safety RIB in attendance. Perhaps 2 or 3 crews might have a go at each session?

I think when you add loads of weight and a third person, it's really up to you to make your own calls on how to handle the boat.
You could practise with a standard Wayfarer in normal racing conditions as much as you want, it will be different with an overweight boat out in a blow near the Needles.

 

[Captain Sillyboxes]

Hi all, I've begun having loads of fun sailing my new (to me) wayfarer, but I'm looking for some rudder maintenance advice. In particular the bit where the downhall attaches has got wet inside and expanded, making the up/down pivot very stiff. What's the best remedy? I'm guessing I need to treat it somehow to stop the rot, then sand that entire area to make it thinner (so pivot isn't stiff) then revarnish the sanded area. Any tips or advice re what vanish to use?

Photos

 

[Kelpie]

I take it you've tried slackening off the pivot bolt a bit?

 

[Captain Sillyboxes]

Good idea - that makes it much better! It's still sticking though due to the bit where the downhaul attaches being swollen.

More generally, my long-term goal is to properly look after a wooden boat, and since this is the only wooden component of my current and first boat, I'd like to start as I mean to go on by properly looking after this rudder. But this might be the wrong thread for such a query...

 

[lw395]

I would epoxy the area around the downhaul, after drying thoroughly.
You'll need to sand it all flat and paralllel afterwards.
Opinions differ on varnish, best to stick with whats been used before to some extent.
International one-pot polyurethane is a good all round choice for this sort of thing.

I'd guess the centreboard might also be wood, tends to be out of sight, out of mind, but needs looking after.

 

[scruff]

To solve the wetness, bring the rudder home, remove the downhaul, sand the varnish off to bare wood around the hole and leave lying around your warm house for few weeks till properly dried out. Then revarnish, including getting into the hole. If you chose to epoxy the blade, you will need to take whole board back to bare wood.

Once done, reassemble and enjoy.

 

[Kelpie]

You might want to make up some 'washers' (for want of a better term) using thin plastic, around the pivot bolt. This will pack out the space and reduce friction, as well as saving your varnish from abrasion. Think something like a CD but thinner.

 

[Captain Sillyboxes]

Cheers for all the advice. I had a feeling I would need to keep it indoors to dry out for a long period. This makes me think it might be a job for next winter as I don't want to miss out on any sailing! Would there be any advantage in varnishing the wet area without drying out as a temporary measure for this summer or would that only trap the moisture in?

Re the plastic washers, do you mean to go in between the stock and the blade? (rather than outside the stock where it currently has metal washers)

 

[lw395]

I would varnish it after as much drying as was convenient.
Heat the area where the problem is with a hot air gun for short periods. Leave the blade in the airing cupboard overnight.
It's more important to go sailing.

 

[FairweatherDave]

Coming in on this a bit late. Some stiffness in the pivot could be regarded as a good thing. My W rudder has no uphaul and I think that is normal. So come launching or hauling up a slipway it is an asset for the tip of the rudder to be kept up from grounding. I would agree with the advice to go sailing. The wood is a hardwood, the vast majority of it's life is spent out of water. Not sure but isn't this patch above the water line a fraction anyway? If I was a perfectionist or a racer I might think differently but varnishing is not for me.....

 

[Kelpie]

Cheers for all the advice. I had a feeling I would need to keep it indoors to dry out for a long period. This makes me think it might be a job for next winter as I don't want to miss out on any sailing! Would there be any advantage in varnishing the wet area without drying out as a temporary measure for this summer or would that only trap the moisture in?

Re the plastic washers, do you mean to go in between the stock and the blade? (rather than outside the stock where it currently has metal washers)

Between the stock and the blade. It's pretty much sacrificial, could be cut from an empty coke bottle or similar.

 

[Captain Sillyboxes]

I have another wayfarer maintenance question. My mainsail never goes all the way up, so that I can't quite get good luff tension and the sail shape is a bit funny.
There's nothing obviously wrong with the mast track but someone has suggested that the rope that is hemmed into the luff has contracted with age, and that I need to unpick the stitching at the tack and reattach it a few inches further up.

Has anyone done this and have any tips? Or know of any book, youtube vid etc on the subject?

Thanks in advance

 

[Ruffles]

I have another wayfarer maintenance question. My mainsail never goes all the way up, so that I can't quite get good luff tension and the sail shape is a bit funny.
There's nothing obviously wrong with the mast track but someone has suggested that the rope that is hemmed into the luff has contracted with age, and that I need to unpick the stitching at the tack and reattach it a few inches further up.

Time for a new sail!
It will be well worth it - the boat will sail ten times better and you'll have loads more fun.
Nobody ever regrets buying a new mainsail.

 

[lw395]

My racing dinghy main is getting a bit old.
It has probably shrunk a bit.
We haul it to the top of the mast with the tack disconnected, then use the cunningham to stretch the luff and put the tack pin in.
On some boats you don't want to overdo it, or the sail will be above the black band, or if the foot fits in a track on the boom it may be distorted.
We use a 2:1 halyard which helps but isn't essential.

A new main would be nice, but jibs and kites make far more difference on some boats.

Also if friction is a problem, try cleaning the mast groove, I just use Tesco's cheapest wax aerosol polish a couple of times a year, haul a rag up and down on the halyard if the mast is up.
Hope that helps?

Some boats don't bother with the tack pin, just tie the tack arond the mast. If you do that and release the kicker a lot, the boom may come off the gooseneck in some cases.

 

[Captain Sillyboxes]

Well, I don't want to get a new mainsail just yet as this would cost more than I paid for the boat! But I've found a sailmaker who will restitch the luff boltrope for £20 so I reckon that's a good compromised compared with attempting it myself.

I also want to get the boom traveller into action. It has a track going right across the stern but it's blocked off amidships with a pair of stopper knots and there's nothing rigged up for controlling the car.

I was thinking of adding a jam cleat and single pulley at each end of the track, and using a single line to connect them in a loop, with a couple of inches of slack - to avoid having loose dog ends flapping around the place. Does this sound like an ok system or is there a better way?

 

[Kelpie]

The traveller went a bit out of fashion a few years ago, as you can achieve the same result more simply using a more powerful kicker, with the mainsheet on a bridle.