Wayfarer - great little boat

[lw395]

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.

Agreed.
Unless you have a weak and/wooden boom, fit a good kicker, a cascade of blocks giving about 16:1 is good.

 

[Greenheart]

That's all very helpful.

I've been allowing myself to believe that my traveller, which operates easily, but hasn't been used in anger, is a great way to reduce heeling (at cost to pointing) in a breeze. Does the modern powerful kicker replicate this heeling-reduction effect?

Regarding the new mainsail question, I too am tempted, but it would cost nearly three times what I paid for the boat.

I could be persuaded to shell out, but I think I'd have to spend at least as much again on pristine new foils and hull-polishing, to make the first purchase seem rational.

At the moment the whole boat is old and tired, and adding a brand new sail will tend to make the rest look and feel worse than it is!

 

[lw395]

If the old sail is really working against you, unless you are going to enter the Nationals, first thing to look at is secondhand sails from the top racers.
I've been using a main I bought secondhand for under £100, I've won plenty of club handicap races with it over the last 4 seasons or so.
Jibs don't last as long, but the top racers will sell them after half a season's use. Most class association websites have sails for sale.

The thing with sheets, travellers and kickers, is being able to let the sail out a bit without letting the boom rise and opening the leech when you don't want to.
There is what I call 'yacht style' where the main does leech tension on a beat and the horizontal angle is done by the traveller. Some dinghies use this to great effect, but it means playing the traveller for every gust. Sometimes the crew does it.
The more usual is to have the mainsheet working from a point high up, like a bridle at the stern or a hoop in the middle, the mainsheet is then mostly doing horizontal angle, and the kicker does leech tension.
Some boats, particularly in lighter air, the main on the hoop also does leech tension, so the first ease affects most the top of the sail, but then the kicker goes tight and further easing lets the boom out horizontally. Getting the compromise right means you don't have to continually fiddle with both controls for every puff or wave.

 

[Kelpie]

That's all very helpful.

I've been allowing myself to believe that my traveller, which operates easily, but hasn't used in anger, is a great way to reduce heeling (at cost to pointing) in a breeze. Does the modern powerful kicker replicate this heeling-reduction effect?

Regarding the new mainsail question, I too am tempted, but it would cost nearly three times what I bought the boat for.

I could be persuaded to shell out, but I think I'd have to spend at least as much again on pristine new foils and hull-polishing, to make the first purchase seem rational.

At the moment the whole boat is old and tired, and adding a brand new sail will tend to make the rest look and feel worse than it is!

I don't know if things are different on your Osprey, but in general a kicker or traveller is used to adjust sail shape independently of the sheeting angle. Dumping the traveler is a good technique on a yacht to maintain speed through gusts, but on a dinghy where you have the sheet in your hand it probably makes more sense to use that.

 

[Greenheart]

Thanks for your replies gents. Great tip about getting newish sails at significant reduction. Just as long as the hard-driving crews at the top of their game haven't pulled the shape out of the sail in half a dozen breezy races.

I've tended to treat the Osprey like a yacht, albeit a very tender one. Singlehanding her, it's a rare day that I can keep her close to upright upwind, so I'm inclined to accept flat tacks and leeway rather than press her hard and heel unproductively.

I've always supposed that a taut kicker (and cunningham) flattens the sail, reducing heel by some mysterious physics I don't pretend to comprehend...

...while the traveller offsets the angle to the wind, such that even with the mainsheet in tight, the drive of the sail is pointing more ahead than sideways, hence benefiting drive and reducing heeling, at cost to pointing.

Thinking back, it's only been the last couple of years that I adjusted the traveller at all, and it hasn't helped as far as I could see. I'll centre it and work the kicker instead. :encouragement:

Edit:

Kelpie has below answered the question to my satisfaction - I'm just too light, so I must live with what I can't do. That's fine.

If anyone is wondering what happened to the Wayfarer theme, I must remind them how very similar visually, the Mk 2 Osprey is to the Wayfarer...both immediately obvious as Ian Proctor's work. Here's a Wayf singlehander suffering, much as I do in the longer Osprey...

 

[Kelpie]

The other thing to bear in mind is that beyond a certain wind speed you simply will not be able to sail the boat efficiently, unless you bring some extra ballast with you. This is one of the reasons I switched from my Wayfarer to a Wanderer for singlehanding- I just couldn't keep the bigger boat flat in stronger winds, and had to either dump the main or reef, both of which pretty much destroy your pointing ability.

 

[Captain Sillyboxes]

I'm thinking of replacing my toe straps because they are 60% worn through under the thwart and it makes me nervous using them! (also need to try to work out what sharp edge has caused them to wear in exactly that place and cover it somehow)

I also want to add removable miniature toe straps that go above the bench forward of the thwart, for small children to use (for fun rather than improved sailing performance)

My question: is there any actual difference between the toe straps sold by chandlers for this purpose, and generic polypropylene webbing strap such as this https://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/webbing-strap ?

 

[lw395]

If you buy pre-made toe straps for a dinghy these days, you normally expect foam padding on the underside.
If you buy webbing off the roll for the purpose in a chandler's, it's normally very thick, so it can be made to stand up in a loop and you can get your toes under easily.
Thin webbing, like car seat belt or thinner, is amply strong, but tends to fold rather than hold its shape. That is generally very uncomfortable after about 30 seconds, even with protection from wetsuit boots.
Some people use the webbing from lifting strops.

 

[Greenheart]

I'm thinking of replacing my toe straps...also need to try to work out what sharp edge has caused them to wear in exactly that place and cover it somehow.

I've always used ordinary 50mm seat-belt webbing such as in your link. I've never found it uncomfortable, but getting it to the right height ready for action requires some shockcord keeping the top of the triangle approximately where I stick my ankles.

Difficult to imagine what's caused such wear-damage to your existing toestraps, unless they're ancient - it's very durable stuff. I've found that the structures to which the webbing is attached are far more likely to be in danger of sudden catastrophic failure.

 

[Seajet]

In my dinghy racing days it was standard to use simple webbing - just like a car seatbelt - held by 2 screws / bolts through a Seasure stainless plate each end, and held up in the middle or anywhere handy by elastic to an eye under a thwart.

As an Osprey fan I'm a little upset by the comment they look similar to Wayfarers, nothing like; Wayfarer - Thunderbird 2 heavy ( in every way ) lifter - Osprey - Thunderbird 1 high speed performance treasure to behold and sail.

I do admire Wayfarers enormously, but can't help thinking of them as sailing school boats, as they can carry a lot of people and it needs them to get up a slipway like ours - maybe I was younger fitter and keener when I had my Osprey but it didn't seem to need anywhere the effort - though both certainly need jockey wheels on the trolleys.

 

[Seajet]

for the Wayfarer devotees. Read this sobering tale.

http://www.bluedome.co.uk/beginners/capsize.html

Frankly it would be pretty close to madness to try that with an experienced, well equipped and experienced crew; the Wayfarer may have a good reputation but it's still an open dinghy.

I once saw one in trouble ( but no way of helping ) as a boy on Lake Windermere; itwas blowing a good 5 and they just kept capsizing as soon as righted.

I seem to remember the hatch on the aft tank became loose, but from what I saw it seemed like too much side buoyancy ( so judging from comments here maybe non-standard ) , it went downwind fast and was hard to right; this is from dim but I think vivid memories of 40 + years ago.

The Osprey is also a sod to right, but the one which upset me was the Contender, designed for one bod, I - around 12.5 stone - was assured by the association it was easy to right; as soon as I capsized it went straight inverted, of course wind and tide are huge factors.

Of course boats designed for salt water do definitely behave differntly - worse - in fresh water, I seem to remember Frank and Margaret Dye used to lower the mast to ride out gales ?

It seems to me that just as cruisers are best sailed by ex-dinghy sailors, maybe Wayfarers need a bit of experience on a smaller dinghy first, certainly if planning to cruise - if nothing else but to learn if self and projected crew have the necessary weight and skills.

 

[Daydream believer]

Here's a Wayf singlehander suffering, much as I do in the longer Osprey...

Bloke is not sitting out--- He is " leaning back a bit" !!!!!
------& Dan , In your case you should be out on a wire-- No picture of you, but one would assume you would be!!!!

 

[Seajet]

Looking at the wind on the water the next few frames of film would be interesting.

 

[lw395]

Bloke is not sitting out--- He is " leaning back a bit" !!!!!
--

Probably the most excitement he's had in a Wayfarer.
I wonder if it did round up and hit the tree?

 

[Greenheart]

Dan, In your case you should be out on a wire - No picture of you, but one would assume you would be!!!!

One lousy touched-up photo from October last, supplied by a mate who was rather a long way behind, using 8x digital zoom. :sulkiness:

But don't blame him, it was my first time on the wire.

 

[Seajet]

Dan,

I know it was first go and just experimenting, but you may need to go a bit further forward, think Contender; long tiller extension which has to be swept round aft when tacking or gybing, and foot grips - not holds - nearer the shrouds.

The trapeze elastics should help you forward when out, but be handy when you're in, soon easy to sort - pretty much as for 2 man crew.

Great to see . :encouragement:

 

[Greenheart]

Cheers Andy...

...to be honest I wouldn't have posted that photo, if I had ANY others...looks more like I'm just standing on the side-deck.

My tiller extension is one of Wickes' top quality telescopic aluminium shower-curtain poles. £5.99, and recommended.

When my toestrap-adjuster slid through its clamcleat a couple of years ago, and I toppled backwards headfirst into the briny, for some reason I gripped the extension rather than the mainsheet. It bent over the gunwale but held me as I scrambled onto the centreboard...

...and after righting the boat (quite easily, considering her mass and sheer size - though she hadn't gone over very hard), there was enough length after breaking off the bent bit for me to carry on sailing for the rest of the day. I may get a proper one, but no hurry.

Round and round we go...toestraps, capsize, and Ian Proctor's wonderful boats.

In spite of what you said earlier Andy, I do think the Mk2 Osprey and Wayfarer have remarkable visual similarities.

 

[Seajet]

Dan,

we'll have to disagree re the aesthetics.

Re tiller extensions, when I had my Scorpion we were howling along on a beam reach both hiked out, when there was a sudden lull in a wind shadow - we dipped to windward and I was dragged clean out, last thing I held onto was the tiller extension so the boat veered off downwind - I promise this is absolutely true, I surfaced in time to see my young crew turn round to say ' what are you playing at ? ' then his face when there was no-one there just a waggling tiller

He had the good sense to deliberately capsize the boat so I could catch up and rejoin, or I'd have been in for a very cold quite dodgy long swim.

 

[fisherman]

I was on the end of the sliding seat in an early hornet, no. 263, must have just lifted my weight slightly and it slid from under me and down into the water. Archaic bit of kit. I used to stay pretty dry in most capsizes but we did a bit of a gyration that time.

 

[Greenheart]

He had the good sense to deliberately capsize the boat...

I shall keep note of that excuse, for my own future use. :encouragement:

Even though my shower-curtain tiller extension is telescopic, I didn't have it at full-scope when I tried the trapeze last year.

In theory it'll reach nearly eight feet. In practice I doubt I'll often need it to be more than five-foot-six.

Did anybody ever fit a trapeze to a Wayfarer? The chap singlehanding in the earlier photo, might have benefited from the addition.

Under strain of manoeuvring the Osprey alone on shore, I've looked at the Tasar as a light, rewarding, possible singlehander.

Upwind, it still technically needs two bodies hiking, but their combined weight may not be far from the effect of one man trapezing.

I even had a few online exchanges with Julian Bethwaite, and by his and others' accounts, the Tasar can carry a trapeze, obviously not while racing (but I hope the distracted outlook of racers needn't lower the tone here).

The Osprey's sails easily defeat my power to keep her upright. Even with a mate beside me on the gunwale, we heeled uncomfortably on the edge of a force 4. But an Osprey sailor told me memorably..."She's a different bird when you're on the wire."

...so I still hope that as singlehanders, Ospreys and Wayfarers aren't purely for less than ten knots of breeze.

I like this vid of a lad's first time singlehanding a reefed Wayfarer, and his family's relaxed views on personal buoyancy. :biggrin-new: