I an upgrading Wai Whare to cat 3 to enter some offshore races. Has anybody done this and are there any areas that need attention, such as cockpit drains and locking down the centreboard.
any advice appreciated
catagory 3 for offshore racing
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Tom Elsen
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Re: catagory 3 for offshore racing
A few thoughts you've probably already incorporated -
Check the thru-decks for ANY sign of water intrusion, weakness or flex.
Upgrade the rivets in the spreader bracket. Check that bracket for ANY signs of cracking or weld failure of the bracket itself.
Check the pintle welds for the same. Very carefully.
Take the mast tabernacle off. Check for moisture problems with a really good meter. Do the tap test with a plastic hammer as well.
Reset the tabernacle with some good elastomeric sealant.
Check for moisture around the pintles. Fix and / or reseal if necessary. This is a capitol PITA.
Fit each pintle with a washer and a cotter pin retainer (on top) after you've seated the rudder box.
Check for elongation of the holes in the rudder box cheeks and in the blade head itself. See the other posting in the Repair section about this.
Check the starboard plywood bulkhead. Unbolt the stainless strop and check for ANY signs that the bolt holes are elongated. Reinforce that area. (There are other postings on that topic in the Repairs section of the board. Read up on this.)
Upgrade the gooseneck to tapped-in bolts, not rivets.
"Locking down" the board is a myth. What you'll need to do is fashion some sort of a 'retainer' inside the box. This could be as simple as a vertical brace using the existing board tackle.
Upgrade the lazerette 'seals'. Use some really good weather seal both on the bottom of the covers AND on the top of the laz port itself. The indents on the topside of the lazerette port is not deep enough to prevent some water from washing into the laz.
If your boat is a sub-275 hull number, Consider having a new rudder blade built. The old ones....well they aren't so good.
I'd upgrade the front hatch if you've not already done so.
Would also figure a way to 'lock' the hatch boards in place, or at least the bottom two, so that there's no way they come dislodged in a violent roll.
Make a spare tiller to carry.
Get a damn good drogue and tackle.
Fit a retaining bolt in place to prevent the rudder from kicking up.
Depending on how serious you are and what the regs / handicap permits, consider adding small sections of track for both headsails, that would allow wider sheeting angles.
Ask Jim and Alec Kloss about the drains. They sailed in some pretty big stuff in the Caribbean - took green water in the cockpit several times.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
Check the thru-decks for ANY sign of water intrusion, weakness or flex.
Upgrade the rivets in the spreader bracket. Check that bracket for ANY signs of cracking or weld failure of the bracket itself.
Check the pintle welds for the same. Very carefully.
Take the mast tabernacle off. Check for moisture problems with a really good meter. Do the tap test with a plastic hammer as well.
Reset the tabernacle with some good elastomeric sealant.
Check for moisture around the pintles. Fix and / or reseal if necessary. This is a capitol PITA.
Fit each pintle with a washer and a cotter pin retainer (on top) after you've seated the rudder box.
Check for elongation of the holes in the rudder box cheeks and in the blade head itself. See the other posting in the Repair section about this.
Check the starboard plywood bulkhead. Unbolt the stainless strop and check for ANY signs that the bolt holes are elongated. Reinforce that area. (There are other postings on that topic in the Repairs section of the board. Read up on this.)
Upgrade the gooseneck to tapped-in bolts, not rivets.
"Locking down" the board is a myth. What you'll need to do is fashion some sort of a 'retainer' inside the box. This could be as simple as a vertical brace using the existing board tackle.
Upgrade the lazerette 'seals'. Use some really good weather seal both on the bottom of the covers AND on the top of the laz port itself. The indents on the topside of the lazerette port is not deep enough to prevent some water from washing into the laz.
If your boat is a sub-275 hull number, Consider having a new rudder blade built. The old ones....well they aren't so good.
I'd upgrade the front hatch if you've not already done so.
Would also figure a way to 'lock' the hatch boards in place, or at least the bottom two, so that there's no way they come dislodged in a violent roll.
Make a spare tiller to carry.
Get a damn good drogue and tackle.
Fit a retaining bolt in place to prevent the rudder from kicking up.
Depending on how serious you are and what the regs / handicap permits, consider adding small sections of track for both headsails, that would allow wider sheeting angles.
Ask Jim and Alec Kloss about the drains. They sailed in some pretty big stuff in the Caribbean - took green water in the cockpit several times.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
Best wishes,
Tom
Tom
Re: catagory 3 for offshore racing
SPARE TILLER
the quarter berth cushion fiddles can be drilled to fit the rudder block to rig a tiller repair.
I cut stainless and laminated it to the fiddles as they broke when stepped on, then realized that they would fit nicely as a spare tiller and drilled the necessary holes.
lightning storms might be a problem with a metal tiller
will send pics
mike
the quarter berth cushion fiddles can be drilled to fit the rudder block to rig a tiller repair.
I cut stainless and laminated it to the fiddles as they broke when stepped on, then realized that they would fit nicely as a spare tiller and drilled the necessary holes.
lightning storms might be a problem with a metal tiller
will send pics
mike