Help From DSI Owners

[pnichols]

I just purchased a DSI Hull# 13742, Sail# 2383 from a widow and she did not know much about the boat

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I had a DSII 20 years ago but this DSI has some differences I don't completely understand. There is an adjustable wire that runs from one side of the inner hull through a fixture on the keel to the other side. It is there to reinforce and take load from the mast stays.

[thumb=401] [thumb=402] [thumb=403] [thumb=404]

My question. Is this typical of DSI's and if so can someone explain its full function and the appropriate tension it should have. Also the bronze fitting on the keel has an adjustable ring. What is it its purpose. To adjust the height of the mast?

[pnichols]

I just purchased a DSI Hull# 13742, Sail# 2383 from a widow and she did not know much about the boat

thumb=400 and thumb=399

I had a DSII 20 years ago but this DSI has some differences I don't completely understand. There is an adjustable wire that runs from one side of the inner hull through a fixture on the keel to the other side. It is there to reinforce and take load from the mast stays.

thumb=401 thumb=402 thumb=403 thumb=404

My question. Is this typical of DSI's and if so can someone explain its full function and the appropriate tension it should have. Also the bronze fitting on the keel has an adjustable ring. What is it its purpose. To adjust the height of the mast?
_________________
Paul Nichols
DSI 2383

[pnichols]

[thumb=400] and [thumb=399]

[thumb=401] [thumb=402] [thumb=403] [thumb=404]

[calden]

Paul:

Never seen that wire support for the shrouds. Looks like a retrofit. If so, the installer may have been worried about some weakness in the hull.

The adjustable bronze ring is just what you suspected. After one steps the mast, you turn the ring to raise the mast to bring the forestay and shrouds up to tension. I've got one in my boat, but I cut the mast and installed a mast hinge to make raising the mast much easier. Daysailers of a certain vintage had that feature. Your boat is not too far away from mine in sail number - 1653.

In fact, your boat looks identical to mine in that great color scheme:
[thumb=268]

Carlos

[pnichols]

Carlos

Thanks for the reply. Your DSI is gorgeous. That is what I am hoping to achieve with mine. As you could probably tell she needs a lot of TLC. From the trailer, to the hull to the mast. But she is all there.

You are right our two DSI's look like very similar vintage.

Thanks for the input on the reinforcing wiring. The hull seems strong so I thought that wires were standard installation to transfer stress to the keel. My instinct is that they are unnecessary. Without being able to talk to the original owner I have no way of assessing why this was done. I would remove them if they are unnecessary.

If the wires are a retrofit then what if any reinforcing is necessary for the shrouds? How is your DSI set up? Are there chain plates or any type reinforcing for the shroud attachments or is there enough basic strength in the hull?

One thing I have noticed about the previous owner is that he tended to kludge a lot of things. I have been undoing little things and throwing away bits of rope, twine, wire, and stuff.

Do you have any additional pics or descriptions of the work you have done. I have made a long list of things to do over the summer and it is mostly small repairs, paint, varnish, gel coat repair, etc.

Any input in how you solved particular problems would be quite useful

Thanks

[calden]

Paul:

As for the shrouds, I just have the stock chainplates. They don't appear to be failing, but I would feel better if they were a bit larger and beefier.

I have done a lot of cosmetic work and rigging upgrades to my boat. I've refinished and rebuilt some of the wood flooring and coamings, repaired parts of the hull, the centerboard, the rudder, rigged up lots of clever ways to accomplish this or that upgrade after sailing for a while and figuring out what I needed, etc. etc. etc.


I'm also one of the more wordy participants here, so rather than have me bloviate about these things in this post, it would probably be more worth your time to do a search on this forum for specific items or parts or repairs you're thinking of and seeing what comes up. If I've done it, I'll be there. If I haven't, there will be lots of other great information. Use that search feature.


You can also go look at my photo album on this forum -
menu at top->photos->members personal galleries->calden

to see some of the other things I've done, and wonderful pictures of my teenage kids in the boat.

I'm considering first put-in of the year this or next weekend. Depends on the air temperature and number of ice floes in the lake. (No ice, really, but this mountain lake is deep and very large and water temperature is probably still in low 40's.)

Carlos

[pnichols]

Carlos

I checked out your album. Very nice pictures. I hope to update mine with the same quality of pics when I am done restoring her. It sounds like I have the same type of work ahead of me as you can see from my pictures.

The floor boards are all falling apart. I will be refinishing them shortly and was thinking of using screws to reattach the boards to the suppots rather than replacing the nails. Besides refinishing your floor boards did you need to do any repairs?

[calden]

Floorboards:

The previous owner had remade them, using teak, and did a fair job. I just had to clean them up and touch-up with varnish. I took off the coamings, repaired the rot holes in them with epoxy filler, and refinished them. I did a lot of work on the gelcoat to get it up to shape, though.

Carlos

[MarcCram]

Hey Paul.
Regarding the wires running from the shroud chain plates to the mast step. I came across this
http://www.westsystem.com/ewmag/20/Replacing_bulkheads.html
They show an Evelyn 32-2 boat with the same type of system, it looks like it is intended to keep the whole rig from coming down if a chain plate gave way.

Cheers!
Marc Cram
Cherry Hill, NJ
DS1 #2902

"The Search Button is my new best friend"