More info on recently purchases DSI and repair questions.

[Thomas P. Bews]

Finally had to go up to Jersey and pick up the boat I purchased over the phone. It is definitely an old Can-Am boat. Sail # 6999. Has the bailers, Proctor spars, nicely shaped foils, decent but old racing sails, all the control lines etc. It is amazing how light the Proctor mast is. If I could balance it, I could rig it with one hand. The hull is virtually in perfect shape, not even ever wet sanded!
Got it rigged the first time two weeks ago. Wind was gusting to 40 + mph. I was tempted to go out anyways, but found that the main sheet was not usable. Probably saved me from a capsize. Last weekend we had our Marina spring "pub race". This is a fun race that is open to everyone at the marina who sails a monohull. The start is staggered depending on the PHRF rating of the boat. Slower boats start first etc. The challange of this race is that if you win you get a five minute penalty tacked on to your start time. Everytime you win you get another five minutes tacked on. Eventually you will start so far back that your chance of winning again is about nil. This way the hotshot sailers are kept humble and the chance to win is available to everyone. My C&C 30 had a 15 minute penalty, so I was always starting last. With the DS there was no penalty.
The day was a drifter with winds gusting to .05 mph. Everybody is allowed to use their motors up to the starting line and everybody jams the throttle to get as much speed as possible while crossing the line. Anyways, lil ole' me with a paddle could not get much headway and everybody just ran past me under their own momentum. It was a long race and I managed to win it by 1/2 a leg. I had the smallest boat, the only one without a motor, the only one without a crew and being the first time I ever sailed it. It is a good boat. Now I have a five minute penalty next time-damn!
On the technical and repair end I have a few questions. I managed to break the starboard coaming ( it is rotted ) with my fat arse. Found that the wood support under the side deck is decayed also. What kind of wood is it and those who have done the repair-how did you do it. I have ideas but like to check with the experienced ones first. The other problem is that the front "chainplate" where the front stay attaches is loose. Some time in the past the removable bulkhead that fits between the front floatation tank and the deck was glassed in, probably for stiffening purposes. This eliminates the possibility of reaching the front chainplate from inside the hull without cutting the bulkhead out or using some gorilla with six foot arms. Can an access port be cut in to the front deck to give access to this area for the repair. I want to keep the boat class legal for racing. Defender has 5" diameter ports and would probably work very well. I also have to do a "stringer repair" which was discussed in previous posts. Overall I am very pleased with the boat. After these repairs are done the boat is going to sailed like mad!!!
P.S. Anybody got a line on where to get mohogany to make new coamings.

Thanks-Tom

[Roger]

You can cut into either without violating any class rules. I have done both but cutting through the bulkhead, then tunneling to the stemhead is a real bear of a job. (I had to do that to fix the boweye) It is much easier to cut into the deck a few inches behind the stemhead and install an inspection port. Don't limit yourself to 5" though, go as big as your anchor diameter, then carve out an area in the foam under the inspection port and you can have an anchor well to boot!

I actually installed a hatch there to store my danforth. I also formed a locker for it, but that is overkill. Click on the link for a photo of the finished product.

http://groups.msn.com/RogerConrad/shoeb ... hotoID=198

[calden]

Tom:

You're hooked. Ain't this a great little boat?

Here's a link to a place that sells wood products for boats:

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/us ... &page=GRID

Or find a lumberyard where you live and ask about teak and (cheaper) mahogany. If you can buy it in thickness and have it resawn by someone with a bandsaw it'll be cheaper.

Sounds like a great boat.

Carlos

[Bob Damon]

Tom, If you can get up to Richmond you can look at some examples of how similar repairs have been done on other boats. We have a Can Am here as well. Feel free to call 804 739-9332. Thanks, Bob Damon