Journey to sailing...

[vastzero]

Hi all,

We are new to sailing and new to the DSI1 but are enjoying it thus far. Its been a bit of a journey to get to here. I bought the boat back in the spring after looking around on and off for a while to find something to learn to sail on. When I got this vessel she was in a bit rough shape and needed a good cleaning and repainting.




While painting and working on it I found that there was a crack in the centreboard and was causing a leak... out of the boat. It had rained and there was some water inside which I was going to worry about later but as I was painting the bottom I noticed a leak which led me to making some repairs...



With all this done I came to the realisation that didn't have a way to trailer the mast in a way that I wasn't worried it was going to fall off. So I made a stand to hold it on the back and then strapped it to that and the front of my trailer. (I'm adding pictures for the first time here so I hope this works) I'm curious of peoples thoughts or if you have better ideas.







Also a post painting and repair picture:




After this issue was solved we were out sailing Lake Erie and I saw that one of my stays came detached from the spacer and after coming back for the day I found it was only attached via electrical tape. I wrongly assumed it was just wrapped with tape to prevent cuts fraying etc etc...





Regardless, I made this fix and was out again yesterday evening and it all seems to work well.

In the end we got some good sailing and I'm sure there will be more to fix and figure out as we go...

Some screenshots from our trip on Lake Erie:

[GreenLake]

Thanks for sharing your story.

We all like to see a boat from neglected to on the water.

You write you are new to sailing. How was your progress on that front?

Did you have help from an experienced friend, training somewhere, book knowledge, or YouTube videos? I bet the curious want to know.

[vastzero]

Hey,

Getting the boat from neglected to sailing was an awesome feeling. I like tinkering but this is a new world of tinkering and fixing for me. We have been learning to sail via YouTube, trial and error and trying out small lakes before the Great Lake.

I have to say our progress feels pretty good, we seem to have a generally decent feeling of how to trim the sails although we definitely lose the wind from time to time and have to figure it out. Getting back to the dock while going against a weak wind is a huge struggle for us. But over 5 trips I think we've developed a good rhythm for getting the boat in and out of the water almost to the point that a casual observer could be forgiven for thinking we know what we are doing! lol

We both want to get better at trimming the sails and keeping the boat going but I'm sure we will get there. The goal is to take it from one port to another along the lakes for lunch and back or a camping trip somewhere...

[tomodda]

Good job getting this old girl sailing again! And good on you that everyone is properly lifejacketed in your photos.

Some sailing tips - try to sit on the high side (windward, the side away from the sail) at all times. Will keep the boat flatter, for better speed, control, etc. Consider getting a better or at least longer tiller extender as a first upgrade. Even though she's big, the Daysailer is still sensitive to crew weight. Sitting back by the tiller vs up by the cuddy makes a big difference - again in speed and boat control. As for light-wind sailing, this is one of the few times that you DO want to sit on the low side, by heeling the boat you both fill the sail (by it's own weight) and reduce wetted surface.

If you haven't already, read GreenLake's Guide to the Basics: https://forum.daysailer.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=43

And welcome to sailing! One of the joys, at least in my experience, is that it is a lifetime of learning, there's always something new. Even if it's just new ways to enjoy a lazy afternoon on the lake!

[GreenLake]

What Tom writes. I tried to capture the info on fore-aft as well as windward-leeward balance in that thread on the basics that he linked. If you've read it and there's something that you find missing and think it would be helpful, let me know and I can add it. Or if you find something that is explained elswehere in the forum but could / should usefully be added there.

Moderate winds, from 8-10 kn are best for beginners because you get nice and definite feedback from the sails and yet any mistakes don't end up with you in the water.

Light winds can be challenging because you don't get the feedback. You may need to "guess" the sail trim and set it in expectation, sometimes ahead of whatever puff of wind comes next. In moderate winds you can adjust the sails as a gust is passing, but in light winds you are working "blind".

If you have a windex at the top of your mast, in light winds, it does not necessarily point in the same direction as your sails see the wind. At times, you may even find that your jib wants to be on the other side than what the wind indicator at the top of the mast is suggesting. Not common, and usually transitory, but I've seen it happen.

Do you have currents where you sail? Tacking against even a slow current is much less efficient, especially with low boat speed. However, the more common issues are sailing below the close hauled heading or sailing too high. The DS will happily settle on sailing 15 degrees lower than a true upwind course. The boat seems to be moving well, and the sails may look "good", but you are not going upwind. As I was learning, I had a friend in another boat call that to my attention.

The other mistake is trying to sail too high. You may be able to get the sails trimmed so the air flows over them correctly, and the bow may be pointing higher, but instead of making more progress upwind the boat will have increased leeway and effectively drift sideways. Especially in light airs, you make better progress upwind by not trying to point too aggressively.

[tomodda]

@vastzero:

Regarding tiller extensions, check this video out:

https://youtu.be/MsvFm-Q4Lho?t=1216

Seems quite doable for our DS1's as well. And I need to rig a new tiller extension myself, after attempts #1-3 of "build your own tiller extension" failed miserably. The reason my previous attempts failed is that I was trying to use an overpriced stainless tiller extension socket fitting, it has two screws that go thru the tiller extension and the two holes were just too much strain on the extension. The extension would break at the holes every time. So let's go much simpler and use a shovel handle for the the extension and a piece of rope and a bit of rubber for the hinge, as per the video. Hope this is useful to you!