Some improvements

[TIM WEBB]

Hey y'all,

I've posted some pix in my photo gallery of some of the upgrades I've made to the DS2 Red Witch. Most of them are a direct result of info I've gotten from this site and elsewhere, so, thanks!

There's 2 pages worth ...

Go here:

gallery/search.php?user_id=155

- Tim

[K.C. Walker]

Tim,

Nicely done! Lots of good improvements. After you do your capsizing drill, I'd be interested to hear how you like your righting lines.

[TIM WEBB]

Thanks KC. That's one of the things I want to find out/know before it ever happens for real. If the headboard float keeps her from turtling, I should be able to reach the stern cleat and pop the bungee off. Then it'll just be a question of whether having the line tied to the chainplate affords enough leverage. I'm almost always singlehanded, and only 160 lbs, so I'd need all the help I can get!

[algonquin]

Very nice attention to detail and well thought out.

Your vang angle has a nice purchase and should make trimming easy. I am also interested in how your righting lines perform. Even though I am personally more ballasted I feel that your lines will make quite a difference in righting your boat. Brad

[jdoorly]

Very very nicely done. Do you know how much foam you used in the headboard flotation? How much thrust in that Minn Kota? is it enough for you?

[TIM WEBB]

Thanks algonquin, but it's been a "work in progress" ... note holes in mast from first horn cleats, then bullet blocks, now finally these swivel cleats - looks like swiss cheese!

Regarding vangs: I don't have a lot of experience on boats that have them (Sunfish, Laser, Larsen scow), so never really knew anything about them. I put this vang on mainly to keep the main flat when wing 'n' winging. But I find that I pretty much honk it tight and leave it that way all the time now, on all points of sail, reefed and unreefed. That and the CB/rudder downhauls have made all the difference in the world in pointing capability and weather helm! So I guess my question is, under what circumstances would you *not* want the vang tight? I have stock midboom sheeting.

I'll be sure to give a full report after my capsize drill this Summer. My plan is to try to put her over in as close to real world conditions as possible, but nothing dangerous. My buddy Shannon will be close by in his wakeboard boat. We will be in deep enough water that if she does turtle, the mast won't stick. Obviously I'll have a vest on. I'll take my good battery out of the box and put an old dead one in there to keep the weight and balance real (box is mounted in the cuddy right in front of the mast). The foam under the seats looks pretty good (earlier pix I posted), but before the drill I intend to put an inspection port in the forward bulkhead, pull old foam, and pack in soda bottles. I'm hoping that the CB d/h will keep the board down, and all I'll really have to do is swim immediately to the masthead, make sure the headboard float is working, then go to the stern cleat, pop the bungee, hop on the CB with the line, and pull 'er back over. If she turtles, I'll have Shannon come to the rescue!

[TIM WEBB]

Thanks jdoorly. I just kinda guessed on the size of the headboard float based on some other commercially available ones I'd seen. It's pretty much the size of the reinforcement fabric in the top of the sail. It's 15" along the luff and 16" along the leech. 6.5" at the top (only the very top of the headboard sticks out, just enough to get the halyard shackle on), and 17" at the bottom. It's 1/4" thick closed cell foam inside large hole polyester mesh (stuff we use at work to build parachute gear). So, it's all those dimensions X2. Oh, and I have slugs on the luff, so there's an opening for the very top one. I have no idea what kind of "floatation value" it has. I do know that when I try to push it under water, it pushes back pretty good! Like I said, it's as yet untested, but it will be this Summer! Oh, BTW, if it proves inadequate, I left enough "slack" in the mesh cover to be able to insert a second layer of foam on each side. Just didn't want to make it any fatter than necessary ...

The Minn Kota came with the boat. 99% of the time it's fine - I sail on local lakes with no tide or current, etc. I use it only to get away from/back to ramps full of scowling impatient anglers in overpowered bass boats who have no idea what "water time" is all about (think Carl Hiaasen novels here!). There have been times however when it will not push the Red Witch into building winds when a storm is coming, and that's the time you REALLY want a motor to get you back quick, so when the "electric wind" finally gives up the ghost, I'll prolly go looking for a gas motor. I really like the British Seagull as a possibility ...

[hectoretc]

I'll be sure to give a full report after my capsize drill this Summer. My plan is to try to put her over in as close to real world conditions as possible, but nothing dangerous. My buddy Shannon will be close by in his wakeboard boat. We will be in deep enough water that if she does turtle, the mast won't stick. Obviously I'll have a vest on. I'll take my good battery out of the box and put an old dead one in there to keep the weight and balance real (box is mounted in the cuddy right in front of the mast). The foam under the seats looks pretty good (earlier pix I posted), but before the drill I intend to put an inspection port in the forward bulkhead, pull old foam, and pack in soda bottles. I'm hoping that the CB d/h will keep the board down, and all I'll really have to do is swim immediately to the masthead, make sure the headboard float is working, then go to the stern cleat, pop the bungee, hop on the CB with the line, and pull 'er back over. If she turtles, I'll have Shannon come to the rescue!

Hi Tim,

I was searching for something else, and came across this posting from you early last year. Just wondering if you ever did the controlled capsize, and how the recovery went? I tried to search for the follow-up if you posted it separately but couldn't find it. If you already were asked about this and responded, you could just point me to that thread as well.

Thanks - Scott

[TIM WEBB]

Nope, gotta admit, I know I promised, but I never got around to the capsize drill last year. The stars just never aligned, and it didn't happen. That doesn't mean that I'm not constantly going over my capsize plan in my head every time I'm on the water tho ...

[kokko]

Tim:

Some of your pics show a guard on the manst tabernacle. Can you explain what you did? I have a problem of my jib sheets fouling the tabernacle

[dannyb9]

i had a problem with my jib sheets fouling on the mast tabernacle so i tied a light line (3/16") from the mast just above the tabernacle to the cleat in the middle of the foredeck...the jib sheets have to travel across that line to get to the other side. seems to have helped greatly : ) i also clip my halyards and topping lift to that line when the boat is 'moored'

[TIM WEBB]

kokko, that's funny, you're the second person who's asked me about that sheet deflector thingy, and really, it's nothing more than a plastic Country Crock tub cut to fit, spray painted white, and screwed onto the hinge. The one in the pic departed the mast a few weeks ago while towing (same trip where my windex departed - I was much more bummed about the latter than the former!), so I just made another one. Works great, but not sure what I'll do if I lose this one, as the wifey has banned that stuff from our fridge. She's right of course, but nothing "healthy" comes in that size tub, does it?

I'd definitely go with dannyb's solution, if my boat had the center cleat ...