Mast base and roller furling

[Glenn]

I am picking up an 89 DS3 on Saturday from the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. I received the following answer from a couple of questions I asked. This boat was donated to the museum.

I checked the boat and everything is there except the tabernacle base of the mast ( see dwyer masts on the internet), it must have come loose when I was taking it on the trailer to the warehouse.
this boat does not have a roller furling set up, never did.


From what I have read on the internet, roller furling was standard on the DS3. I know that one I owned previously had it. I am not to concerned about it but I would like to know. It will make single handing a little more difficult but since you don't have to leave the cockpit to reach the halyards it is not a deal breaker. I am concerned about the missing mast base. I don't see anything on the Dwyer web site that looks like the mast base on the DS3. I believe the base of the mast and the cabin top hardware the DS3 uses is called a hinge, not a tabernacle. Can anyone tell me what I need? Does anyone have have the mast dimensions or Dwyer model number of the mast?

Glenn

[adam aunins]

D&R marine can get you just about everything you will need for your boat. You can find them under the links at the top of the page. this is what they have http://www.drmarine.com/proddetail.asp?prod=DS208 I would call and see if it will fit a DSIII

[Roger]

you can also set up a jib roller furling (endless line) system for under a $150 with a couple of parts from

http://www.apsltd.com/Tree/d273000/e270845.asp

It is called the RWO endless line furler and is listed at the bottom of that webpage. You will also need line, a cleat and a turning block for the aft end of the control.

[Glenn]

Thanks for the advice. I picked up the boat yesterday. It needs a few cosmetic repairs and lots of cleaning. I just ordered the missing mast step and tabernacle hinge from D & R. The boat does have roller furling after all. The tape stripe and decals are torn up. I think I will probably just remove everything and maybe paint or buy some new striping tape. It has several season of bottom pait on it that I want to remove. I will not need antifouling so I would be interested if anyone know of a product to remove the paint without sanding. I don't want to damage the gelcoat with sandpaper since I am going t leave it exposed. Also the ball is missing from the selfbailer. I saw the bailer is available from D&R but has anybody located a good replacement for just the ball?

Glenn

[Roger]

The ball just slows things down. Most people remove the ball. The bailer itself does not work that well. Some people even remove the plug and replace it with a cork, but I kept the original plug and it worked okay.

[Sean McGuire]

Hey Roger,

I always thought that the ball kept water from coming back through the hole when you are sitting still. I figured the boat would fill with water and swamp/sink if you sat for too long. I guess I am incorrect in my assumption, but I am not sure why. Care to educate us somewhat inexperienced sailors?

Sean McGuire
1984 DSII "Iona"

[Roger]

The ball is supposed to stop water from coming in when standing still. Unfortunately, 10,000 daysailers later, (you guessed it) water still comes in. The infamous de Persia bailer never did really work well. Its an imperfect system. Like you, I'm not exactly sure why, but I think it has something to do with boat movement. If you were to keep the boat absolutely still, and standing in the back so that there is lots of water pressure pushing up on the ball, it might slow it down to some seepage. I have never heard of anyone who can claim their dePersia bailer worked faultlessly. (I had a metal bailer; the newer ones are plastic or nylon, but I don't think they work any better.)

That's why I would close the bailer when underway, and only open it if (while underway) I took on some water, which then it sucks out by venturri effect.

[Sean McGuire]

Mine must be a replacement bailer. It is a plastic Sunfish style - no metal parts save the little metal pins that hold the ball in.

Sean McGuire
1984 DSII "Iona"