New DS III Owner

[NoCashOnBoard]

Would love to see some close up pictures of your rigs. I build a simple crutch during my lunch break (working at home) and was able to get the aft pin in place. It's windy so wasn't able to get the forward pin in place. I kept getting snagged in the lines. I'll have to keep practicing.

[jeadstx]

There is a post somewhere on the forum discussing the various solutions for a mast support in the stern.

John

[K.C. Walker]

If it's windy it's definitely more difficult. If it's really windy I probably wouldn't be setting up because I'm not going to go out sailing anyway. Otherwise, I turn the boat in the parking lot so that the wind is from aft. Wait for a lull in the wind and walk the mast up quickly. As soon as it's up, the shrouds will hold it in place with just very light pressure forward. I don't bother with the forward tabernacle pin. One pin is enough to keep it in place. Tie off the jib halyard, using it as a temporary forestay (rig this ahead of time so that you can deal with it while holding the mast). Then go forward and connect the forestay.

[NoCashOnBoard]

With everyone's help, I was able to get the mast up and bend on the sails. I took some pictures of some issues that I'd like for you to see and comment on as to whether you feel I need to replace the item or it can wait.

Most noticeably is the tabernacle. Something is wrong here, the holes don't line up and I'm only able to get the back pin in. I see from someone's posting here that they only use the back pin. Is this item serviceable like this or should I replace the tabernacle?



Next, I noticed the gooseneck casting on the boom is broken and there is no way to hold the tack of the sail. It just seems to flop around there. Since I'm here at the gooseneck, is there supposed to be some hardware to hold the boom up other than the main halyard? Another question here, DR sells just the casting with the pin and the casting with the slide. Should I buy just the casting or do I need the whole shebang? I was thinking I could pull the parts off of the existing casting and put them on the new casting. I can't take the old casting off right now as its riveted on and it will take a bit of work just to take a look at it.



The centreboard, how do I get that down? I pulled on these cables but nothing seems to happen.





Finally, the self bailer is broken. Is it okay just to push in that plug or do I need to replace that one.


The sails are old, I'm hoping they'll make the season as I'm spending enough just to get the boat in the water. Ugh! I think they are the original, they have the O'Day name on them, made in Hong Kong! I don't see any rips, tears or repairs but the hanks on the jib are worn, one is missing and one won't open. I'll have to fix those.

Again, thank you so much for helping on this.

[jeadstx]

For the gooseneck, just get the casting and use the old parts. You will have to drill out the old rivets to get the casting off. I replaced one on my boat recently and helped a friend replace his.

The tabernacle has one plate that has been replaced over the years or perhaps the mast was replaced causing a mismatch. My boat has a mast 20 years older than the boat. Several DS owners don't use the front pin anyhow, so shouldn't be a problem.

If the boat is on the trailer, it may be the reason you can't get the board down.

D&R has replacements for the bailer.

John

[Moose]

Hey Lucas,
I am the other DS3 owner on the forum. I love my DS3 and prefer it to the DS2 I used to own.


Anyway, to answer your questions:

1.I have used only the back pin in a pinch. Others do this all the time. The problem here is that these pieces were made by different manufacturers. Perhaps this mast is from an older boat or not from a DS at all. You could replace the piece in the mast or just live with it. It’s up to you.

2.You could get away with just buying the casting portion of the gooseneck. I have found that having extra parts is comforting and recommend replacing the whole assembly. I have also found that it is always worth it to spend a little extra for quality parts and to do quality work. The boom is usually held up by the main halyard when in use, when not in use it is free to fall. There are little devices that you can place into the track to create a stop point (http://www.drmarine.com/proddetail.asp?prod=DR20-90 ). I use this one which also serves as a Cunningham http://www.drmarine.com/proddetail.asp?prod=DR206. Other parts: http://www.drmarine.com/products.asp?cat=123

3.Your centerboard will not go down on a trailer but it does not look like it is fully rigged. There are diagrams of the rigging on this side; I also have it at home if you cannot find it here.

4.The auto bailers on the DS suck and usually do not work. You are best off plugging it up.


Best,
Moose

[NoCashOnBoard]

Thanks, Moose for the information. I went ahead and replaced the auto-bailer and the gooseneck casting. The casting seems like a common problem, I watch youtube videos of the Brazilians and their daysailers, I've seen several where either a rope or electrical wire is used to hold the tack down. I have yet to put the boat in the water at this point but have been doing a lot of work to ensure the boat is safe and fully functional. Recently, I've sanded off the flaking bottom paint and replaced with a fresh coat of bottom paint. I was able to remove all the yellow rust stains from the cockpit by using toilet-bowl cleaner. Worked like a charm and the boat smells so fresh. I bought some hull-deoxidizer from Bass Pro to clean up the hull, brought back the shine like magic. I've replaced the DaySailer 3 decals on the sides of the cuddy with new decals. All of the running rigging has been replaced with New England ropes from Intensity. I've replaced the worn out EZLoader Wobbly wheels with bunks on the trailer, the boat wasn't sitting right and there was too much pressure in a small area. Replaced the trailer winch with a 1,000 pd. strap model. Now I'm down to the Centerboard. I'm waiting on new control cables from DR Marine and a new delrin pivot. I've been waiting two weeks, and it might be in this week if they can get the right cable in. I spoke to them on Friday. Now, I'm looking at the CB diagrams on this site and figuring out what I need to make this all work to put it back together the way its supposed to be. I'm hoping if I get all the parts in that I can get here on the water this weekend.

[GreenLake]

Lucas,

on my DS1 I pull the main up with the halyard, which pulls the gooseneck up for a bit. Then I use a rope to pull down the boom at the gooseneck (to adjust tension). There's a separate cunningham that allows me to add further tension to the luff, once the gooseneck hits its stop.

So, having a rope there, isn't an indication of failure.

[NoCashOnBoard]

Thanks GL for the info. I know about the Cunningham, what I'm referring to is about a fix for pinning down the tack to the boom. I'm just trying to say it's a common problem on the DS and owners have found interesting ways to fix it. I've also read about owners not using the pin for the tack. It's like a lot of things, there is really no one way to do things. As long it works out for you, then it's right. My boat was a Yacht Club Rental, I think they sailed it a long time with the broken gooseneck. They also sailed it with a lot of other broken things, I think they just use them until they have to put money in them and then sell the boats.

I've watched a lot of the Brazilian DaySailer videos on YouTube. They make me happy, people out having fun in the sun with great music. If you haven't seen them, to a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH0vk8tI-yI These people know how to have fun. On gloomy winter days, nothing is better than watching one of these while I wait for better weather and can get my boat out on the water.

[GreenLake]

Lucas, we are talking about two different things, easy to do with no picture immediately at hand.

If I remember, your gooseneck was missing the tack pin. That can certainly be replaced by a lashing on a more or less temporary basis, and I'm sure there are boats out there with that jury-rig. Other than being a bit less convenient, I don't see why a lashing would be any less effective than the pin.

I was talking about pulling the entire boom down to its stop; that's independent of fixing the tack to the boom.

For both applications the cunningham, while not intended for that purpose, could indeed be used as a fall back. Definitely not ideal, and not all sails are set up with the extra grommet for it.

[jeadstx]

I believe this is what you are looking for. This is the casting for the end of the boom at the gooseneck with the pin for the tack of the sail. http://www.drmarine.com/proddetail.asp?prod=DR116A This part is from D&R Marine. Remove the old broken casting by drilling out the rivets. Transfer the parts from the old gooseneck to the new casting and rivet the new casting in place on the end of the boom.

John

[NoCashOnBoard]

This past Saturday I got the boat out on the water for my first time. I was definitely stressed, there was a lot going on for me. I started the day by finishing reinstallation of the Centerboard and loading the boat. I probably should have stopped there and let well enough alone but it was a nice day and what could an hour of sailing hurt, right? Well, everything went fine getting the boat down to the boat ramp and rigging the boat in the lot. The family all helped out and we had a good time. Learning to maneuver the boat was the hard part, I read a lot and watched a lot of videos but now was the time to put all that into practice. I started with the main, my spouse took over the tiller. That gave me plenty of opportunity to just work with the sheets and watch the sails. We got moving nicely with just the main, the wind was off the stern and we were mostly reaching and running. Then once I felt we were all comfortable with just using the main, I raised the jib and we picked up a bit of speed. We had some gusts but we handled them by letting out the main. I need to teach my spouse about jybing, almost got konked in the head a few times. I wish he'd take a class or at least read a book. Everything was going swimmingly in the first hour, our son went over the side but that's par for the course. He had a life jacket on (it's the law and we insist) and we also put a rope on him - just had to haul him back in. The spouse and I agreed it was enough for the first time out, let's head back to the ramp. Spouse turned the boat around and we headed back. About 2 minutes on the return we picked up on the wind with a close haul. Then *SNAP*, down went the rigging! Ugh. There was no one around. We all worked together and no one panicked. Spouse held the tiller, I worked to get the jib and main sails back aboard. Then I worked on getting the spars in. I started rowing, slowly but we were making progress toward shore. Finally, got a boat that would pay attention to us and they towed us back to Port Dalhousie, not where we launched but close enough. I hoofed it back to our launch and got the car. We hauled it all back home and I took a look at what happened. The upper port shroud snapped right at the swagging. Must have been age and I got the lucky day. There is corrosion on the inner core but nothing shows on the outside. Here goes some more money, well a lot of money. I ordered a complete kit from DR Marine to replace the forestay, the shrouds and the chain plates - well over $300.00. I'll be getting a trolling motor as well, too stressful to try and paddle the boat back in (I know, I know - I have to learn the hard way. ). Enjoy the pictures.

The Good:









The Bad:



The Ugly:

[GreenLake]

Lucas, some damage on the maiden voyage could be considered par for the course. But you went for the extra credit.

Replacing your standing rigging now means that it won't give out on you later.

Looks like the mast broke cleanly off a the casting, and more importantly, didn't hit any of you...

[jeadstx]

Your lucky the casting is what failed instead of the base of the mast. Casting is cheaper to replace than mast. Glad no one got hurt.

Good pictures. Boat looks good. Noticed your jib sheets are outside of the shrouds, they should be to the inside.

John

[NoCashOnBoard]

The new hardware came in and I replaced all of the standing rigging from the chain plates to the tangs on the mast. Includes the tabernacle, pins, mast heel and more. The hardware is very nice and a complete upgrade to the old standing rigging. DR Marine carries some fine quality items, the price I paid was well worth it to have the right gear in place.

When replacing the mast heel, I found literally a pound of dirt inside the mast! I kept digging and digging and more dirt kept coming out. I could see a little from over the years but over a pound of dirt! I don't know where all that came from or if someone put it in there intentionally or inadvertently.

I've also completed the cuddy cabin door and all of the striping. Now, I need to look at the rudder head and see what I can do to make that survive the season. The metal is corroded and cracked in several places. The weather looks good for this weekend, hopefully I'll be able to test out the new hardware.











BTW - If you wonder why I went with purple, because it's my son's favourite colour.