Ultimate Dinghy Cradle

Ultimate Dinghy Cradle -- May 7, 2018  -- Since I sold my Tanzer 16 (now I crew and work on committee boat) I don't get down to the dinghy dock as often as I used to.  Imagine my surprise when I saw this "up-scale" launch/retrieve cradle created by a local Harpoon sailor, Kevin.  Kevin is a real craftsman and he believes that anything worth doing is worth over-doing.  I can't wait to see him launch and retrieve his 500-pound boat. It is about the same weight as the Tanzer 16.  The pictures can tell the rest of the story.  All the metal is aluminum or stainless steel.  Follow up:  I watched Kevin retrieve and launch the boat.  Single person operation--easy--safe--love it when a plan comes together.

Tanzer 16 Dinghy Dock Repairs

Tanzer 16 Dinghy Dock Repairs  -- September 18, 2016  Mid September--it's rainy and cold on Puget Sound--so it turned out to be a good idea to tuck the boat in until spring.  Now to deal with the dinghy dock.  It's nice to go to the marina, just shove the boat in the water and sail.  Launch and retrieve twice year.

But the dock needs work.  Right now it takes two fairly strong guys and a two-speed winch to get the boat up on the bunks.  Thinking new rails, longer bunks and a couple of additional rollers will make it easier.  It would be sweet if I could launch and retrieve by myself.

Yes, it is a tad sad.

Tanzer 16, Mistakes, outtakes, bloopers, and screw-ups

Tanzer 16, Mistakes, outtakes, bloopers, and screw-ups -- June 11, 2016  Generally I try to be honest about the boat and the work we do on it.  If I mess up, I generally report it.  But then there is the other stuff, small mistakes that generally don't warrant a whole post.  So this will be the blooper post.  We have checklists for packing the boat, racing upwind and racing downwind.  But sometimes you forget to look at the checklist.  Hope this post provides you with a chuckle, some insight, and a chance to say at least I didn't do that.  I read somewhere that it's okay to make mistakes, as long as they are new ones.

Dropping the mast -- Doesn't count.  I have dropped it twice (one was controlled*) the other time it just hit the pavement.  I can see from the scrapes and cracks that it has happened at least twice before.  That's why I have a hinged mast and a gin pole.  Difficulty with mast raising is the only really negative thing about the Tanzer 16.  (* By controlled I mean I dropped it on the top of my truck with its roof rack.  No damage to the truck or mast.)

What a mess!

Launching, retrieving,  trailering--  After backing the trailer down a long, long ramp due to extreme low tide, we discovered the boat would not come off the trailer.  We had not made sure the centerboard was cleated off in the extreme up position.and it was catching on the cross member of the trailer.  I had to pull the boat back up on the trailer and climb in--not easy--with my muddy feet.  Haven't repeated that one.

Needs to be up and cleated tight.

Pulled the boat up to the trailer and heard a tiny grinding sound.  The centerboard was up, but nobody pulled the rudder blade into the up position.

Headed down the driveway and heard an awful grinding sound right after the truck hit a bump.  On the second occurrence stopped the truck.  The trailer jack was in the down position.

Travels better when the jack is tilted parallel to the ground.

Forgot things at home--   First time it was the old main--which I had laid out, but didn't take.  The new main had over-size slugs that didn't fit.  Second time--had the mast ready to hoist and discovered that the gin pole A-frame was still at home.  Tony went to get it and we just left the boat half rigged sitting at the launch.  Lucky it's a big launch and Thursdays are slow.  Now we take all the sails no matter what, and the gin pole is on the packing list.

Tough to raise the mast without the gin pole.

Sheets to the wind -- One each--didn't tie a stopper knot in the main sheet.  Kind of fun trying to grab a piece of rope with a boat hook while barreling down wind.  At one time or another we have lost the port or starboard jib sheet.  Easy to get back--just tack.  We did lose a spinnaker sheet but that doesn't count since we let it fly purposely while we recovered from a 120 degree wind shift. Of course everybody, including us, has drug a bow painter along side the boat.  Unfortunately ours is bright yellow so the whole fleet gets to enjoy it.

Topping lift -- Worthy of it's own category.  Makes it much easier to rig and launch the boat because the boom is up off the deck, but it is a sword with two edges.  In one race we couldn't figure out why almost everyone could out-point us.  Looking at the pictures later it was obvious that we never flattened out the main because the topping lift was still on.  Last week in extremely light air, the boat did very well for such a heavy boat.  Once again we had forgotten the topping lift, but this time it worked to our advantage--much fuller shape, thus more power in the light air.

As you can see, the topping lift is about as tight as a fiddle string.

Motor --  You have to turn on the fuel supply or it won't start--enough said.

The fuel valve is on the starboard side at the back of the
engine.  You need to look for it because you can't see
it from the helmsman's position.

Running aground -- Doesn't count.  The tidal range in Olympia is often 15 feet and the channel out of the marina is only about 100 feet wide.

Too much leeway -- We got a good start, stayed with the fleet on the upwind leg, made up some time down wind by broad reaching instead of running and couldn't make any forward progress as we rounded he committee boat for the second lap.  Yeah--forgot to put the center board down.

Stuff that hasn't happened yet  -- I can't tell you because I am superstitious.  If I tell you, it will surely happen.

jim