Spirit of Ave Maria - Laser SB3

Finally... water

2009-12-06T14:06:00.000-08:00

It was about about time to sail the boat.
Well... the day was pretty damp and the SW wind together with a very rough sea.. at least for our first sea trial soon put us back on land.

but... the boat rocks.... the challenge is... not slowing it down!

Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes

2009-10-12T06:55:00.000-07:00

SB3 Fleet Ratings

2009-10-09T02:27:00.001-07:00

Sport Boat Rating SBR 0.866
International Rating Cert IRC 0.970

Launching an SB3 from a Trailer

2009-10-09T02:19:00.001-07:00

Launching an SB3 from a Trailer

Courtesy of David Cheyne

The following tips may be useful for newcomers to the art of launching an SB3

1. First, make sure your engine is properly secured - If possible start the engine just before the trailer hits the water - this avoids the ghastly moment, especially in choppy water, when the engine does not start or floods in the panic as the boat slides away from the security of the trailer. This is especially helpful with the forward gear only engines which start facing forward (starter cord pull direction) as they can then be spun around to the reverse direction ready for entry into the water. The engines will come to little harm if running for no more than 60 seconds in dry air (engine dependant) and you can always stop the engine if the launch is aborted. The pre-started engine will then keep the stern pulling straight backwards and away from the trailer. Make sure the engine is in neutral when you pull the starter cord (or be prepared to replace the sheer pin!!)

2. Ensure all sheets are inboard because spinnakers have been known to be pulled out of boats as the sheet catches on the trailer

3. With one person at the back of the boat, sitting centrally on the transom controlling the engine, a large amount of water will flow into the boat, so make sure you are not kneeling or your boots will fill up! Also do not leave cameras, dry clothes and wallets on the floor as they will get soaked and may even wash back out of the boat. The hatch can remain open as the water doesn't get that far (usually)

4. Ensure the keel top is wound up to the weld, which should have the bulb on the bottom of the hull, and THE RATCHET IS ON

5. The boat with the keel up is quite wibbly wobbly, so keep any crew on board low and central, and keep the boat reversing

6. Reverse out as far as you can before turning the engine round to go forwards. Remember the boat without foils is most stable motoring BACKWARDS. If in a congested area reverse 100 yards or more away from the shore, especially in an onshore breeze. Remember again, don't kneel whilst operating the engine or your boots will fill up.

Once away from the shore a safe distance, slow the boat and give a spurt in forwards to kill all momentum before lowering the keel.

Lowering the keel

Spray the keel with McLube and before lowering the keel and, using a bailer scoop, wash any grit from either side of the keel. Keeping the boat as upright as possible, take firm hold of the handle and release the locking pawl. It can be easier to lower the keel whilst firmly alongside a jetty or tied to a buoy: the downside is that you will have to manoeuvre without much steerage, which can be interesting, particularly if it is windy.

Putting the rudder on
Extend the tiller vertically and keep it all aft of the backstay. This allows you to put leverage against the blade as it tries to float out of the sea, and makes lining up the pintles and gudgeons a lot easier. Tie a bit of string from the split ring on the pintle rod to the transom bar and also to the R pin (if you use one – many people prefer a piece of elastic secured across the top of the rudder podium to hold the pintle rod down once it is in place)

Heavy Air Gybing

2009-10-09T02:15:00.001-07:00

Heavy Air Gybing - Notes For Crews
Courtesy of Dr. C, Mr Skiddy IRL 3041/now Zeal Optics 3200

In principle

1. In this amount of breeze, you will be doing 14-20 knots, which means as you drive at speed, you have only 10-15 knots on your sails, which will be sheeted inboard rather than fully out as per symm ships.
2. If you stop at this speed, you will have 30 knots straight onto an oversheeted main
3. If you round up too far, you will hve that fruity breeze hitting your near stationary rig at 30 knots, side on
4. If your crew falls on their arse, they will likely be lying to leeward and in the kite bag
5. If your kicker is too loose, your boom will catch on your backstay, which will be tight due to the load on your mast.
6. If your kicker is too loose, the twisted leech will stop the boom coming over
7. If your kicker is too tight, and if your ship is not flat, boom will hit sea and goodnight

If your old sheet catches round your best mates Dubarry's, you will not be able to get your kite round smoothly and quickly into the tranquility of the lee shadow of your 8. if your mainsheet is being sheeted behind your traveller, when you gybe it will become trapped on lee side and will be disinclined to be eased.

Treatment (remembering prevention is better than cure)

1. Don't slow down to gybe - get all set up , give it the welly and then gybe
2. As soon as boom comes over, bear off onto a dead run, them power up under coordinated control - get good in 15 knots, practicing as many gybes as possible before tackling 30 knots - it is all about timing, so practice +++
3. Crew - get one foot planted on either side of the cockpit, feet well apart and not in line for max stability - get good grip shoes - on our boat we don't gybe until the bowman calls 'ready', and the bowman sheets in the new sheet, as the middleman, who was trimming, ensures the old one runs free
4. Have kicker position marked on boom if crew not sure where correct position is, have kicker tight going into gybe, and release it with third arm when boom crosses over - this can be done if crew bowman faces forward whilst sheeting new kite sheet
5. Make sure all sheets are clear of feet - get middle man, or whoever was trimming and releasing old kite sheet to pull slack out from blocks rather than letting bowperson pull kite and frictioned sheet through blocks - makes a big difference, and mainsail keeps middlespud well to new windward side - also going into gybe, cleat and throw tail of mainsheet onto floor IN FRONT of traveller track, so it can be released quickly if necessary

Most important thing is, only to gybe when you are ready, not when you have to - i.e., get set up after previous gybe, keep boat floor tidy, look upwind and to other side of run to see if starboard boats approaching at speed, to avoid crash gybes, and don't gybe unless you are smoking down the front of a wave!!

Almost in the water...

2009-10-09T01:48:00.000-07:00

Somestimes it´s hard to buy a second hand boat...

SB3 Polar

2009-10-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

VPP’s for planning boats are notoriously unreliable....

Spirit of Avé Maria

2009-09-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

From the 35 footer JOD35 Avé Maria to an SB3... quite a change

But the "Spirit of Avé Maria" that bonded us during 10 years will help us sailing this fast and furious boat.
For now we have the learn to sail the "spirit"

On land....

2009-09-29T14:55:00.000-07:00