La Chica - the last step on the road back to the water

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  • 26 Jan 2013 01:31
    Reply # 1189685 on 1165446
    Deleted user
    She looks great, Paul.  Beautiful work!
  • 23 Jan 2013 01:24
    Reply # 1186322 on 1165446
    Deleted user
    Congrats Paul, she looks wonderful, and has nice classic lines.  And she looks comfortable buttoned up and battened down in wet weather with the pilot house and vents.  Did you install them yourself? (The two forward of the pilot house)
  • 01 Jan 2013 02:05
    Reply # 1169606 on 1169168
    Arne Kverneland wrote:

                                                        Stavanger, last day of 2012

    My congratulations Paul; I am awe-struck by the sight of the unwrapped, "new" La Chica. I bet even Robin Knox-Johnston would get misty-eyed by the sight of her! As for all the work the refit accumulated; I once again refer to my view on (..warning against..) self-building, written in Chapter 2  (p.3) of The Cambered Panel Junk Rig write-up. It’s so quick to tear out parts and sooo slow to refit. But you still completed it!

    Another thing: You mentioned the weather helm problem when reaching with the gaff cutter rig. This will of course be much reduced with the JR schooner rig. Still, with your outboard rudder you have a plan B option available - fitting a trimtab to the rudder. This would let you trim out any remaining weather helm and thus make life easier for the (servo pendulum?) self-steering gear. In many cases, the correctly set trimtab alone (and free tiller) would be enough to make the boat self-steer. Also, in case the main self-steering gear goes on strike, the boat could be controlled with a small Autohelm working on the trimtab.

    In younger years I did quite some (coastal) sailing in a 40’/20ton Colin Archer with tiller steering. After the first trip I made a habit of bringing with me a personal 3-part handy-billy to make the steering watches easier. The owner has now fitted a trimtab...

    Anyway, Happy New Year and my best wishes for the rigging bit of your project!

    Arne

    PS: The  Happy New Year was meant for all of you!!

    Arne, Thank you for your kind comments. I agree that building a boat at home is hard, hence the high failure rate (very few owner built boats are actually launched by the original builder) but it can be done.

    LC has a trimtab, not sure if I'll have it installed by the time she splashes but it will be installed before we do any serious voyaging. The main selfsteering is a CapeHorn "Joshua" servo pendulum gear. I used to have a Monitor but went looking for something lighter. The CapeHorn gear is about half the weight and has the same sort of reputation that the Monitor has.
    The trimtab is a backup and also permits me to steer the boat from the Hasler hatch.

    Happy New Year to everyone on these forums.
  • 31 Dec 2012 08:14
    Reply # 1169168 on 1165446
    Anonymous member (Administrator)

                                                        Stavanger, last day of 2012

    My congratulations Paul; I am awe-struck by the sight of the unwrapped, "new" La Chica. I bet even Robin Knox-Johnston would get misty-eyed by the sight of her! As for all the work the refit accumulated; I once again refer to my view on (..warning against..) self-building, written in Chapter 2  (p.3) of The Cambered Panel Junk Rig write-up. It’s so quick to tear out parts and sooo slow to refit. But you still completed it!

    Another thing: You mentioned the weather helm problem when reaching with the gaff cutter rig. This will of course be much reduced with the JR schooner rig. Still, with your outboard rudder you have a plan B option available - fitting a trimtab to the rudder. This would let you trim out any remaining weather helm and thus make life easier for the (servo pendulum?) self-steering gear. In many cases, the correctly set trimtab alone (and free tiller) would be enough to make the boat self-steer. Also, in case the main self-steering gear goes on strike, the boat could be controlled with a small Autohelm working on the trimtab.

    In younger years I did quite some (coastal) sailing in a 40’/20ton Colin Archer with tiller steering. After the first trip I made a habit of bringing with me a personal 3-part handy-billy to make the steering watches easier. The owner has now fitted a trimtab...

    Anyway, Happy New Year and my best wishes for the rigging bit of your project!

    Arne

    PS: The  Happy New Year was meant for all of you!!

    Last modified: 31 Dec 2012 08:17 | Anonymous member (Administrator)
  • 31 Dec 2012 04:50
    Reply # 1169120 on 1169109
    Jeff McFadden wrote: Ooh I'm jealous.  I've never heard Seablossom's diesel speak yet.  Still sticking pieces back together one at a time.

    You'll get there mate, won't be long.
  • 31 Dec 2012 04:02
    Reply # 1169109 on 1169107
    Deleted user
    Paul Thompson wrote:Today at 4.15pm NZT LC's diesel fired after the fuel system was bled and  about three seconds of starter motor time. Am over the moon. Another worry laid to rest and another job ticked off the list. What a nice end of the year for me :-) . If you are puzzled as to why I am so pleased, it's because it is nearly eight years since it last burst into life. Gota get her to the water now.
    Ooh I'm jealous.  I've never heard Seablossom's diesel speak yet.  Still sticking pieces back together one at a time.
  • 31 Dec 2012 03:37
    Reply # 1169107 on 1165446
    Today at 4.15pm NZT LC's diesel fired after the fuel system was bled and  about three seconds of starter motor time. Am over the moon. Another worry laid to rest and another job ticked off the list. What a nice end of the year for me :-) . If you are puzzled as to why I am so pleased, it's because it is nearly eight years since it last burst into life. Gota get her to the water now.
  • 31 Dec 2012 03:29
    Reply # 1169106 on 1166227
    Jonathan Snodgrass wrote:

    Or, as they say in Derbyshire, be "Boss o' the Job!" 


    :-)
  • 24 Dec 2012 10:46
    Reply # 1166227 on 1165446

    Or, as they say in Derbyshire, be "Boss o' the Job!" 

    Last modified: 24 Dec 2012 10:47 | Anonymous member
  • 23 Dec 2012 22:54
    Reply # 1165955 on 1165933
    Jeff McFadden wrote:She's a beauty!  We've got a phrase around here:  "Hell for stout."  Means built as strong and tough as one could ever imagine.  She sure looks the part!
    Thanks Jeff, she is meant to be "Hell for stout" and tougher than tough. She has a job to do, coming up shortly.
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