Gary Pick wrote:

I would seriously consider trying to make the cockpit self draining and reduce the size of the companion way...just in case you do get a knock down.

Yes I have already put that on my TO-DO list. It shouldn't be too hard to do.

Steve Koschella wrote:Just a comment re the tone of responses I am getting on this forum. I am a member of many fora on many subjects. Some of them are excellent with a positive tone, while others can tend to be a forum for chest beating egos and flaming. I would put this forum definitely in the former category! Maybe because there is a small fee to join, it is an incentive to keep the contributions sane and constructive?

Thanks everyone.

I'm also a relative "newbie" to this forum. Many other fora I've joined tolerate a lot of breast-beating and posturing. From the first, I didn't think anything of the sort would be tolerated here. The explanation is simple: sailing, even done the easy way requires focus. As with flying, riding motorcycles, or skiing, the consequences of a casual attitude can be extraordinarily painful, if not fatal.

Ask me how I know.

This is a very focused place.

Besides, good manners don't cost a penny.

Graham Cox wrote:

The open boats I have met cruising the Queensland coast were all modified with some watertight compartments or inflatable bouyancy bags (attached to a compressed air cylinder), so that they could not flood and sailed with one hand on the sheet at all times, especially with the wind forward of the beam.  The junk rig will be excellent at this as you can throw off the sheet and the sail will not flog, just quietly feather into the wind while you decide what to do, to reef etc.  Also, on the wind, reefing is incredibly easy and quick.  Downwind you need little sail area to drive the ship as the junk rig is so efficient on that point of sailing, so you won't be driving hard.   If the wind picks up, you can easily bring the boat beam on without touching the sheet and the sail will feather while you reef further.  Hervey Bay offers fantastic cruising for a small shallow draft boat, and if you pick your weather it can be very placid.  You can reach across to the glorious beaches of Platypus Bay on the northern end of Fraser Island, or go down into the Sandy Straits where you are in totally sheltered waters.  It can get rough in the bay when the SE trades pump up, so caution and preparation is recommended.  Sailing up to the Whitsundays would require a bit of experience but is achievable on your Hartley, if you modify it as suggested.

Good luck, and maybe one day we'll see each other up there!

Good advice re the floatation advice. I have built a couple of boats and have had mixed results with built in watertight compartments. Because boats tend to naturally flex small cracks will appear over time, and then the water will seep in. Sometimes you will not detect it until you hear water sloshing around in there. The easiest way to avoid this is to build the compartment as watertight as you can then fill it with styrofoam or some other closed cell foam. I think that's what I will be doing with mine.

If we do venture up there, with our boat or not, I'll look you up.

(edit:) The junk rig seems to have all the features of a sail like a Leg-o-mutton sprit, with the extra advantages of easy reefing and bigger sail area.

Cheers, Steve.

Graham Cox wrote:

Hi from another Aussie junkman.  Your Hartley will make an excellent cruiser for semi-sheltered waters.  Those could include the entire Queensland coast if you wished to trailer the boat to somewhere like the Sandy Straits and head north to the Whitsundays.  I've met people cruising there in open dinghies.  You just have to pick your weather and there are innumerable sheltered anchorages to hide in, especially for a shallow-draft boat.  I am in Broken Bay at the moment but intend to set off to sail back to Far North Queensland in the next month or so.

I have a friend who may be moving to Hervey Bay, and has extended an open invitation to visit and stay with them. I might drag my 16 up there and take him up on it if it comes off.

I went out on my boat for the first time today. Love the boat, don't know about the bermudan rig. I had a great day out but I can see how so many things could go wrong with this rig. As it is one of the side stay turnbuckles broke yesterday when I was trying out rigging her before we went out today. Thankfully I was able to replace it on the way to the boat ramp. I'm glad that didn't happen when we were out.

TS16's aren't considered a capable cruiser by many people, including those who race them, but I think that a JR would make so much difference to that assessment.

There is an article on a junk rigged Hartley TS16 in Australasian Amateur Boatbuilder & Kitboats issue #92 Jan/Feb/Mar 2016 ie its the current issue.

BTW Annie, it's called Missee Lee  is ketch rigged (Reddish sails) has both masts in tabernacles and blames you for getting him into the junk rig.