We cut up some lumberyard 2x4 spruce for spars today, we picked the best boards we could find with as few knots as possible along the edges. We cut the yard to length first with a small circular saw.
Before we cut to width to make the square blank, from which the round spar will be shaped, we marked where the yard taper from middle to end begins. The small knot will be removed as we round the spar. And if it becomes an issue, we'll select another piece and try again. These spars are very small so it won't take long to shape them. One trick folks try is to buy a 2x6 versus a 2x4 in hopes of finding clearer grain to select from.
We found the maximum width of the yard and used the DeWalt portable table saw to make a 4 sided blank to that measurement. With the yard squared we marked the taper on the end.
There is so little taper that we worked the corners off with a spokeshave, then mostly rounded the yard. On a larger piece with more taper, we could use a batten for draw the taper on the sides and shave the excess off with a bandsaw, the shave the adjoining sides, use a spar gauge to 8 side the spar, sand etc...but that would be some very fine cutting on this small of a spar. Old Timers might even leave the mast or boom square and just go sailing, what's a few ounces of weight between friends?
Raised the mast on our 1971 O'Day Day Sailer II CYANE, singlehanded, it took 1:30 to get the mast up, pin the tabernacle, get out of the boat and pin the furler at the bow. Rigged the furler jib, boom, topping lift, main, mainsheet, boom vang and sorted the spinnaker lines. Found out that the cockpit cover fits over the boom as well and makes and nice sun shade. One of the design features the George O'Day incorporated was the high boom, so sailors would not have to duck during tacks.
Mast raised. We got it up the first 30 degrees or so with the Armstrong Method then pulled it the rest of the way with a line from the furler, to a bow block and back to the cockpit. Once mast was up we pinned the forward holes in the tabernacle and installed the keeper ring.
Pinned and keeper ringed the furler to the forward hole on the bow tang. We leave the small shackle on the aft hole of the tang to remind us where to connect the mast raising block, but we take the block off. The 1/8th inch Dacron cored in the background is the furler drum line that runs back to the cockpit, and the first fairlead for that is on the foredeck.
Turnbuckles snugged down and stop nuts tightened. Second fairlead for the furler drum on the side deck.
When the jib sheet is pulled the furler drum takes up the furler line.
Furler line routed through side deck fairlead. The little hook is for the spinnaker line (sheet or guy, depending on tack).
White furler line cleats just above the ice box...that's tight, the Day Sailer II has an icebox. Jam cleat on outside of the coaming is for the spinnaker line. Red line is the jib sheet, run through a block on the sliding car.
Jib sheet is then held in teeth, never cleated, lest the Skipper launch into salty sailor talk. Hands kept free to tend to the main sheet. :) Blue line along boom is the main outhaul.
Furler demo.
G&G Sails, Fairhope Abalama.
G&G Sails, Fairhope Abalama, USA. They are at least 20 years old and still look good, Capn Jack stored them under his bed when not in use.
CYANE is Hull Number 4624, 1971 vintage. SHe'll be a Senior Citizen next year. 4624 was one of the first Day Sailer IIs, self bailing and self righting. Positive flotation compartment under the cockpit and cuddy, another flotation compartment in the bow. DS II transoms were thinner, which makes mounting a little kicker easier, we added the wooden pad on the starboard transom to protect it from the outboard bracket and mount screws.
Capn Jack's preferred mainsheet bridle, 2:1 purchase. DS IIs had mid boom sheeting, led to the aft end of the centerboard trunk. Note the nice scuppers along the outer edge of the cockpit seat and along the sides of the cockpit floor.
Mainsheet block below the boom. On top of the boom is the topping lift shackle and we added a micro block for the main outhaul. The topping lift keeps the boom from dropping into the cockpit when the sail is down, and it also keep the boom up while the main is raised, making it easier to get the main all the way up.
Mainsheet swivel cam cleat. Icebox built into port side seat.
Red lines are jib sheets. White line is centerboard uphaul, blue line is the cb downhaul. Inspection port for the flotation compartment are also a DSII feature.
Main halyard on starboard cleat. Spinnaker halyard and spinnaker pole halyard on portside cleat. I think we need one more cleat. Blue line is boom vang.
Our cockpit cover also fits as a basic boom tent.
Cut new 1/8th inch diameter Dacron cord for the cockpit cover, used for storage.
Gathered some measurements of the sail rig from our Alcort Standard Sailfish WINNIE. But first we compared the 65 square foot sail to a Super Sailfish 75 sf sail.
Gaff and boom are 12' 8". Spruce.
Wilcox and Crittenden bronze boom blocks are set at 6' and 10', fastened with integral screws.
Interconnecting hardware.
Boom and gaff are just over 1 1/2" diameter.
Tapered down to 15/16th inch starting 3 inches from the end, with 3/16th inch bee hole 1 inch from the end.
Mast 9' 7". Spruce and T6061 Aluminum. Sheave set at 9' 3 1/2".
Lower 4 feet is aluminum.
Diameter 2 1/4 inches. Taper to top starts at 6', from 2 1/4 inches down to 1 3/4 inches at top.
Lots of little jobs today, rigging for Float Test and Sea Trials. Takes time to get all the bits in the right spot. Started off by needing to move the boat from the sawhorses down to the Dynamic Dolly. Flying ZSA ZSA using Skipper's small boat hoist, which is made from Sunfish eyestraps, sheets, halyard blocks and halyard cleats.
One of these spars is not like the other. They should be around 13' 9", trimmable down to 13' 8 inchish. Not sure why the boom was so long, not the first time we've seen it.
Much better, trimmed it with a metal blade on a reciprocating saw. Notice how the vintage spars have a different outhaul and cap arrangement, eyebolts vs the integrated plastic tabs on the outhaul caps
Here's another common issue of corrosion at the interlocking eyebolts, solution is to trim 1/2 inch off. We removed the rusted eyebolts by twisting off the stop nut with vise grips and tapping the bolt out with a hammer, then popped the old boom caps off
We used a reciprocating saw with a metal cutting blade, Kobalt cordless was the tool choice today. It came as part of a set with the drill, impact drill and flashlight. We have been happy with the set.
Drilled holes for the new spar interlocking eyebolts through the clean spar and spar caps with a Milwaukee 3/16th inch titanium bit. We also added a new style outhaul cap on the bottom spar with the tab pointing down. Why you ask? Some of you folks know why. That plastic tab will act as bumper and prevent the eyebolt from gouging a half moon arc on the front deck.
Time to put the sail on the spars, we like to bend it on the vintage Alcort way. 50 feet of 1/8th inch nylon line by New England Rope is plenty to bend the sail onto the spars. We cut two outhauls off the end, about 2 feet each is plenty. Attach the tack of the sail with an S hook. Tie the outhauls at the head and clew. Then find the middle of the remaining line and run a piece out each spar to the outhauls.
We attach the sail with a marlin hitch, leaving enough slack so the seam of the sail can stand up. Finish off the line at the outhaul with a couple of half hitches.
Time for a halyard. We use 25 feet of 3/16th inch New England Rope Sta-Set. We have the length marked out on the deck. 25 feet works for the sheet as well.
Woo! Check out that classic 5 panel Ratsey and Lapthorne sail, soft like budda. And just drink in the beauty and simplicity of a vintage Alcort.
This hull has a few extra options, toe rails and a splashguard. They are well done so we don't know if Alcort added them at the factory as a trial or one of the owners added them.
Bow handle, rub rail and toe rail detail. We ordered the half oval stainless keel strip that starts under the bow handle tab, wraps under the stem and runs down the keel 18 inches.
Most Sailfish have just a halyard cleat on the side of the mast collar, we will probably change ZSA ZSA back to that configuration.
How we start the marlin hitch, loop it around the interlocking eyebolts then put a hitch on the tack grommet, one for the gaff and one for the boom.
Alcort Super Sailfish ZSA ZSA.
ZSA ZSA is being upgraded with a Barrington style daggerboard, it measures 39 inches vs the factory 31 inch board. Tacks will be much improved and leeway reduced. We still need to repair some parts of the deck, sand, fair, prime and paint.
Vintage rudder assembly, check out that tiller. And look at the half moon scatch from the tiller extension bolt, ZSA ZSA was sailed a lot at one point.
New drain plug and bridle.The original drain plug was bronze and they are hard to seal, someone changed it to a newer style plug, which was worn. We'll go with this style for now, sealed in with epoxy.
Ready for Sea Trials. Tomorrow!
To roll up the sail, make sure it is not is not pinched between the spars, pull it away from the mast, find the middle and start loosely rolling it.
Look how soft this old sail is, a new sail will need to be rolled looser.
Roll the sail up to the spars and throw a loose sail tie around it.
This is a good way to secure the sail while refreshments are being had. The rudder can be popped up and held down by the spars so it does not drag while launching or retrieving. We also take a bit of the sheet sometimes and tie the spars to the bridle.
Alcort Museum. (L-R) 1953 wooden Sunfish ZIP, number 13 of the first 20 pre production boats built, snoozing under a boat cover. 1950s Alcort Super Sailfish ZSA ZSA awaiting Sea Trials. 1963 wooden Sunfish CHIP patiently waiting for a new bottom. 1950s Standard Sailfish WINNIE says "Im ready!" These boats represent the first 3 styles of boats that Alcort built, beginning in 1949. In 1960 the fiberglass versions of the Sunfish and Super Sailfish began hitting the high seas.
