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?
Gaff rig - 4 corner, fore-and-aft rigged sail, hoisted by an angled spar that does not cross the mast, called the gaff.
Lateen - fore and aft triangular sail set on a long yard mounted at an angle on the mast. See also Sunfish.
Lug rig - a fore-and-aft, 4 corner sail that is suspended from a spar, called a yard.
Sprit - small diagonal spar that supports upper aft corner of 4 corner sail. Can also be used for a boom.
Penobscot 14 ST. JACQUES sprit rig out for Sea Trials, Functional Test Float (FCF) for v1.0 of sheet and pop up rudder. (Video: https://youtu.be/ly0HbrCL01E)
Square rig - 4 corner sail carried on horizontal spars which are perpendicular, or square, to the masts.
Developed by ALCORT in 1952, first models were wooden.
Fiberglass model introduced in 1960, still produced today by Laser Performance. Over 400,000 built.
Favorite boat for the Pirate Skipper.
Yard - a sail spar that crosses a mast, most often horizontal or at an angle. Examples are square rig and lug rig. Drascombe Dabber VICTORY standing lug rig shown below.
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.
Took the clamps off the spars. Marked the circumference on the end. Cut 45 degree angles on each edge just outside of the mark with the table saw. Now they are 8 sided.
Here is some info on the Sunfish, good to know if you're considering replacing some lines. I think the weight is off, my understanding is that the 1988 and newer boats should weigh around 129 pounds.
Our wooden Sunfish Zip's spars had the same gooseneck as the current ships. We have seen another wooden Sunfish in the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum that has a leather yoke vs metal gooseneck, so we are not sure what is prototypical.
The gooseneck on Zip was shimmed, and underneath is a hole drilled all the way through the boom. We removed the metal shims and put two layers of gaff tape on the spar to protect the wood.
It's a coaming for Merci, purchase from ebay for about half the cost of new, shipping included. There are a few holes that need repair but Marine Tex will take care of that.
Merci will be blue and yellow, so I put a base coat of yellow spray Rustoleum on. This will help identify areas that need epoxy putty to seal cracks or low spots in fiberglass.
Gaff Tape, some of the coolest tape ever. It is made of fabric so that can be shaped, and the adhesive does not leave a residue like other tapes. It is used by the entertainment industry to temporarily tape down cables on stages. I like to use it to protect spars, a cushion for wood to wood contact, ex keeping the tiller or interlocking hardware on Zip from scraping deck or between yoke and spar. It probably developed from use of similar materials aboard sailing vessels, it would be good when whipping rigging. Speaking of sailing, i found it interesting sailors used to work at theaters when in port because they knew how to work all of the rigging for the stage. The back stage of a theatre looks a lot like a sailing ship, and I've been told the language is much similar :)
