posted June 18, 2002 08:39 AM            

We removed the step and rebedded it with 3M 5200. The old bedding was dried out and partly missing after 26 years. Indeed all the deck fittings were in need of rebedding...and large new backing washers and nylock nuts were fitted. Most of the screws securing the bow casting were loose. Holding the new washers and nuts inside the anchor locker was fun! Beware of any sharp splinters of fibreglass mat inside.

Superpiper: To help tension the forestay so that you can begin to thread the turnbuckle why not rig a two-part tackle for some mechanical advantage. Fasten a light line to the bow casting (mine has two holes), run it through a small block shackled above the top of the upper part of the turnbuckle and then back around the bow roller. Then pull the line to bring the turnbuckle closer together for threading.

BTW I always spin the turnbuckle barrel onto the stationary (lower) end by 1-1/2 turns before engaging it into the upper (shroud) end. This will ensure that when you unscrew it in the fall it will come apart at the top end, remaining attached to the boat and not dropping into the water or on the ground.
The sound "Plink....Splash" of a fitting going overboard is an expensive nuisance.
Turnbuckle lubricant (lanolin based) makes the job easier.

ShortWave has has plastic sail slugs sewn into the mains'l luff. It allows flaking the main without dropping the luff rope out of the mast slot.
Our main has single point "jiffy" reefing. I used to have a brass screw-in stopper to prevent the sail slugs from falling out of the luff groove when lowering it, either for stowage or to take in a reef. After losing one stopper overboard on a windy day I searched for a better solution.

posted June 21, 2002 07:27 AM            

Robert: I'm no expert, but for below waterline work I would seek professional advice whether or not the resins are compatible with each other,(auto vs. marine) as I understand there are differences etc.

I went the expensive route-- West system epoxy. There are places on the web ie:Plasticworld, and Noahs etc that carry West and other brands of polyesters and epoxies.(These guys are in Toronto)
On the otherhand I used some Mastercraft spot filler putty on the leading edge of the centerboard to smooth out some chips when I first got my boat and it's still there!