posted April 01, 2004 09:58 AM               

We intend to use the boat for "cruising only". I know when I cruise though, that all my years of racing causes me to constantly tweak the boat and sails. I've had hours of enjoyable tweaking such sails while cruising on larger boats. I'm just not sure if they work on the smaller Sandpiper.

Also: If any of you have an asymmetrical reaching spinnaker kicking around collecting dust; let me know if you'd be prepared to sell it.

posted April 02, 2004 12:21 AM               

You're right about the asymmetrical spinnaker. It is much easier to use than a symetrical chute. This feature is very useful when you have guests on board who haven't sailed much. They get the thrill of reaching or running without the terror of gybing the pole. The lake we sail has some beautiful long channels. Reaching or running down them with a chute on a warm windy summers day would be absolutely marvellous.

posted April 02, 2004 06:38 PM               

I saw a couple of sorry examples this winter: One was Sandpiper that had been outside sitting on the lawn for years! It’s too bad people neglect their boats. It could of made someone very happy some years ago rather than rotting away outside. I also saw a CL 16 in Muskoka; mast still up, uncovered, totally full of snow! A tragic end to a beautiful boat.

posted April 03, 2004 01:28 PM               

Obviously I don't know the full details of the neglected boats you described but don't let the cosmetics fool you. When I bought Celtic Kiss the hull was quite dull put a good compound and waxing job restored the hull to showroom condition. When looking at a used boat don't concentrate too much on the cosmetics. It's structural integrity that is the important factor.
In a former job it was my responsibility to take consignment boats and restore them. One boat really stands out in my mind. It came in ( O'Day 20) and the fibreglass had a real chalky appearance to it and the running rigging had definitly seen better days. After 2 days of compound and waxing, the hull was reflecting the sun quite nicely and the new running rigging made the boat look nice and neat. I had to do a bit of work to the wood work as well but some TLC brought that back too.

posted April 04, 2004 11:30 PM               

There are a few other things to look for though that could mean the boat is a lemon. If it is, the price had better be extremely low because I know I'll be spending a large amount of time (and money) fixing it up.

Boats with foam floatation if designed and maintained properly are fine; the water flows around the foam where it can be pumped out. If the boat has been sitting around for years full of water (because it hasn't been chocked properly) you've got problems. The foam is water logged; weighs a ton. The freeze thaw cycles of our delightful climate have probably caused osmosis in the hull where the water is trying to get out (blistering). You can fix all these problems but it's going to be hard work.

Other things to look for: If the deck and cabin top fittings are not sealed, water can work its way into any foam or wood cores causing the deck to be springy or soft. Leaving a boat uncovered in the winter accelerates this process.

There is also the seized centreboard screw arrangement on neglected Sandpipers. If you need a new assembly, your into a fair bit of coin just to get the boat sailing.

Crawling around the boat for a while thinking like a drop of water helps me see and visualize what has happened to the hull. Tapping the hull can also give you a good feel for solid structure or not.

Another useful tool when contemplating the purchase of a boat is the marine surveyor.

posted April 05, 2004 03:30 PM               

Hoist the sail with some sort of gathering tube or sleeve. We used to launch spinnakers on Sharks in a similar way either having it all bound with elastics (that would break away) or from a turtle on the bow. This could be difficult in stormy weather as a crew had to go forward to get things set up.

Current thought seems to dictate that you would hoist is right from the hatch in the lee of the main and jib. You would then pull it forward to fly. This would mean your tack line would be quite long so you could let it off enough to pull it back down into the hatch.

I'd be interested to get anyones' opinion.

posted April 21, 2004 10:11 AM               

To that end; I'm now looking for a used asymetrical reaching spinnaker.

posted April 21, 2004 11:29 AM               

I wish you and Lynn many years of enjoyment with Short Wave. One tip though....you'll find that the boats works better in the water

posted April 22, 2004 01:17 PM               

And D'Arcy at long last has his 'piper! Yeeehaw When's the first sail?

Eric,
Sandpiper 144

posted April 22, 2004 11:05 PM               

After a Champaign christening where corks will be shot across the bow and contents consumed; launching will be in June. (Could never understand the concept of breaking a perfectly good bottle of Champaign.)