Launch Day 2015

[Interim]

For those who keep their boats in the water, do your boats take in water through the pivot bolt in the keel? On a rough day, I'll take in a gallon during a four hour sail (yes, I've measured it as it drains on the ramp). Keeping it in the water all summer would seem to have a similar problem.

--john

[GreenLake]

I have a DS1, but I find that with gaskets that are in reasonable shape and properly tightened, there's no leakage.

[jeadstx]

I'm fortunate to have a DS II with a bilge that stays fairly dry. When I do get water in the bilge, it usually seeps in thru my inspection ports in the cockpit. My CB bolt has some armored goop on it which doesn't leak and also doesn't allow getting the bolt out. Tim Webb has done extensive sealing of a DS II, perhaps he will comment.

John

[TIM WEBB]

For those who keep their boats in the water, do your boats take in water through the pivot bolt in the keel? On a rough day, I'll take in a gallon during a four hour sail (yes, I've measured it as it drains on the ramp). Keeping it in the water all summer would seem to have a similar problem.

--john

John, I suspect your leak is not occurring at the pivot bolt, but rather at the opening where the uphaul comes through the front of the CB trunk in the cuddy. Very common issue on DS2's. You mention water coming in while sailing in rough conditions, and that is when it is most likely to occur. If that passageway is not sealed off, water can literally get pumped into the bilge via the gap between the inner trunk and outer trunk/cockpit pan mold. The fix is to install a brass pipe in there for the cable to go through.



Hey, BTW, what is the sail number of your boat? TRW is also a '79, 10099. Just curious if they're close ... ?

[talbot]

Another source of bilge water is the drain plug in the stern. Make sure it is well seated and that the housing and attachment screws are sealed. I agree about the CB through-hull, and also about leaky inspection ports. Roger's book has a procedure for installing a brass pipe for the CB, although I found on my boat that the gap was short enough that it was bridged with a standard steel-lined bushing purchased from West Marine. I think you -can- get leaks through a poorly installed CB pivot. I would remove the board and make sure the fiberglass is clean and even (a rat-tail file is useful for the inside of the hole). Then get a pivot kit from D&R Marine (or at least new neoprene washers). Lightly grease the bolt before reinsertion, then tighten it until the washers just start to deform. (Rudy at D&R says that over-tightening that crumples the neoprene actually leads to leaks.) Do -not- gunk silicone or putty around the bolt. My boat used to take on as much water as yours, and now is dry at its berth except for condensation.

[ChrisB]

Best deal I ever had was in North Alabama on Lake Guntersville. $250/year for dry storage (rigged) on the trailer. Slips could be had in the same facility for around $450/year. These days I'm back to storing the boat in the yard.

Cpb

[Interim]

Hey, BTW, what is the sail number of your boat? TRW is also a '79, 10099. Just curious if they're close ... ?

Tim, my number is 10352


--jf

[TIM WEBB]

Guess they built a lot of boats the year I was in 9th grade! ;-P

Consider adding your boat to this list:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1388&start=135

Although I'm not sure if Cavofficer6 is still maintaining it ... ?

It always amazes me how many boats are out there that are *not* actively listed/sailed/represented on this site. Who knows how many are flowerpots ... <8~\

[GreenLake]

Consider adding your boat to this list:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1388&start=135

Although I'm not sure if Cavofficer6 is still maintaining it ...

For those that like to register their boat in this public manner, yes, please add a post to that thread with your info. In the past, Cavofficer6 has consolidated new posts into this list on occasion, if a bit irregularly. He usually waits until there are a number of new posts to be consolidated. Should he ever ride on to greener pastures, we'll sure find a volunteer to take over.

Not everyone likes to have their boat listed in public -- and not only because it's become a flower pot or lawn ornament. And not everyone sailing a DS has found out about our forum. Amazing as that seems.

[TIM WEBB]

GL, what would be the downside of adding one's boat to the list? Seems like a really good resource for those trying to "date" their boats. I see yours is not listed? It's not like somebody couldn't find the info elsewhere if they really wanted to ...

[GreenLake]

I think it's fine for people not to register their private life, if they want to keep enjoying it in private. When you race your boat, join a fleet, join the DSA or join the forum, there are various points at which your activities become a bit more public. Race results, fleet rosters, picture albums, they all will reveal various combinations of names and boat information, and much of that is put online nowadays.

Some welcome this, and put their boat's sail number in their forum signature, some even use their real names as user ids. Like you. Absolutely nothing wrong, as long as nobody forces you into disclosing something that you rather keep private.

Now, your point is that many people find having such a list useful, and would like to have it as complete as possible. To that end you are encouraging people, especially those, who are already posting their sail numbers etc. on the forum, whether in signatures or in pictures, to go and add their boat to the list. I have nothing against that, as long as we don't inadvertently put people who want to opt out under any kind of peer pressure.

In answer to your question, then, the point is not whether there's an objective cost/benefit standard, but rather, what matters is everybody's personal choice in the matter.

[TIM WEBB]

I simply suggested that he "consider adding his boat to the list". Doesn't sound too demanding to me? Certainly not forcing anyone to do anything, or applying peer pressure in any way! It's not like I asked him to "show me his papers" ...

I for one don't believe that true anonymity is possible these days. Like I said, if somebody wants to find you, or find out about you, it's not that difficult to do, what with public records being online and such. That's why I don't even try to hide behind some fictitious or nonsense screen name. One thing I can't stand in many forums (not so much this one, and certainly not you) are the people who post things that you know darn well they would not say in person, or say if their ID were known.

[Interim]

As the "him" in this case, I didn't and don't feel any pressure. I didn't know of the listing before, and I'm glad to now.

That said, I'm a bit on the "private" side. As Tim said, full protection (privacy) is not possible, but I think it is a matter of exposure. The more you put out there, the more you put your self at risk of ne'er-do-wells.

But when it comes to sailing, I feel I have too much privacy. Mine is the only sailing vessel on my little inland lake. Interim doesn't know there are others like her in the world. Sad, really.

--john

[TIM WEBB]

No worries John - all is well.

Doesn't have to be sad - get Her out there and introduce her to the big bad world! I never see any other sailboats on the inland lake I usually sail on, so I sought out others who were interested in meeting up. Found the WCTSS, and the FL120, which I'm leaving for in the morning. These are groups who just wish to sail in company, w/o the need to race. Perhaps there is such a group(s) near you?

[ldeikis]

This thread has gone astray, but figured I'd drag it back on topic with a little venting. FWIW, here in Peekskill, we can get a mooring ball from the city for $250/$300/$350 depending on the size you want. Slips range from the $600 range up to thousands depending on how fancy the community it.

Finally got my (new to me) DSII in the water yesterday, after redoing the CB up/down hauls, bottom paint, a bunch of gel coat holes from careless things being dropped on it (mostly in the cockpit) and repairing a nasty hull/deck separation... and rebuilding the carb on the ancient Chrysler outboard that came with it, which was now running like a (noisy) dream in a trashcan of water in the garage.

Got her launched, noticed a small amount of water in the cockpit (like a cup) almost immediately, but figured it was from my rubber stopper in the auto-bailer and thought nothing of it. Motor fired up, motored out of the shelter of the bay, raised sails, proceeded to have an enjoyable sail for a few hours in mostly light winds. Couldn't get the sail trim anywhere near what I wanted, but I'm unsure if that's my lack of expertise with it or the sails being way past their prime... The wind picked up a bit, we were having fun, boat heeling a bit and sailing well, if a bit slower than I expected. We're having fun, winds are strong, some time goes by. We decide to head in as it's getting late.

Then things started to go poorly.

I am sailing this with my almost-8-months-pregnant wife, BTW.

First, the jib got snarled on a pin where the spreader attached to the mast, tearing a nasty hole in the edge. It took a while to get it unstuck, but then we were good for a while. Get to the buoy where it starts to get shallower (we're sailing the Hudson River out of Peekskill bay, so we have substantial current and tide, then this broad bay that's 3-5' deep before the ramps) and try to raise the centerboard... No way. Uphaul is tight as a piano string and no amount of profanity will budge it. I'm a strong guy, and I was fully expecting one of the blocks or the line itself to part. Pushed the downhaul back into the trunk an inch to be sure it wasn't bound up in the thru-hull, still no go. Approaching shallow water now (according to the chart--this is my first time sailing here) so we quickly come about and sail back to deeper water. Try putting her in irons thinking maybe the sideload on the board is the issue, no dice. The wind has picked up, though gusty, at this point. Figure we'll go in and tie to the edge of the dock and hopefully its deep enough to not hang up (no beach options around here).

Head back towards shore, when we get near enough to be nervous, we drop the jib, I start the outboard, then my wife takes the tiller while I drop the main and tie it to the boom. Right about when I've got the sail secured to the boom, the motor dies. Our ramp is parallel to the shore, protected by a rock jetty, so you have to sail straight at the shore and then turn into the ramp at the last moment. We are now 100-150' from a rock jetty that protects the ramps, with the tide pushing us in and with the mounting winds at our back, sails furled, and no power. Motor refuses to start, refuses to start, refuses to start. We've now drifted adjacent to the jetty (downwind of the ramp entrance). Toss anchor, secure boat, continue trying to start motor to no avail. Wind is really blowing now. CB still stuck down. Figure we can maybe sail in on the jib alone, which should be quicker to dowse. Raise jib, pull anchor... I don't know if you usually can do this on these boats, but with just the jib we were so unbalanced that I couldn't make any appreciable headway. Lots of pressure on the sheet, LOTS of pressure on the tiller, but not going anywhere useful. Drop anchor again, raise main while the jib flap aways. With just the main we're able to sail, albeit can't point very high, and we're now down wind of the ramp. Try to raise jib to sail "normally" only to find it hopelessly wrapped around the forestay while we were fighting the main up. Manage to work our way upwind enough to re-approach the ramp/jetty, get most of the way there, easing out the main to spill wind. As we get near the mouth I plan to drop the anchor, then ease us to the dock until I can get a line on the end, then back-and-forth to pull the anchor and pull us back to the dock. Drop anchor... and it doesn't catch. We're now drifting PAST the ramp towards the rocks that are the shoreline. Thank God, wind comes around a little, and between me paddling like mad and the wind, we begin moving away from shore towards the jetty. Just before we smash into the jetty I scramble up on deck and use a boat hook to slow our impact to a gentle thud. I hop off the bow and am now crouched on a rock on this jetty, holding the bowline. I can't just walk the boat in because there's old pylons in the way, but at least we're not drifting around. CB is hitting the rocks. Manage to turn the boat around using the lines, then push off the stern, aiming the boat towards the dock, and jump on over the transom. We manage to paddle across to the dock and tie on.

What a mess. Wondering if the CB bolt may be too tight (I just installed it) I open the ports and find the bilge full of water, within an inch of the floor. The bolt is not too tight. A helpful kayaker suggests we drop a line under each side of the boat and walk it back along both port and starboard, hoping to pull the board up. Amazingly this works, and the board comes up about 1/2 way. I can't pull it the rest of the way with the cable, but that's better. I go get the trailer, winch it on, and the trailer folds the board up the rest of the way. Takes 45 minutes for all the water to drain out of the bilge.

So now I have a torn jib, a stuck CB, some sort of massive hull leak (nearly filled the bilge in 3 hours of sailing) and a motor that won't run.

I didn't sink or need to call Sea Tow, and my hugely pregnant wife is still by my side, so I guess it could have been worse... but jeez, what a mess.

Just venting.

Luke