I've been slowly making some progress on DS 3000, which, after consultation with the Admiralty, I have decided to call Lively. One interesting thing about this boat is that her proper sail number should be 3000, not 3335, which is what is on her main sail. Examining the plate on her bulkhead shows the class number to be 3000. Why she came with a main sail that has the number 3335 on it is anyone's guess. All I can do is speculate that the original owner either bought these sails to replace a damaged first set, or was given this set with the boat. I imagine the vendor saying something like:
Never mind the sail number, Mr. X, no one cares anymore. Will that be check or credit card?"
So, when we buy a new main for her we will have the number 3000 proudly adhered.
We took the mast and some of the rigging from DS 2825, and converted it over to be compatible with the mast tabernacle on Lively. We managed to get the boat rigged last week and so with the weather this Sunday being fair, we took her out for a short sail on Dickinson Bay. She's got potential, this one does. Her hull is a bit squishy, and her the centerboard bangs around a lot, which can be seen in the motion of the centerboard trunk as well as heard, but I think she would be a nice speedy little boat once she's rigged and tuned Man o' War fashion.
With all due respect for their memories, I don't understand how in the world George O'Day and/or Uffa Fox thought that placing the jib cleats on top of the centerboard trunk at the thwarts was a good place. I've seen this on a lot of Day Sailers. The jib sheet runs from the clew, to a block on a track on the combing and across to the centerboard trunk. When sailing in light breezes, it's unhandy to reach, and when crossing over during a tack, the sheet gets in the crew's way. It’s damned unhandy.
The jib halyards, which I took from Destiny are sad, stretchy things. The Lively's original halyards, which have wire extensions would work, so I'll have to shift back to them.
One thing I learned a long time ago, and I suspect a lot of people who start sailing and perhaps never learn because they give it up is to get the smallest size shackles you can that will fit the boat. Also, use the smallest diameter line that will take the load and still be comfortable to the hands that handle them. The halyards presently on Lively are too large and the shackles are too long, so that the jib can't be brought up to its full length. So with the halyard to block, there are these sad, large scallops (far larger than you could ever want) all up the luff.
With a light SE breeze, We pushed off the dock at April Fool Marina, and headed down the center of the channel to get on close-hauled port tack. Just as we left the dock, the shrimper April Fool came through the narrow entrance to the harbor. I bore off to stay out of her way, seeing she was restricted in her ability to maneuver, which unfortunately meant going to the leeward side of the channel. I could quickly that tell Lively doesn't point well, because we could no longer weather the entrance to the channel. We tacked in the channel and found ourselves going towards a party barge boat that was behind the shrimper. This guy finally moved out of our way, just barely, and we had to resort to a couple of sweeps with the paddle to get out of the harbor. Free of those constraints, we sailed around for a little while, noticing how the boat behaves and enjoying the chance to sail her. She does okay for what she is. I want to sail her again before the winter weather here sets in.
Posted by Bob at October 13, 2003 08:58 AM