Messages

[quote by=Jimbo41 link=Blah.cgi?b=Cool,m=1163506336,s=14 date=1164027642]Anyone know how the Original Tacktic was able to measure the wind shifts?

Jim N3130 and N3470 (Wood - keeping apace)

[/quote]

You sail along for a bit close hauled on each tack and it gets the idea of which way you should be pointing. If you get headed by more than a certain amount it tells you to tack.

Though it may be an illusion caused by skin tight lycra!

Just looked. Looks exciting, but looks like any other xx foot skiff. ie several large men with large testicles on trapezes. I note that there also appears to be a 13 foot skiff. Is there a 15 foot skiff  too, I wonder.

TC

What's a 16 foot skiff when its at home (in Oz presumably)? I've seen all the others. Must do a web search.

Isn't offending people who have narrow minds the purpose of webchat? Perhaps I'm missing something.

TC

The 29er is a bargain. It operates in the same sort of crew weight area as the 12, is relatively tippy and downwind likes to nosedive in big gusts if the crew are a bit slow. It is a very nicely designed boat.

The draw back is that it doesn't like shallow water (having a dagger board and rudder) and being fairly swift is best on large expanses of water. Dodging between moored yachts (or flocks of learners in their picos) with the kite up is very stressful.

Horses for courses.

A skiff is a lightweight boat. I had a rowing skiff once.  
Now though, in this context, how about - a sailing dinghy light and powerful enough to plane upwind in the majority of wind conditions?

Examples: 18 and 12 foot skiffs, int 14s, cherubs and int moths would qualify,
isos, laser4000 and n12 wouldn't.

TC

[quote by=Jimbo41 link=Blah.cgi?b=Cool,m=1163667720,s=4 date=1163682388]
 
Ted, the Albacores were considering using our Dangly-Pole system in 2000. Do you know if they adopted it permenantly?

Cheers!

Jim N3130 and 3470 (No longer ranting on....)[/quote]


Yes, I did a couple of years crewing on one. Very useful thing, the dandly pole, but very annoying as it whangs about. Never found a reliable system for automatically restraining it tho. The main reason to have a carbon dangly pole is that it is quieter!

TC

re "noncing the 12"

"many commercial training centres might be interested."

....or they might not. Many epithets might describe the 12, but are 'stable' and 'forgiving' amongst them?

Making the 12 into a twelve foot skiff sounds great though. ........except that you can go out and buy one already an any degree of skiffness you fancy: ie

not extreme - laser mango or RS wango
slightly extreme - 29er
extreme - cherub
very extreme - 12 foot skiff

Perhaps the cobbler should stick to his (or her) last. Other classes such as Albacores don't seem to feel the need for kite but as a class seem very buoyant.

I think this thread has just about run its course.

The winner of the 'that made me grin' name stakes by a short head has to be:

"I've had your Mumm!"

TC

Frayed knot?

Some classes of boat seem to specialise in good names (12s 14s cherubs etc) and some in not so good (they shall remain nameless). It has gradually dawned on me that the slower the class the speedier the name and the more radical the class the loopier the name.

My favourites so far are:

Cheese before bedtime - cherub
Spank the Monkey -SB3 and Finn
Passion Pudding - errr

What names have you seen that bring a smile to your face (or to any part of you, really)?

TC

I've used Andark, who are primarly a diving company. They are based near Southampon. Only had new seals done, rather than a fabric repair but they were both good and reasonably priced. Haven't an address to hand but I'm sure they have a web site. If not mail me and I'll find an address.

TC

"All the money"? Well I suppose it does add up over the years but actually a year's membership costs less than the average night out in the pub. (not that I go to the pub as I have two small children, but you know what I mean).

I think my membership is well spent and I don't even have a 12! I want one but as we have major crewing issues at our club (ie there aren't any) I sail a single hander. However I get daily pleasure from the forum and a suprising amount of technical info which is indirectly applicable to other classes (as an act of charity I crew an Albacore).

When you think of what else you can actually buy for the cost of membership of the NTOA you need to sit down and ask yourself, " Does the baby really need those new shoes".

If you have a finn you must be luke pie eater too. But yes, I was sceptical about hikers (I think its the braces that do it) but having bought some at the beginning of the season in response to protests from the rear, I'm a convert, at least for single handers.

In two handers I find my arse doesn't protest as much, but perhaps thats because I'm letting the crew do more of the hiking!