Post by Terry McMullen on Mar 5, 2019 11:53:51 GMT -5
DF95 skippers,
There were 6 DF95 boats racing this past Sunday. Despite starting about 15 minutes late, we got in 6 races. Brent has the scores up on the website. Thanks Brent! Having your boat rigged and ready to go will enable us to sail the most races in our time slot. One boat got hooked on a buoy line but I used my boat to free it in about a minute or two. The lake level had dropped about 5 inches from the previous week which made launch and retrieval difficult due to the water weeds. The club will have to clear the launch area weeds at the beginning of the day now that the weather is getting warmer. When the water is level with the top of the dock, the boats can be sailed all the way in.
Here are some lessons learned with the DF95 in avoiding problems:
Check the condition of the shock cord elastic and replace before it breaks on the water. ( Ask me how I know ) No fun waiting for your boat to float back to shore because there is no sail control. You can make your own shock cords. Jo Ann Fabrics has elastics in many colors for a few bucks. Make a loop on each end and set the overall length unstretched tip to tip at 10 inches.
The main bridle ring supplied with the kit has a rough edge and the main sheet will eventually fray. George has found some smooth welded rings by Owner Model Number 5186-508. You may find them locally but I got mine on Amazon. Thanks George!
I tossed my boat in the water a few weeks ago and the jib sheet collapsed. The forestay line that connects the upper jib ring to the forward end of the mast crane broke. The line broke where the it goes through the hole in the carbon fiber mast crane. The hole edges must be sharp enough to eventually cut through this line. Check yours before this happens.
Do a nut and bolt check on the screws especially on the rudder linkage. Some Loctite 242 blue on the threads will help to keep them from loosening. We had a boat a few weeks ago in which the a screw on the rudder linkage loosened enough that the pushrod pulled out of the rudder arm. The rudder then locked over to one side and the boat started doing circles in the middle of the lake. Fortunately, I was able to use my boat to guide that boat to the leeward shore for retrieval.
Daylight Saving Time kicks in next Sunday March 10.
See you at the lake
Terry
There were 6 DF95 boats racing this past Sunday. Despite starting about 15 minutes late, we got in 6 races. Brent has the scores up on the website. Thanks Brent! Having your boat rigged and ready to go will enable us to sail the most races in our time slot. One boat got hooked on a buoy line but I used my boat to free it in about a minute or two. The lake level had dropped about 5 inches from the previous week which made launch and retrieval difficult due to the water weeds. The club will have to clear the launch area weeds at the beginning of the day now that the weather is getting warmer. When the water is level with the top of the dock, the boats can be sailed all the way in.
Here are some lessons learned with the DF95 in avoiding problems:
Check the condition of the shock cord elastic and replace before it breaks on the water. ( Ask me how I know ) No fun waiting for your boat to float back to shore because there is no sail control. You can make your own shock cords. Jo Ann Fabrics has elastics in many colors for a few bucks. Make a loop on each end and set the overall length unstretched tip to tip at 10 inches.
The main bridle ring supplied with the kit has a rough edge and the main sheet will eventually fray. George has found some smooth welded rings by Owner Model Number 5186-508. You may find them locally but I got mine on Amazon. Thanks George!
I tossed my boat in the water a few weeks ago and the jib sheet collapsed. The forestay line that connects the upper jib ring to the forward end of the mast crane broke. The line broke where the it goes through the hole in the carbon fiber mast crane. The hole edges must be sharp enough to eventually cut through this line. Check yours before this happens.
Do a nut and bolt check on the screws especially on the rudder linkage. Some Loctite 242 blue on the threads will help to keep them from loosening. We had a boat a few weeks ago in which the a screw on the rudder linkage loosened enough that the pushrod pulled out of the rudder arm. The rudder then locked over to one side and the boat started doing circles in the middle of the lake. Fortunately, I was able to use my boat to guide that boat to the leeward shore for retrieval.
Daylight Saving Time kicks in next Sunday March 10.
See you at the lake
Terry