It is suggested by many people that one should have something at the stern to aid in re-entry from the water after a capsize…a slot cut in the rudder, a loop of rope attached to the rudder, a rope ladder, etc. I had been planning on attaching a u-bolt in the rear slop well to tie the outboard to and also tie a rope with a loop in it or something similar as a reentry aid. When I went looking for the u-bolt I thought I had I couldn’t find it and after some searching realized I had used it in the mast step for the downhaul anchor.

I started looking at what I had and how I could rig something up and then got an idea based on an ocean kayaking method of using a rope to help you re-enter a kayak. In kayaking you would have the rope loop around the cockpit coaming and then step into it. It occurred to me that I could have a rope around the rear hatch long enough to go into the water at the stern and use it as a step. I think it’s a pretty good idea. I have an old handle from a snow shovel that I will attach to the rope to give a solid step. Here are some pictures…

Best of all, it can be quite securely fastened under the latches for the hatch and not interfere with the operation of the hatch.

Flickr Photoset
View as Slideshow

Plywood to boat!

Today I tried rigging the sail. Eventually got everything working properly. Had to change things a little bit but not too much. Will likely have to remove the cleat from the mast and reinstall it about a foot or so lower.

I am done. Today I mounted the last pieces of hardware, tied the sail to the spars (in the dark in the rain on the front lawn with lightning flashing), figured out how to rig the halyard, put on a final coat of varnish (for this year) and put the licence plate on the trailer.

The ghastly crew….

Today I mounted the pintles, gudgeons and other assorted hardware. I also put the seats back into the boat.

Here is a shot of something I did that I thought was pretty trick…I drilled out the bracket for the cheek pulley used for the rudder uphaul on the tiller so that the bolt that passes through the tiller and rudder cheek also passes through the end of the bracket of the pulley.

All I have left to do is:

– a couple more coats of varnish on the gunwales
– a coat of paint on the leeboard, rudder and rudder cheek
– 2 through bolts on the stop on the rudder cheek
– touchup paint on the seats
– 4 bolt holes and bolts to attach main sheet block to the tiller
– 2 bolts to mount a fairlead for the leeboard uphaul
– mount u-bolts to stem
– mount cleat to mast for halyard. I have been looking, unsuccessfully, for bolts so that I can through bolt this to the mast. I have decided to use the longest screws I have and see how that works. If the screws get pulled out I’ll have to keep looking for bolts. If not….nothing left to do.

Pretty short list!! Here are some other photos at the end of today’s work.

About a month after ordering it from Chuck, my Ladybug sail arrived today. $5.00 handling fee plus 10% GST and PST and I walked out of the Post Office with it.

Not too much else to pick up to have everything I need to get started.

My package of hardware from Duckworks arrived today, January 18th, 2008….11 days after I ordered it. There was no tax payable at the time of delivery. I suspect that I will receive an invoice in the mail in a few days. 

I think that was pretty quick delivery coming from the USA.    

On Saturday I sent Chuck Leinweber (DuckworksBBS) an e-mail regarding ordering a Ladybug sail and the necessary hardware to rig the sail, rudder and everything else. Chuck was good enough to go out to his Ladybug, take an inventory and send me a list of everything he was sending and what each part would be used for. Now that’s what I call excellent customer service!