Oh what a Snipe hunt!

Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
What a great way to end the thread with fellow sailors who know your boat that can help and teach and better yet joining a group and having fun learning. Glad you went despite the rough weather. Sadly, South Carolina got nailed with flooding.
 
Sep 6, 2015
110
Unknown snipe delaware bay
Your optimism is great! This is not the end of a thread, just the beginning of a long journey. I still have a lot to learn about the snipe and will continue to update, and provide info for those who may follow behind.
Eric
 
Sep 6, 2015
110
Unknown snipe delaware bay
So the tentacles and hospitality of fleet 532 just keep going and going and going. They put me in contact with a guy who has a chubasco hull in better shape than the one I got! He gave it to me! Less work required and more fun on the horizon! I just got a new camera so I can post pics of the treasures as they arrive!
Eric
 
Sep 6, 2015
110
Unknown snipe delaware bay
I have been really busy at work, but I found the time to get and take delivery of my new chubasco hull. It needed a lot of cleaning due to years of sitting on the trailer growing mold and funk. It took me prolly a good 8 hours of cleaning to really see what was what. The hull is in a lot better shape than the first one is sail ready short of some new rigging lines and a new mast step. I am putting in a call to APS on Monday and get that started.
I am planning on upgrading the step to a new composite model. It fastens to the stringer with screws. Would anyone suggest bedding it in epoxy? I am going ask APS, but just wondering what others have done.
Eric
 
Sep 6, 2015
110
Unknown snipe delaware bay
Mother nature has been relentlessly torturing me. The weather has been good for work on the boat, but I would have rather been skipping waves on the bay. I spent Christmas digging out the wooden plugs on my hideous rub rail and removing all of it. As mentioned in a previous thread on the subject, new plugs need to be glued only! My rub rail has seen a lot of repairs over the years and some of the plugs were installed using epoxy. WAPITA!! I plan on replacing the teak with a no maintenance composite. I am also going to epoxy all the old holes in the rail and start fresh with my new install. Given the small amount of epoxy required, does anyone have any experience with the west system epoxy in the caulk tube?

Thanx in advance and Merry Christmas and fair winds to all
Eric
 

Ward H

.
Nov 7, 2011
3,645
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
Eric,
Yep, extended good weather makes it great to get some boat jobs done.
I use the West 610 Epoxy in the caulk gun tube quite a bit. It is what I used to fill all the holes when I pulled off my rub rail. It is thick enough it does not run. I would fill four or 5 holes, then go back and smooth the epoxy. No sag.
You can buy extra mixing tips so when you are done for the day take off the used tip, cap the tube and it will last a long time until you need it again.
 
Sep 6, 2015
110
Unknown snipe delaware bay
Thanx Ward,
I thought I was on the right track with the 610 epoxy, but feel a lot better following an established course than running aground in uncharted epoxy territory. lol
Eric
 
Sep 6, 2015
110
Unknown snipe delaware bay
So I went down to the local west marine and paid too much for a tube of 610 and some extra tips this afternoon. When I lamented this fact to my wife, she reminded me why I love her so much 25 years later.
The back story is that the second hull I got came with a club trailer attached. A simple two station support on wheels that could be lifted or easily rolled down the ramp to launch. When I started to get serious 2 weeks ago I removed the hull from the trailer to make modifications to the trailer and the hull. I took the 2 station arrangement from the trailer and a few scrap 2x6's later I had a very nice cradle to support the hull on the dry.
With the nice weather we are having the pressure was on to get all the work I could muster done while the weather holds, the window is closing on Monday according to local reports. My wife simply responded this afternoon that " I should put those wheel things on the cradle, and roll the boat in to the former scuba shed to work on it this winter." OMG! what a concept. So after some measuring and a careful once over of the plan, it is a go. She often see's the forest when I can only see the tree's.
My better half and soon to be first mate or shemander gets all the credit for the work continuing through the cold months to come, with big fun coming in the early spring.
Eric
 
Sep 6, 2015
110
Unknown snipe delaware bay
So after a trip to Tractor Supply to get some 5 inch urethane wheels that swivel with brakes, I have a rolling work cradle inside the old scuba shed, now known as the boat house. The six 10 adhesive epoxy worked well for filling the rub rail screw holes in the hull. Next up is installing the composite to replace the teak, and the new mast step.
Eric
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Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
WA, great looking job so far sir.. When finished would you privately send me some photos. Thank you so much for sharing the photos of your boat in progress.
 
Sep 6, 2015
110
Unknown snipe delaware bay
I would be glad to share as the work moves along. I am tackling the mast step this weekend, and if the weather holds I am going to rip and shape the composite to fit. Trailer mods are also coming. I am installing a 12' tongue extension for beach launching and new rollers and mast storage for transport.
Eric
 
Nov 9, 2012
2,500
Oday 192 Lake Nockamixon
12' tongue extension for beach launches?

Not sure how much a Snipe is supposed to weight, but I know the GP14 is 300#. When chatting with the GP14 sailors over in England (where it's still a pretty big class) they were kinda amazed/horrified that we launch from the "road trailer" instead of from a "launching dolly." Of course, they also have more combo-trailers over there, where the launching dolly docks onto the road trailer. Over here, it's more common to see people using Seitech or Dynamic launch dollies for Lasers and Sunfish. I have launched my Force 5 from the road trailer, but would be much happier to get a launch dolly for it... Also, it's easier to transfer a boat from road trailer to a launch dolly if you're at a regatta with other skippers who would help lift the boat onto the launch dolly. For a Snipe, probably not so easy for a single person to transfer.
 
Sep 6, 2015
110
Unknown snipe delaware bay
The back bays on the Delmarva peninsula are accessible from many state run public ramps. The term ramp to be interpreted loosely. A 12' extension on the road trailer will put the boat in a float on/float off position with the truck on firm 4x4 ground. When I transferred the boat from the trailer to the work dolly last weekend solo, I regretted it.
Eric
 
Sep 6, 2015
110
Unknown snipe delaware bay
So I had a minor setback today with the new mast step. After trimming away the old support for the wood mounting block yesterday. I faired out the surface and filled all gaps and voids with six ten to watertight. Today I predrilled and attempted to attach the new composite step directly to the stringer.... The screws went in 1/2 way and tightened up. I then proceeded to break the 2 shorter screws off using hand torque only. :( :(
Oh well it was worth a try. I am now going to bed in a new wood mounting block and attach the new mast step and some blocks to it using west system and filleting with 405 or 406 filler. I will keep you posted.
Eric
 
Sep 6, 2015
110
Unknown snipe delaware bay
Sorry for the delays on the updates, work happens. I find myself endlessly noodling about the boat in my brain while at work. Carefull planning and forward thinking got 1 rub rail attached to the hull today all in one piece. I plan on the other side tomorrow with pics to follow this weekend after fairing the hard topside edge. The 610 worked like a dream and drilling new holes where I want them is a breeze. Speaking of which, the blow has got me juiced for the coming spring season. That's all I got for now till weekend pics. How is everyone else making out getting ready for the spring?
Eric
 
Sep 6, 2015
110
Unknown snipe delaware bay
So today while working away on the 2nd rub rail I pondered this thought. How are class boats numbered? does the class keep a running registry for builders, or do each builder run their own series? What prompted this query was the first hull I got was number 19712, the second hull I got is 19714. All this happened purely by serendipity. The 2 hulls are quite different, yet only 1 series number apart.
Eric
 
Nov 9, 2012
2,500
Oday 192 Lake Nockamixon
It all depends on the class. For the GP14, for instance, the class association issues blocks of hull numbers to builders, which correspond to sail numbers. In the early days, there were hull numbers that home builders would get.

For the Force 5, it's completely different, and the skipper applies for the sail number of choice, no hull number at all. So I apply my assigned sail number to any sail I have.
 
Sep 6, 2015
110
Unknown snipe delaware bay
composite rub rail.JPG mast step mount.JPG So today I made banner progress, the weather sure is helping! Last week whilst ditching work early in the afternoons, I got the new composite rub rails installed and faired. Today I tackled the install of the new mast step mounting block. I prepped both surfaces, wetted out the wood, applied a tube of 610 epoxy with a notched spreader and fastened it to the hull. I then used the squish out to construct a nice fillet around the entire piece. I then wet out the rest of the wood block to seal the grain, prior to applying re-inforceing tape as time allows. Pics attached.
Cheers
Eric
 
Sep 6, 2015
110
Unknown snipe delaware bay
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Well I made another good showing this afternoon as well as last Sunday. The weather has been helping out! Last week saw the installation of the reinforcing tape around the mounting block and the attachment of the new composite step from APS. I also took apart the badly damaged tiller and splash guard and stripped them to bare wood and made some repairs to both. I also installed a brass sleeve in the rudder for the addition of a tiller to rudder SS bolt as a keeper for capsizing so the everything stays with the boat whilst I get my $hit together. Today I wet everything out with west system. God I love bright work, but hate the maintenance! Thought I would share the pics prior to covering in paint for UV protection and low upkeep. lol! Time is getting short but I plan to be ready.
Eric
 

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