Russ- Thanks for the letter! My Merit has sail #4, hull 221. I believe it was the first of two boats modified. Doug (maybe I have his name wrong and it is Rob) was a high school shop teacher who figured out the weight problem and designed the bulb for the two boats. I think the letter is probably right about the weight being closer to 125 lb, but the next time it is out I'll measure the bulb dimensions and re-estimate weight of the bulb. The owner prior to me (Deirdre) received a PHRF of 222, better than Rob's 206 right? Maybe Rob had different sails....
Merit 22 owners
- Thread starter RussC
- Start date
222 would be the slowest PHRF I've ever seen for an M22. I generally see them in the 213-219 range for unmodified boats. It's not a precise science I guess
.Hello all brand new owner of a basket case merit 23 and am curious if anyone can post some good photos and possibly dimensions of the companionway sliding horizontal hatch. Mine didnt come with it. Any info would be greatly appreciated
Your PO and mine must have sailed together and shared ideas. this explains what this odd looking capped copper pipe along with the added wood blocks in the cabin are for
. I hope I never find myself beyond 90* heal to test it however .
Lost the mast on my 1984 Merit 22 racing. No injuries and the hull was not damaged. Mast had a "kink' at the spreaders from a prior owner catching it on a tree when pulling out of a boat launch. The port side inner stay was showing signs of wear and it was the stay that failed and the mast kinked where it had the prior damage. Now I'm looking for a new mast and any advice other Merit owners might have for replacing mine. I'm on the west coast, Central California. Especially interested in mast sources around the Bay area.
Rig Rite's website shows they carry the Kenyon 3350 MORC spar section that was on my boat. They are east coast though so shipping across the US would add substantial expense. Ballenger Spars in Watsonville, CA has a B5033 spar section that is same dimensions 5.0 x 3.3, but is heavier and stronger. It is 1.8lbs per foot compared to the Kenyon 3350 which is 1.65lbs per foot. That would equate to 4 lbs additional weight in the mast. The original mast section is larger than other boats of similar size. Which makes me wonder a mast section one size down would be adquate and provide for a lighter rig aloft? Thoughts on that?
When I bought the boat the mast base was fiberglass over wood. Some of the Merit 22s and 25s in our club have aluminum mast bases or the bottom of the mast is cut with a curve to allow stepping the mast. What does your boat have and can you post pictures?
The prior owner lowered and raised the mast to the front. The Merit manual has it raising from the stern. What direction to you raise/lower your mast? What are the pros/cons of either direction? The pro for going forward is we use the main sheet attached to the backstay for mechanical advantage. I manually lift/lower to about 45 degrees before the sheet can take effect as I'm not using a gin pole or A frame. I place an extendable ladder in my truck bed to act as a mast crutch.
Rig Rite's website shows they carry the Kenyon 3350 MORC spar section that was on my boat. They are east coast though so shipping across the US would add substantial expense. Ballenger Spars in Watsonville, CA has a B5033 spar section that is same dimensions 5.0 x 3.3, but is heavier and stronger. It is 1.8lbs per foot compared to the Kenyon 3350 which is 1.65lbs per foot. That would equate to 4 lbs additional weight in the mast. The original mast section is larger than other boats of similar size. Which makes me wonder a mast section one size down would be adquate and provide for a lighter rig aloft? Thoughts on that?
When I bought the boat the mast base was fiberglass over wood. Some of the Merit 22s and 25s in our club have aluminum mast bases or the bottom of the mast is cut with a curve to allow stepping the mast. What does your boat have and can you post pictures?
The prior owner lowered and raised the mast to the front. The Merit manual has it raising from the stern. What direction to you raise/lower your mast? What are the pros/cons of either direction? The pro for going forward is we use the main sheet attached to the backstay for mechanical advantage. I manually lift/lower to about 45 degrees before the sheet can take effect as I'm not using a gin pole or A frame. I place an extendable ladder in my truck bed to act as a mast crutch.
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I have a similar mast and Tabernacle on my McGregor 22 except it doesn't have the over engineered round base added to it as yours appears to have. The bottom of my extruded aluminum mast that has been rotated hundreds of times over it's lifetime has exhibited no deformity from resting on its edge when rotated to the vertical so I think that part would be unnecessary when you replace your mast. I pull my mast up from the bow because of the way it's rigged however I have to add two extra temporary side stays in order to keep it from flopping sideways. My mast is basically guyed in a triangular pattern with two stations to the aft on each side of the boat and the third station from the bow with a quick connect fitting. Because of that I leave the two aft stations unadjusted when lowering and raising the mast with the forestay that is connected to the bow using the quick fitting.
How many times a year do you step the mast? if you only raise it a couple times a year you have a lot wider choices. I strictly trailer sail so easy solo raising and lowering is essential to me. when I bought my most recent M22 the mast had been replaced with one that hinges from the rear edge of the base so leaving the stays attached was no longer possible. my solution was to add a temporary new attachment point for the lower shrouds that are in line with the masts hinge point. now I can attach the lower shrouds to them to stabilize the mast wile raising and lowering, using an a frame style jin pole, then attach the upper shrouds to the chainplates, and then move the lowers into normal position on the chainplates. I installed johnson levers to upper and lower shrouds for easy attachment and the subsequent tension adjustment is pre-set once locked down. sooooo. you can see why having the factory original style cam shaped mast base is a huge benefit if you frequently raise and lower the mast.
. I raise from the stern, as intended. doesn't your mast overbalance when raised over the bow?That makes sense that the cam allows the side stays to remain attached. If I understand you right, even if I went down to the stern with the cam bottom the side stays could stay attached, right?
Yes, the mast is over-center on the bow pulpit when you push it out front and the top of the mast is about over the front bumper of the Honda Ridgeline I tow it with. To make it easier I created a "mast crutch" using a Little Giant style folding extension ladder that is set in the bed of the pickup and secured from tipping with a ratchet strap. The top rung gets a shop rag taped around it so it isn't metal on metal when sliding the mast. That makes it way easier. The backstay is attached to the main sheet. I lift from the bow until 20 degrees or more and the wife pulls the mainsheet in and takes it up from there as I add some assistance. No gin pole or A frame.
We (wife and I) step the mast up 3 times and down 3 times per year. Put in at our local lake end of April. Pull it out to go to Huntington Lake for a week, then back to our home lake until end of September when it is pulled out until next season.
I am thinking of having the bottom of the new mast cut to the cam shape. I've seen at least one Merit 22 or 25 done that way. That's how I'll have it quoted.
I haven't personally seen one, but I have a hunch the very earliest Merit 22s had the mast base cut that way with no cast "plug" in the bottom at all. if you look at an original owners manual they have a crude drawing showing the bottom cut at an angle.
I'm getting close to launch time. just a couple more little things to take care of and hoping that our recent rash of thunderstorms will head somewhere else soon.
latest addition finished up yesterday. I'll never forget to bring the ladder again .
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Tired of getting a headache from lifting that pop top? not me. this is the third boat I've done this on and it's always high on my list of to-dos .
from Amazon: gas struts are BOXI 6934 60 lb 18,5" extended 11.25 collapsed . brkts are vepagoo 10 mm. kit includes 2 flat and two angled brackets.
a pretty easy and inexpensive upgrade and well worth the time and effort.
.from Amazon: gas struts are BOXI 6934 60 lb 18,5" extended 11.25 collapsed . brkts are vepagoo 10 mm. kit includes 2 flat and two angled brackets.
a pretty easy and inexpensive upgrade and well worth the time and effort.
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LOL. those are rather sparse aren't they. I've only had my current boat (Glissade) out once so far, since it's resurection, but looking forward to more very soon. I only sailed the one I had 4 years ago (Magic Dragon) 3-4 times before it was restored and sold but both boats gave me the same first impression. light on its feet! even in the lightest of breeze it's off and running like an anxious thoroughbred. I've yet to encounter really strong conditions in it, but in the 10-15kt range that we typically encounter it's quite predictable and reassuring. The boat I have the majority of hours sailing is a Macgregor 25, which gravitates to its groove at 12-15* heal. the Merit seems to prefer something nearer 16-18* but I'm not sure I've really zeroed in on that yet for sure. both Merits I was sailing with a 95 headsail but Glissade came with a pile of various size headsails so I hope to be trying out a few of those on my next outing also. it came with a really nice crispy J-24 headsail that should work out well on this boat with it's 10' foot, making it >< a 110-115%. As I've said before, the recurring impression I'm struck with is the energy retention and lack of drag felt in the seat of the pants wile sailing. very little speed loss when tacking and you really need to shut her down early when coming in to dock if you don't want to be "that guy" pile driving the dock
. the only other first impression that comes to mind is that it sails very close to the wind. still refining my technic but I think I'm pretty safe in saying well under 45* off the wind, wile the best I can do on my Mac is more like 50*+ . I'm very anxious to put the Merit up against one of the local hot shoes for better insight but regardless, it's a hoot to sail. safe to say.... I like it. .
Second sail of Glissade on Friday. I tried out several different headsails that came with the boat but I think I'll stick with the 95% most of the time. I didn't find the added square footage to be worth the extra hassle of bigger sails in the conditions I normal sail in. at least not when single handing. one thing I discovered that did kind of surprise me is that these boats sail really well on headsail alone. not just downwind, but upwind as well. I've owned a number of similar size boats over the years and never had one that I could say that. I do sail my Mac 25 headsail only once in a wile when the winds get really crazy strong but even it wouldn't qualify for sailing "well" upwind, headsail only.
only a couple new projects now that I'm back home. I carved out a new tiller handle to replace the oem one that was delaminating, and made up a couple angled blocks to raise and realign the cabin top cleats for easier entry and exit of the jib sheets. little by little I'm getting her dialed in to the way I like things set up for my sailing needs. now if I could just find a stadium chair that isn't constantly in the way but supports my aging back and butt
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only a couple new projects now that I'm back home. I carved out a new tiller handle to replace the oem one that was delaminating, and made up a couple angled blocks to raise and realign the cabin top cleats for easier entry and exit of the jib sheets. little by little I'm getting her dialed in to the way I like things set up for my sailing needs. now if I could just find a stadium chair that isn't constantly in the way but supports my aging back and butt
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jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 23,390
Russ. I like the "Sport-a-Seat"
Comfortable, movable, lightweight.
www.sportaseat.com
WM sells a cheaper version of this seat.
I bought the original from Sport-a-Seat in 2016. It is still working flawlessly.
Comfortable, movable, lightweight.
Sport-a-Seat The Original Portable and Adjustable Seat! Made in the USA! Sportaseat.com
Sport-a-Seat is the Ultimate in Portable Seating. Superior Comfort & Quality. Made in the USA! The Original Since 1986. Its a Seat, A Cushion, A Recliner, ALL IN ONE! Versatile Comfortable Portable!
www.sportaseat.com
I bought the original from Sport-a-Seat in 2016. It is still working flawlessly.
I just did this re-rigging project after finding only three strands left on my 1x19 backstay cable at the Y-crimp. I doubled the crimp there since that was my point of worst fraying. In my research, copper crimps are recommended due to corrosion of aluminum with stainless. Keep an eye on corrosion if you are already done. I used a hydraulic crimper. The 1/8" die was way too small and made some nasty butterflys. I just picked the one that fit on my existing crimps and all went well. 3/4" Class 1120 PVC fits well for the turrnbuckle covers. I will be using a heat gun and a circular clamp or rope to pinch them down on the cabling at the top. I am thrifty so thinking of painting and reusing my shroud boots, or making them out of some thick vinyl. I sucked about 2 cubic feet of bird or rat nest out of my mast, scraped it, and am painting it with Rust-oleum marine metal primer (specifically recommended for aluminum) and topcoat. Once I rewire the mast with new lighting I will post some pics once done. I paid $80 for 500' of 316 1x19 1/8" wire rope, about $30 for the crimps, and $40 for the hydraulic crimper. I have enough rope to do another boat or two at this point and I think the last rope was from 1983 so I may sell it or help friends or find another project.Christmas came early today. I guess I have a project for the day now
View attachment 233190
BTW...If anyone finds frayed SS wires anywhere, look close and you will see rust inside the rope all over the place. Replace it all asap. It is WAY better than losing the mast. My buddy spotted mine before I did and the more I looked the more I realized I was living on borrowed time. The hardware can last a lifetime. The rope needs replacing. Talk to anyone who has been dismasted.
yes ALWAYS use double crimps on critical components. and _never_ use aluminum crimps as zinc plated copper is vastly stronger and resists corrosion. I've also fabricated many cables over the years and have had zero failures. I did break a 1/4" SS quick link in half once when I hooked a tree branch but with no sign of injury to the 1/8" 1-19 cable or nico press. the only tool I've ever used is a hand crimper with 24" handles. requires a bit of effort but it does a great job.
