Oh what a Snipe hunt!

[waterpirate]

I introduced myself last week and have been scouring the web and burning up the cell phone. I have to say I am disappointed at the available " real information " available for the Snipe.

I am going to start and maintain this thread to chronicle my questions regarding the boat and all useful links as a permanent record for anyone who follows me, purchasing a used Snipe not intended for racing.

A lot of my questions may be Snipe specific, or good general info for someone not familiar with how a Snipe is rigged.

To begin I have found that my hull# 19712 was manufactured in 1989 by Chubasco who was later bought and sold and moved. After a thorough cleaning and inspection I have discovered some soft spots in the decking and several rotted stringers. No big deal I am no stranger to the West system. I have also discovered that the Snipe has a lot of features and functions that my previous boats did not have. Some I am familiar with, others not so much. Cunningham is one that I had to google to get my brain around.

My first quandary after studying all the parts is the goose neck. I am going to step the mast next week to identify any other hidden problem areas. The goose neck is adjustable and the pin slides into the spar fine and fits. What holds it in the spar? It has 2 grooves machined into the pin top and bottom that look like it could take some type of friction jam lock. Or does the boom vang retain the spar to the boom? That does not really make sense to me. What am I missing here?

I have scoured the web and can find no identifying marks or numbers on the spar or mast to help. Looking for answers.

Eric

 

[Joe]

This replacement fitting from Annapolis Performance Sailing shows the pinn to be "pressed" in place. You would use an appropriate sized metal punch to remove.

The APS store is in your region .... they are also very helpful with these specific one design questions... they can also refer you to other sources.. like Snipe fleets and organizations....

http://snipeusa.com/resources/

 

[JohnCTV21]

The boom is held in place by the vang and the sail.

I sail hull #24633, 1980 MacLaughlin set up for racing

 

[waterpirate]

Thanx for the info guys! My journey is just beginning and as I said I am going to leave a bread crumb trail of info behind. I am amazed at the transformation of the Snipe over the years. What you do get on the net is plenty of pictures to look at. The evolution from plywood to glass, and better designed glass is an interesting study in what we learned along the way about how to build a fiberglass boat better.
Eric

 

[waterpirate]

I contacted the Annapolis snipe fleet today, and all I can say is wow! I got a lot of info over the phone and the possibility of maybe being on a committee boat for the upcoming race day in October. They are also going to prove to be a limitless source of info, help, used parts, et all. I can hardly wait to meet them in person.
Eric

 

[waterpirate]

So today was bittersweet, but goes in the win column anyway. I finished cleaning the cockpit and removing all the rotten lines and such in preparation of stepping the mast. The sweet is that the mast goes with the hull and I managed to noodle my way through the stays.

The bitter is that someone had already butchered out some of the stringers and doing a piss poor job of it, including not sealing up the ends where they cut out a section. That caused further failure, so the stringer fix may be more involved...

More of the sweet is that the Annapolis fleet may have several orphan hulls in better shape than the one I have. I am going to hold off on any repairs until I have the opportunity to view the orphan hulls.
Eric

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

I could not resist but there is an actual bird in Virginia called a Snipe

 

[waterpirate]

Yes Dave there is. It is often part of hazing to send someone " on a snipe hunt ". It is an older boat, but I do have a good sense of humor and irony.
Eric

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

If you simply google there is reference to birds on the east coast referred to as rail and snipe that are hunted to include Virginia.. Also, the Adobun Society also references the Wilson's Snipe. Yes I know al about those snipe hunts sending people out to capture a snipe with a bag but there are real birds referred as snipes.

 

[Kermit]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snipe

 

[waterpirate]

Not to be a killjoy,,,, but how about more boat info and help? If you want to hug birds or the adobun society, or hunt and kill the last one, there is another forum for that.
Eric

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

There is an old saying, laughter a day helps to keep the doctor away. Sometimes humor can sooth the mind and soul. I am not the only one who does that on these sites but thought a little humor is good for the soul. As for helping sir, I do a lot of that on the forum more than most but there are others too and a good example is Kermit and Jackdaw whom many regard their imput as well. However, you did bring up the snipe hunt which was humerous and a good touch of laughter as well.

The problem with this world, we have forgotten how to laugh in many cases Enufff said.

 

[Kermit]

What Crazy Dave said. Every thread on this forum has the potential for going off-topic. It's the nature of some of us to find humor in serious things. You said there is very little info on Snipes after extensive searching. You're getting more of the same here. I hope that you will enjoy this forum for what it is: a great resource for serious information with some fun thrown in along the way.

 

[waterpirate]

Apologies and no offense intended. Advice taken, yours as well as mine. The thread title was a clever turn of phrase, I forgot that. This a.m. found me frustrated and not amused, which makes me prone to snark. A snark is a Styrofoam boat that I think is only good for making beer coolers??

Anyway, being the new guy I will keep my snark in the cooler and seek only constructive as well as amusing comments.

I feel like a total mobjack!
Eric

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Waterpirate;
I busted out laughing so hard on snark that even my wife did too. You know Blackbeard came from Bath, NC as I use to deliver sailboats to Bath Harbor Marina. He was a scalawag and lighting his beard, I guess got rid of his hair? However, I do take a bath at times when buying or not knowing or better yet get into the tub to take a bath is important too. I better stop on that

Could not help on that. Welcome to some of us clowns and hope maybe you got a chuckle with bath. I am also glad that styrafoam boat is good for nothin as I use to sell them in my dumber days.

 

[Brian S]

Hey, what's wrong with a Mobjack? It's a decent sailing boat, isn't it? I thought I read once that the Mobjack was pulled from a Thistle hull, but set up to actually be a comfortable boat to sail. But I just looked around for a minute, and found this article that says it's based on a Thistle, but not pulled from a Thistle. https://www.fbyc.net/Club/History/Articles/07birthofmobjack

Now I'm really confused. I originally thought the Mobjack had a Thistle hull, but with nice curved floatation tanks molded into the sides of the cockpit for comfortable hiking. But based on these pics here: http://www.sailingtexas.com/smobjack17100.html it looks very much more like a Thistle inside.

I don't find the Thistle to be all that comfortable, especially for forward crew. The vang really gets in the way for forward crew during tacking. A woman I know who is forward crew says she goes home with bruises everywhere after dealing with gybing the spin pole. Something about knocking into the diamond stays? I don't recall that problem, but I am taller than she is. And the gunwale isn't all that wide for hiking. Lucky for me, I have only crewed during lighter wind when aggressive and prolonged hiking isn't required.

Still, with the canoe hull form, and that super long footed main sail, the Thistle moves in any wind, and really takes off if there's a puff.

 

[waterpirate]

Now to get us back on track for serious sailing, serious fun.

I know that you all are familiar with Harken. A simple google search for " Harken one design " pulls up a list of boats the snipe being one. I do not agree with their rigging scheme, however it gives a good overview of line size, and where the blocks should be positioned.

Being a total Mobjack was more humor, get up to plane would you? Glad I could get my head right and did not create any irepairable damage to myself or others.
Eric

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

There is never a dumb question and if there has been, I am the king of asking. As for humor, bring it on. Glad to help in any way. I forgot the length of that snipe but generally 5/16 lines I think but Dave Groshong here on the forum store would be a good source of knowledge. He is an old scalawag.

 

[waterpirate]

So I was scheduled to attend fleet 532's " frigid digit " regatta this weekend until the nor easter met Joquin.... Hope was still dellusionaly alive until mid day today when it was officially scuttled.

Tuff way to end a season for us all, but the sail must go on. This winter will find me roving about the mid atlantic looking at hulls and parts and getting my snipe ready for late March.

Will keep everyone posted as the work and search continues.
Eric

 

[waterpirate]

So I went to Annapolis yesterday in spite of the blow. I met Chris Ryan the head guy for fleet 532 and also the district Gvr. What a great guy! We met at the SSA and spent about an hour going over some rigging and talking snipe. He also provided a lead on a Chubasco hull that is in better shape than the one I have. He also provided an open ended invitation to koin the fleets activities come spring and on going help and support over the winter.
Eric