Got a used sailboat for almost nothing, a few questions on sails and rigging
- Thread starter UsainBoat
- Start date
Thank you so much, this is exactly what I was missing. Gonna gonna see if i can replace the bolt ropes and see the effect that has before looking into new sails or resizing the mast
Don't know how easy it is or isn't to replace a bolt rope (I think they are sewn in), but there is a good sailmaker in St. Pete (if he is working). PM me if you want contact info.
Interesting, the identification number on the title has it listed as a homemade boat from 1974. The guy I bought it from had it for a year but was selling it due to declining health. Very nice old man, believe him but no idea about past history. Can't find anything about either Identification number on any database for stolen boats
Does the registration number on the hull (FL1872 DL) and the title match? I'd not worry much about the HIN numbers matching. We are not talking about a $100,000 boat here.
Does the paperwork on the trailer and the trailer line up? Did the guy you bought it from have more than one boat and got the paperwork confused?
If there was some underhanded dealings prior to your assuming the boat it could all go away and you to never see it again. Without a motor on the boat you are right at the edge of it needing to be registered in Florida. Anything over 16' or with a motor must have a current registration.
Would be nice if the only issue is a shrunk bolt rope. With the age of the sail it may not make sense to repair. Coupled with the lack of consistency on the paperwork increases that dilemma.
The great part is you already have a great boat tale just sorting this out.
Does the paperwork on the trailer and the trailer line up? Did the guy you bought it from have more than one boat and got the paperwork confused?
If there was some underhanded dealings prior to your assuming the boat it could all go away and you to never see it again. Without a motor on the boat you are right at the edge of it needing to be registered in Florida. Anything over 16' or with a motor must have a current registration.
Would be nice if the only issue is a shrunk bolt rope. With the age of the sail it may not make sense to repair. Coupled with the lack of consistency on the paperwork increases that dilemma.
The great part is you already have a great boat tale just sorting this out.
Correct not Catalina 16.5 as I introduced the boat for Catalina. Hull number confirms to a Watkins. Mast could have come from Dwyer mast. Dwyer was sold to a new buyer last year.
If the hull number is on the title, suggest leaving that alone. Could be a problem if different on title. Same with trailer. May be the reason for home built boat with no paperwork in the past
If the hull number is on the title, suggest leaving that alone. Could be a problem if different on title. Same with trailer. May be the reason for home built boat with no paperwork in the past
Just call the Florida boat registration department and check the validity of the registration number, hull ID, and previous owner. If everything is in order. Pay to have the registration / title changed to your name (taxes should be minimal as you stated that the cost was minimal), then the boat is legally yours. You will need to have the previous owner sign the back of the title certificate and present it along with the bill of sale to the Florida boat registration department; no problem if everything is legit. The trailer is another matter, will need the previous trailer title/last registration certificate signed over to you, wth the bill of sale to have the DMV title the trailer in your name and possibly issue a new plate as well as paying taxes on the value of the trailer. Being on the highway without a valid trailer registration and current license plate or being on the water without a current registration certificate for the boat, can result in a hefty fine.
Update: took bolt ropes out, raised the sails without it just to see the difference and it was considerable, boom angle much better. Will work on stitching some new rope in and getting the titling sorted out. The registration number on the title and the side of the hull match, just not the HIN numbers. Will see about getting this correct. The the trailer registration is fine. I calculated the total sail area after removing the bolt ropes as 125 square feet (assuming luffs are straight lines and that the sails have no radius of curvature in the out-of-sail direction). The published SA is 145, 13% higher than measured. I'm not going to get super hung up on the differences from the "ideal" rigging dimensions before sailing it. Drag should only vary linearly with area decrease. There will be more tipping moment on the boat if the mast is higher, but will be offset in some manner by less sail area. Don't feel in outright danger just yet. No idea how it the change in shape/area will the airfoil effect going upwind though, trying to get a rough bernouilli calc just couldn't be accurate enough. Wonder what ship designers use for this stuff. Going to try it out on the water after sorting it out and see how it goes before considering new sails or cutting down mast. Will probably test the sail and boom raised at different heights too and see if there's any noticeable improvement in that.
Anyway thank you so much for all your feedback! Was very helpful, will add updates on how things go for anyone interested or as a reference for anyone with similar dilemmas. And for anyone wondering I'm a student with no sailing experience at all, thought this would be a fun way to mess around on the water with friends and family and a fun thing to spend time working on, especially when quarantined. Was actually expecting a much more complicated effort to get it functioning for how cheap the boat was (assuming it doesn't just sink immediately, which it shouldn't). Have done this kind of thing pretty often with bikes, kayaks, tools, and I enjoy the process. Thanks again
Anyway thank you so much for all your feedback! Was very helpful, will add updates on how things go for anyone interested or as a reference for anyone with similar dilemmas. And for anyone wondering I'm a student with no sailing experience at all, thought this would be a fun way to mess around on the water with friends and family and a fun thing to spend time working on, especially when quarantined. Was actually expecting a much more complicated effort to get it functioning for how cheap the boat was (assuming it doesn't just sink immediately, which it shouldn't). Have done this kind of thing pretty often with bikes, kayaks, tools, and I enjoy the process. Thanks again
Cool, that boom looks like it rides in a slot with a down haul line. If it me, I'd set the boom down the the right level and not worry about the sail being at the top of the mast. You will have the same sail area, better control of the main, and shift the center of lift down to the boat like you had a reefed main.
Welcome to SBO and sailing come back to this thread and post pic of your first sail of this boat and how it went.
Your sails look fine to me, you need to apply luff tension on them so they stretch and fit properly. The bolt ropes MIGHT have shrunk but most likely you just need to properly tension the halyards, then the sails will fit, look and operate much better.
The boom is connected to mast via a sliding gooseneck. Dont secure the gooseneck. The procedure for raising the main is, leaving the goosemneck loose, raise the sail until it is up to the top of the mast and secure the halyard. Then, standing at the mast, using your arm put your weight on the gooseneck to push it down and put a clear stretch fold into the luff of the main, then secure the gooseneck in that position. Your boom should then be close to horizontal.
Dont put a strap on the bottom or top of the jib. Simply raise the jib with enough tension to induce a stretch fold in the luff, if necessary sweating the halyard (google that) as you probably dont have the convenience of a winch.
Before you go sailing, do something with the open horn cleat in the middle of the forelock, or your jib sheets are likely to hang on it, messing up the tack. Move it or cover it with tape...
Adding a boomvang is a good idea, somewhat essential gear. Your mainsail has a reef in it, be sure to find/install the clew reefing line, there should be a reefing hook on the gooseneck.
The boom is connected to mast via a sliding gooseneck. Dont secure the gooseneck. The procedure for raising the main is, leaving the goosemneck loose, raise the sail until it is up to the top of the mast and secure the halyard. Then, standing at the mast, using your arm put your weight on the gooseneck to push it down and put a clear stretch fold into the luff of the main, then secure the gooseneck in that position. Your boom should then be close to horizontal.
Dont put a strap on the bottom or top of the jib. Simply raise the jib with enough tension to induce a stretch fold in the luff, if necessary sweating the halyard (google that) as you probably dont have the convenience of a winch.
Before you go sailing, do something with the open horn cleat in the middle of the forelock, or your jib sheets are likely to hang on it, messing up the tack. Move it or cover it with tape...
Adding a boomvang is a good idea, somewhat essential gear. Your mainsail has a reef in it, be sure to find/install the clew reefing line, there should be a reefing hook on the gooseneck.
Last edited: