Season 3 continued

Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
Firefly is sailing well, and a few of our problems from the first two seasons are solved. After shimming the outriggers downward with washers on the “axles,” the outriggers continue to open and close more easily. I might shim them slightly more in this offseason.
We had water coming in the port, forward outrigger mount area last season. I found a crack in the joint and a void area behind it. Considering the size of the laminated joint, it had very little flex, but water could get into the void and leak into the cabin on rough days. The Telstar can be a wet boat on rough days. She has low freeboard, and sailing to windward in a chop can create a lot of splash.
I ground out the joints on both port and starboard mounts and filled them with epoxy and fibers. I then epoxied heavy biaxial mat tapes over the joints. I then filled and faired them and painted them. We have had no leaking this season.
We also found some cracks around the top of the rudder trunk. I repaired those. The rudder trunk opens into a bilge area underneath the aft berth. The bilge is divided in half running forward and aft. So far, the port side has stayed dry, but we still get a couple of cups of water on a rough day. This will require further investigation.
Both port and starboard outriggers get a little water in them after sailing. We have been working out the source of the water, and we have determined it is the flange for the hull / deck joint. It is very lightly built. We will investigate this in the offseason. It is manageable for now.
We installed louvers and fans in the outriggers, as the insides would be dripping with condensation. They are staying much drier now.
My complaints about the boat are slowly diminishing.
The boomkicker was a great addition. Shimming the outriggers allowed us to tighten them down. They are solid on the water now, and the boat moves better. Last season, we loosened them to get them closed, and the boat worked against itself in a chop.
We have decided to construct a mast raising system we can keep onboard. We are also considering moving up to a 20 hp motor. The 9.9 hp is marginal in choppy water and a stiff headwind. If we want to go cruising, the 9.9 would not be powerful enough.
One of my main complaints from the start has been the poor steering. The tiller post is connected to the rudder post via a pushrod connected to a quadrant. Because the rudder can be kicked-up, the quadrant has a double shackle type linkage to the rudder post to allow the rudder post to pivot in relation to the quadrant. The system builds in about a 2” play in the tiller. My other steering complaint was the 4’ tiller in a 6’ cockpit. I shortened the tiller to 32”, and it is much more manageable. It is a little stiff when the boat climbs above 8 knots, but it is manageable.
This offseason, we will consider some options for the steering. Maybe we will try a cable system. When I bought the boat, there were edson pulleys mounted in the stern, as though the boat had wheel steering at one time. I removed them, as the boat was being steered with the tiller and rod-quadrant-link system. I think the main challenge is to maintain the kick-up rudder.
We will also see about commissioning a light wind sail and mounting it on a roller on the bowsprit. Seneca often has light winds, and we often sail to windward in 5-7 knots. A light weight sail might help get more speed on those days.

Thanks,
Andrew
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,040
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
Thanks for the update. It's helpful for the whole community to hear the truth about a particular design. We all are boosters for our boats because it validates our purchase choice, but honest talk is immensely useful for forum members.
 
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Likes: agprice22
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
Thank you. I appreciate it. I am definitely a classic-modernist in boats. I love monohulls, but I love the excitement and speed of new designs. This boat has been one heck of a challenge to like! We have put an immense amount of work into her refurbishment. Again, Thank you.