SNARK Help

[aaronpw]

I have a 1976 Snark built for Sears. The boat is in great shape. I am missing the mast and some rigging instructions.

The boom has a fork at the front with a single eye through bolt i presume is for either the downhaul hook on the mainsail or, a location to secure the front of the boom to the mast.

It has an fairlead eye about two feet back which I beleiev is for a vang to the foot of the mast which has a ring with a tab through which an s hook would fit.

I need some help on the mast length. The pocket luff of the main is 162" (13' 1/2"). I dont know how much mast is necessary below this point.

Any assitance is appriciated.

 

[Ray T]

I know it might sound crazy but check sears parts. They have the different snarks listed. Maybe they still have parts.

 

[aaronpw]

They have some but not all. My issue at this time (I can buy 20' lengths of T6 aluminum at the proper diameter) I just need the specifics on the rigging.

 

[Joe]

I googled "snark sailboat" and found a ton of resources. Pictures, manufacturers, dealers and parts sources. Since it's latteen rigged, you just need a pole that will fit into the mounting hole and is high enough to hold the boom/gaff rig. It can't be any simpler.

 

[bobtigar]

I owner one in 1970. I remembe the mast being about 6 1/2 feet tall. Bob

 

[Deadhead]

Snark Parts

The first sailboat I purchased was a 1976 Snark Mach II. Got it from new from Sears like you say. When I turtled and lost the mast (long story and the first of many lessons learned about sailing) I bought a mast from a guy who was parting out his sunfish. Used that until the late 80's.

My Mach II was a bit bigger than yours so maybe a mini-fish might be a more appropriate source. And definately try Sears. I had a 1971 Ted Williams (Sears) outboard that needed a magneto. Turns out it is a Tecumsah engine and parts are standard.

Good Luck.
DH

 

[aaronpw]

This Snark was called a Fireflower and was not a lateen rig but a single mainsail (sleeved) with a forked nose boom. It appears that the boom is rigged for a vang ( a simple 1:1 with a bullseye fairlead on the boom, down to a tang on the mast foot, back to a cleat on the boom behind the fairlead.). The luff in the sail is 182" so my problem is I dont know how much "more" mast I need. I think the downhaul will be a simple single line using a fairlead mounted on one side of the mast, up through the tack and back down to a jam cleat on the other side of the mast.
Its hard to find detail pictures of any mast rigged like this for comparison.

 

[Deadhead]

Try this link:

http://www.sailritesails.com/ShowAd.aspx?id=4403&SourceID= 0 &BoatName=FIREFLOWER

 

[aaronpw]

Unfortunatlly, this does not give me tha data I need. I need the total length of the mast plus rigging info. I appriciatet eh link to a sail loft that makes these though.

 

[aaronpw]

Does anyone know ifthe swivle bracket at the base of the mast pocket is for a vang or a retainer for the DB?

 

[Deadhead]

Try this link:

http://www.castlecraft.org/sailboats.htm

Then go to this one and check out the pic on page 5:

http://www.castlecraft.org/PDF/Snark Sailboat Brochure.pdf

Looks like your boat is a Sunchaser II although there doesn't seem to be a difference in hulls between the I & II.

 

[Deadhead]

Then try here:

http://www.castlecraft.org/sunchaser_two_parts.htm

 

[Bill Murray]

Join this group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/snarksailboat/) and get lots of info -- including how the rig works. Mine had a short mast PLUS a modified "lateen" rig - sort of. The sail had a boom and a two part "mast" that telescoped inside a sleeve sewn into the luff of the sail. When you raised the halyard it caused the tescoping "mast" to extend until the sail was taught and vertical. Sounds weird but it was simple and worked pretty well.

 

[aaronpw]

Getting closer?

Ok...I have used many if not all of the resources offered to me inthi s thread.

Does anyone know of the proper configuration of the apparent vang which exists between the mast foot plate (a ring with a tang and eye in it) and the fairlead at the underside of the boom?

My presumption all along was that a line was tied to the fairlead, ran to an S hook or block at the mast foot and back up to a now missing cleat. My concern is that there are no apparent holes in the boom to indicate where the cleat may have been installed. Installing one is simple enough but I want to geth the vang concept right.

The boat is light and I cant imaginge why more than a 1:1 isn't sufficient. I will not be racingher, just day sailing with the kids.

Any thoughts, pic's?

Aaron
S/V Knot Sure

 

[Twice Around]

Do you need a vang on this boat? It might be a mast retainer so if you flip over the rig won't fall out.

 

[aaronpw]

Vang vs. retainer

Do you need a vang on this boat? It might be a mast retainer so if you flip over the rig won't fall out.

It may have been but...this doe snot however explain the factory faierlead on the forward portion ofthe boom just aft of teh boom fork. I have heard rumor that a length of bungee cord has been used betweenthe eye bolt in the boom (through the boom fork to hold it on the boom) and the eye in this ring at the mast foot. That woudl also make sense.
1. What keeps the boom from rising up? The shock cord could do this but not offer much tension Is more tension than this necessary? Its a light rig.
2. What makes up the downhaul? I was going to installa fairlead on one side of the mast and a jam cleat in the other...run a line from the fairlead through the tack and into the jam cleat. This would not do anything to retain the mast in the mast foot on a "turtle".

Ideas...suggestions?

 

[Manureva]

my snark has a latin rig, and two ropes, one holds the mast down and acts as a down haul and come from the boom to a cleat rigth next to the hole in the woden board where the mast is set , the other one is the main sheet, it goes from the boom to your hand!

 

[aaronpw]

Not a lateen rig

My Snark has a sleeved mainsail. It does have the cleat on top of the board that makes up the mast step. I assume this was for either downhaul or to secure the mast.

 

[aaronpw]

The fairlead I am seeing is almost over the top of the dagger board slot, probably to far aft for a vang of any type...correct?