The Winklebrig Forum

David Peck
Username: David_peck

Registered: 04-2008
   
Posted on Friday, April 18, 2008 - 10:30 am:      
Julian
I've been reading your note on the Celestron Power tank.Is it basically a battery with various output or has it got a built in charger for plugging in to the mains, or do you charge it from a seprate battery trickle charger. I'm thinking of whether it can be plugged in to the electric hook up in a marina.
Can it be charged from a car cig lighter?

Adrian Evans
   
Posted on Tuesday, June 12, 2007 - 10:56 pm:      
Thanks Julian. It does look like a very tidy and convenient solution. I take your point about the physical size of the larger capacity;
But the websites selling them all seem to be out of stock of the smaller version at the moment.

Julian Swindell
Username: Julian_swindell

Registered: 03-2007
   
Posted on Monday, June 11, 2007 - 09:34 am:      
Adrian
The big light tilts forward up to 90degrees, but doesn't come off. I rarely use it, but it is nice to have available. I use the small flash light (with the removable red filter in the picture), as a reading light at night. During the rest of the time I plug my GPS into it all the time and I can also plug in my vhf if its battery has gone flat. This year a full charge seems to last for about 5 weekends sailings, with an overnight each time. Then I take it home to recharge. I'm really pleased with it. I looked at the bigger version, but it is just too big to fit in anywhere easily and I really don't need the extra capacity.

Adrian Evans
   
Posted on Friday, June 08, 2007 - 11:15 am:      
Julian, I have been quietly admiring the Celestron powertank, and I see that they are now producing a 17 amperehour version! I just wanted to ask you if the big spot light is removeable (on a curly cable?) to be hand held, or is it permenantly fixed to the body?

Thanks.

Julian Swindell
Username: Julian_swindell

Registered: 03-2007
   
Posted on Sunday, March 25, 2007 - 11:04 pm:      
How electronic are others? I seem to have a surprising number of instruments now, a GPS, depth sounder, handheld VHF and two compasses (the second came with the boat). I have mounted them all on the lower washboard, so they are easy to see, and can be stowed away just by turning the board around.

For electricity, I use one of my best finds, a Celestron Powertank. A twelve volt rechargeable gel battery in a powerful torch/floodlight body, with two cigarette lighter outputs plus several other outputs for phones and things. It is designed for amateur astronomers, but it is perfect for boats.

Roger Parish
   
Posted on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 - 06:11 pm:      
I always jet wash the hull after a sail but find that this still leaves oil/grease and other unmentionables still smeared on the hull. these can usually be removed with turps before applying a good car wax polish. This last time I was out of turps and found that malt vinegar did an excellent job and is also environmentally friendly! I have never tried the expensive marine products.

David Peck
Username: David_peck

Registered: 04-2008
   
Posted on Saturday, October 31, 2009 - 07:14 pm:      
I tried to post a picture, but even though it was a JPEG format and reduced in size it informed me that it was the wrong format to upload. I followed the insructions to the letter so I don't know what to do differernt

David Peck
Username: David_peck

Registered: 04-2008
   
Posted on Saturday, October 31, 2009 - 06:58 pm:      
Martin
Thanks for the picture.
What I have actually done is to leave the rope horse fastened to the far corners of the transom and bring it forward of the gallows to about as far forward on the boom as yours is shown, and have moved my boom fixing aft to the corresponding position. The boom actually swings out with the mainsheet free from fouling anything. The gallows can therefore be left up when sailing.- It works on land with no wind anyway!

Martin_cartwright
Username: Martin_cartwright

Registered: 04-2008
   
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 - 04:19 pm:      
There follows a picture of the rope horse and boom fixing.I have found this arrangement works very well.(You might like the wicker bottle holder I fitted for my French trip!).
I put a little grub screw in the fixing plate of the top of the boom to stop it sliding backwards and forwards.
Yes. I did have to shorten my boom by a little.I can't remember exactly how much, but it wasn't more than an inch or two and the mainsail setting was unaffected.

David Peck
Username: David_peck

Registered: 04-2008
   
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 - 07:53 pm:      
Thanks for the prompt reply Martin.
The information will be very useful; I wondered whether a rope horse over the tiller would be practical. I thought it might foul the tiller when sheeted right out.
Which ever way I do it, bringing the mainsheet forward will remove the only thing I found on the WB messy (i.e. raising the boom support under sail).
I would appreciate a look at your boom fixing, Cockle came with the block fastened to the boom with screw in 'eye' which seems a bit dodgy. I need to strengthen this.
I like the idea of the ketch rig having sailed a Drascombe Lugger for many years, did you shorten your boom to accommodate yours? Cockle has a high peaked gaff mainsail and probably therefore has a longer foot than the normal top sail rig mains' (see Roger's post under Gunter Rig 30th April 2008), and the boom cannot be shortened. It certainly would foul a mizzen mast mounted on the transom.

Martin_cartwright
Username: Martin_cartwright

Registered: 04-2008
   
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 - 01:38 pm:      
I am glad you had a good summer's sailing David. You deserved it after your previous year's misfortunes!

I have found that no strengthening was required to the cleats. Since the photos were taken I have modified this slightly using a rope 'horse' from one cleat up over the tiller to a ring (to which the main sheet pulley is attached)and back to the other cleat. In this way the main sheet can be centralized.
To avoid any risk of the main sheet snagging the boom support, I moved the main sheet connection point away from the end of the boom using a rather clumsy (but it works) Indespension 'u' bracket around the boom. (I can post a picture if it helps).

Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 - 12:34 pm:      
I would like to sail with the boom support permanently in the 'up' position. The main reason being that it is messy trying to raise and fix it when you want to lower the main/gaff and boom onto it.
The main problem with this on Cockle, is that mainsheet is mounted on the transom on a rope horse (see Roger's article dated 6 Aug 2007). This system works well with the Boom support lowered, but the mainsheet on the rope horse jams up round it in the 'up ' position.
A solution to this, maybe, is to bring the mainsheet forward and attach two pulleys to the two cleats on the front of the aft stowage lockers as shown in Martin's article 'Strengthening for coastal use' Sept 2007 (very useful pictures Martin, thanks)
1. Can anybody see any problems with this?
2. Did you strengthen these cleats in any way , Martin?

The alternative is to position the boom gallows forward of the engine and keep the same main sheet arrangement. In this position it will also support the gaff arm, provides a back support when sailing and a useful handhold getting off and on the boat:

I have permanent stainless steel gallows fixed through the deck to the hull and my main sheet snatchblock is positioned forward of the engine on the forward face of the starboard locker (There was a cleat here originally). The boom mainsheet block is correspondingly further forward along the boom and so the sheet never fouls the gallows.
I know theoretically this places a greater strain on the end of the boom, but despite having been in fairly strong winds (force 6 last weekend), I have never had any problems and the Winklebrig is not such a racing machine that the off-centre sheeting position makes any difference on the port tack.

Martin Cartwright 15/5/2007

Gallows gone
Twice the main sheet wrapped round these permanent gallows when there was a strong wind, and scared the life out of me. They are now gone and I'm installing upgraded, removable scissors gallows

Julian Swindell 15/3/07