The Winklebrig Forum

Photos attached of the GRP spar support. Mine is a later WB so has the gallows to support the mast. Incidentally the gallows in original configuration are not particularly rigid, this can be greatly improved by extending the support to the base of the aft lockers and adding a small wooden support bracket onto the teak rail running across the stern of the boat, both ideas copied from David Bone.
All the best, John

A friend had new sails made by Goacher in Windermere, might be worth contacting them.

I have one and occasionally used it to hold the boom and gaff during the winter when the boat was under cover, but never used it towing. I preferred to put the boom and gaff on the roof rack, I have a van so the roof bars are well spaced, and kept the mast in the midline, either still in the tabernacle or with the mast base on the stem. I suppose it might be useful if you have a long journey and need to access the cabin more easily, but it always seemed difficult to secure it really well. If you want to make one I can photograph it with dimensions. All the best, John

I simply have a piece of cord that goes from one rear cleat, over the hatch, behind both gallows posts, across the other hatch and secured around the other rear cleat. Simple quick and never lost the hatches even when towing.

Very sorry to hear that and very best wishes for the future, hope you manage to beat it. Thanks for all your work as administrator, when I bought my WB about 7 years ago this forum was absolutely invaluable. I'm afraid my IT skills are woefully inadequate to help. All the very best from WB 93

Hi Rod, I hope this photo helps, fortunately mine was at home so was easy to photo. If you need more detailed measurements please let me know, I will be at the boat tomorrow.
All the best
John

I have thoroughly enjoyed your YouTube videos of adventures with Sea Jade and hope you will continue with your Cape Cutter. They appear to be very nice boats, I hope you have many more great adventures.

Hi Kev,
You will have a fascinating time with David who has an encyclopaedic knowledge of Winkle Brigs and owns a particularly fine example. I have no doubt that he will cover all the relevant topics, but it is worth mentioning a couple of points.
Firstly the WB is an ideal size for trailering and with a suitable swing cradle trailer can be launched and retrieved easily. Any heavier and you need hefty towing vehicles and everything is that much more difficult. Secondly the cabin space is large for the size of boat, the twin drop plates meaning there is no central intrusion . The later boats with an extra 2 inch of headroom makes it more comfortable for tall people. Also the well for the outboard is a good arrangement, it is out of sight and not vulnerable. An electric outboard adds silence, ease of use and a fume free cockpit.
There are numerous other features that make the WB so endearing and I am sure David will tell you all about them. If you do decide to buy one I am sure you will be delighted. Good luck.
John

I decided today to revert back to the normal system. The 2 to 1 was good in strong winds, but the extra friction was a nuisance in light winds. Keep it simple!

Before getting our Torqeedo we used to tow with a 4HP Tohatsu mounted on the boat with no problems. It saved having a smelly heavy engine in the van and once in place it stayed there for the season. I like your latest YouTube video!

When sailing in a fresh breeze sufficient to reef the mainsail, my wife can find it difficult to sheet in the jib adequately. As an experiment I decided to rig up a 2:1 jib sheet arrangement and it certainly seems to work well. Two blocks, one for each side, are attached to the jib clew by a snapshackle. One end of each jib sheet is tied off to a redundant fairlead, led up to and through the block on the jib and returned to the cockpit as normal, in much the same arrangement seen in some racing dinghies. The double block on the jib clew passes across our second forestay easily enough when tacking, the only downside is in light winds the windward sheet might need active easing because of the increased drag. Although experimental initially, it works very well and I think we will keep this set up.

A very neat solution!

The Torqeedo CS 1103 is an excellent motor and has the advantage of a removable tiller. This frees up space in the cockpit when used with the optional remote control which has the same readout and GPS system as on the tiller. Two WBs on Coniston Water have Torqeedos,  I have nothing but praise for ours as it is nearly silent, there are no fumes and it is light to carry. If I was on a tidal estuary I might be a little concerned about power and range compared with a petrol outboard, I think Gerards idea of a second battery is very sensible.

Before I went electric and purchased a Torqeedo, I had a 4HP Tohatsu outboard which just fitted in the well. Apparently the 6HP Tohatsu was the same engine but with a different carburettor and I believe this is the case with other makes. I think you would have to trial fit an outboard rather than relying on dimensions otherwise it could be a costly mistake. Good luck!

There are a few dates in the owners section, but none around 18. Apparently production started in 1983.
I enjoyed watching the videos you have made in Sea Jade, did you see WB 93 and 107 when you were on Coniston?