The Winklebrig Forum

Hello Gerard,

You have made very good use of 'Sea Jade,' it has been a real pleasure to follow its restoration and your varied voyages. The new owner will gain a fine, well maintained vessel.
Congratulations on purchasing a Cape Cutter, well suited to your developing needs and coming adventures.

Beat wishes,
David 

https://www.clarkeandcarter.co.uk/1984-winkle-brig/

We've owned her for five years, and she has taken us on many memorable trips to Cornwall, the West Coast of Scotland and the East Coast of England.

We've bought a bigger boat (a Cape Cutter 19) and need space.

We've improved her considerably over that time, and she's offered in a sailaway condition.
She will sleep four in what could be called basic camping-style accommodation, but for two adults, there is plenty of room for a weekend of sailing.
Twin lee boards, which are housed beneath the bunks, give a large cabin. 

These lee boards were removed, and their pins were replaced in April 2022 by Harry King in Chelmondiston.
A new outboard motor mount made from Iroko was also fitted.

The mainsail with two sets of reefing points was replaced in 2021.
The nearly new genoa was converted to a carbon fibre furling Aeroluff Spar system in 2021.
The spars were sanded back to bare wood and coated with Le Tonkinois in 2021.
The bulwarks were also sanded back and treated with Le Tonkinois, whilst the rubbing strakes were coated in Deks Olje D1.
Much of the running rigging and some blocks and cleats have been replaced since.

Her hull was blasted and copper coated in 2021 and her topsides were painted with Epifanes 2 part epoxy.
A new iroko tabernacle was also fitted.

A 20w solar panel, two USB sockets and a 38 amp hour Victron AGM battery make up the electrical system.

There is a 5kg Lewmar anchor with approximately 30m of rode and chain.

There is a manual bilge pump in starboard side lazarette.

Two 'Ram Mount' instrument mounting points are fitted to the bulkhead.

In 2020, we bought a custom-made Extreme Marine braked trailer with a lighting board, a flushing kit, and an unused spare wheel. This trailer has been serviced annually.

The inventory includes a sail and boom cover, mesh halyard bags, various fenders and mooring warps, the original mainsail, and a barely used topsail with yard arm.

Hi Adrian, the plates should be straight. And there should be tension in the string with the plates down as the plates should only drop about 45 degrees.  Sorry cannot tell you the 'free' length in the plate uphaul string having sold Markie last summer. Dave (formerly WB 15 Markie)

Hi Gerold, I think I'll put the aerial along the mast support for starters and see how good the range is.

I'm thinking of buying the Icom IC-M400BBE Black Box VHF/DSC as this will allow me to hide the base unit away in one of the quarter berths and then put the hand unit, which has a display, in the cockpit or cabin.

I'm hoping to go the Netherlands in 2025, possibly starting at Heeg or Workum! Where do you sail?

Adrian,
WB87 'Sarum'

Dear all,

Fascinating tales of bilge boards. We removed WB87 'Sarum's bilge boards a week ago.

Ours both were jamming quite badly when fully hoisted, and were both slightly curved in opposite directions along their length. I tried swapping them over, and hey presto, they hardly jam at all now. I wonder, are the boards supposed to be slightly curved?

My other question is about the length of the hoisting string. Should the boards be lowered until the strings go slack, or should they have tension on them when they are fully lowered?

Many thanks

Adrian, WB87 'Sarum', Kielder, Northumberland.

Wishing all fellow Winkle Brig owners a Happy Christmas and good sailing in 2025.
Though there has been little input to the forum in 2024, it remains an invaluable resource of information, innovation, advice and fellowship for Owners of this capable, characterful little vessel.

David Bone, W/B 107.

Hi Adrian, many thanks for the compliments!
The height of the antenna above deck is very important for the range of the VHF device. I built a hollow mast and was able to lay the cable inside up to the top of the mast.
I don't really have any idea how to get the aerial cable up there, because running it along the shrouds isn't ideal either. The side of the boom support is certainly the most suitable replacement location.

The least problem is a cable feed-through through the deck; there are good and attractive solutions here.

I removed my permanently installed ICOM last year because I bought a second boat and installed it there. I now use an ICOM handheld radio on my small Winklebrig. It has worked well so far.

Let me know how you solved this problem! Wish you a lot of fun with this great little boat!

Gerold

Hi Gerold,

Your posts and photographs are wonderful, thank you!

We have recently bought WB87 'Sarum' and are thinking of fitting a fixed VHF, perhaps an Icom.

Do you have a photo of how you installed yours, as I'm not sure where to fit it?

Also, which route have you taken your VHF antenna cable? We do not have a hollow mast, so will probably have to route the cable either along one of the shrouds, or perhaps fit the antenna to the gallows.

Have you got any comments about this?

Many thanks,

Adrian.

Hello all Winkle brig sailors I am planning to put a balanced lugsail rig on WB7 to make sail handing simple, fitting a 80mm diameter marine alloy anodized mast with a higher tabernacle to make the pivot bolt well above the cabin roof, the rig will have shrouds with lashings & a forestay to the stem, no jib or bow sprit will be fitted. Sail area same as gaff main & jib . Two rows reef points in the lug sail. The balanced lug has the boom & top yard fixed to the port side of the mast & they extend in front of the mast. which means when you tack or gybe the spars & sail remain on the port side of the mast. The boom will long  so that the main sheet can fed to the transom & the sail foot laced to the boom. The top yard just has the one thick halyard to raise the sail. Currently getting quotes for the Lugsail.
Dave Hart. WB7. Solway yacht club member .SW Scotland. 01556-660007 or 07399552192.
Would be pleased to hear from other WB owners .
The sail picture below is a standing lugsail version which I have on my Lune whammel

Please may I join the forum