WB 93 ready for the water, a progress report.

[John Burton]

After a really enjoyable winter sorting out WB 93, we are ready to go sailing. It's been a steep learning curve after only having sailed dinghies in the past plus the fact that our WB was all in bits when bought.
The Forum has been immensely useful, and Martin Cartright's book invaluable, but I have learned an enormous amount through two meetings with David and Margaret Bone. We met once at their place and once at ours and David was extremely generous in his time and advice, very many thanks.
So what have I managed to achieve? In no particular order, this is the list.
Second shrouds. I obtained some 8mm stainless plate and made two extra chainplates and used Dyneema rigging.
Second forestay, 10mm stainless threaded rod through the stem, below the mast rest for transport, with an eye nut. Again dyneema rigging, through a block back to the cockpit.
Belt and braces in the rigging department.
I've made some mahogany cleats for the cockpit in order to tidy up all the ropes and added one on the foredeck. I've also fastened a thin strip of mahogany across the aft end of the cabin hatch with a handle. The overhang will hopefully make it more weatherproof.
The bob stay is now stainless chain with a bottle screw and the bowsprit has a half round steel clamp where the eyebolt goes through, courtesy of David. He also kindly gave me some cockpit boards which saved me a job.
The gallows seemed very flimsy being only attached to the hull at the base. I found the stainless tubing used was a sliding fit inside 28mm copper pipe, so using this I put a length in both aft lockers, fibreglassed onto the hull at the base and clamped at the top into a piece of wood fastened with bolts through the original bronze fittings at the base of the gallows. The gallows are now much more rigid.
I've put a false floor in the port aft locker and sealed any gaps with builders foam. I can now put a petrol tank for the outboard in there safely.
I've learnt about mooring strops etc from David including his very elegant method of preventing the strop rubbing against the bobstay.
A sail cover is being made.
The trailer received new bearings, seals, brake cables and extra lights on the mudguards, new tyres, a spare wheel and tyre and a new winch strap.
Inside the cockpit I put in a mast support made from an old Laser mast, made some small shelves just inside the cockpit either side plus some led lights running off AA batteries.  A new step, there wasn't one before, and a new Porta Potti, again there wasn't one.
I repainted the anti slip areas with grey anti slip paint and had to repaint most of the cockpit white. Probably a change of hull colour next year, the finish is not particularly good.
So all ready to launch and put on our Coniston mooring, unfortunately a holiday booked long before we bought WB 93 means this will not be until towards the end of April, can't wait!
Thanks for all the information on the Forum, it would have been much more difficult without.

[christanner]

Great stuff!

How did you do the top end of the extra shrouds and forestay? A strop around the existing lugs/ears on the mast, or drill extra holes for more tangs?

Do you plan to run a fuel tank in the locker direct to your engine, or are you talking about spare 5 litre cans? I ask because I'm investigating options for more fuel on board for longer passages. Topping up with 5 litre cans while at sea isn't much fun. I'd like to get a larger tank in somewhere.

[John Burton]

Hi, I was very keen not to drill any more holes in the mast. My mast had, at the very top, an eye either side for a small pulley block, I used these for the lazy jack. Just beneath was an eyebolt for the peak halyard. Then further down another eyebolt running fore and aft which I've used for the throat halyard and the jib halyard. Now just beneath this was another eyebolt running transversely, I put an eye nut on the other end and have used these for the second shrouds. The second forestay also uses these attachments, I threaded the dyneema through both eyes and back into a figure of eight knot just beneath. I'm not at home at the moment so can't take a photo, but hopefully you can get the idea.
In the port aft locker I have a proper extra outboard tank plumbed into the outboard with the standard bayonet fittings either end of a flexible pipe incorporating the squeezy primer bulb. I made two holes in the locker on the cockpit side, one just above the false floor as a breather and a second for the pipe. I used standard dinghy type drain sockets in the holes and can always screw back in the bungs if need be. A friend gave me the tank, it is a perfect fit. As you say, trying to fill up on the water is fraught, this arrangement should give me a good range, certainly more than I need on Coniston.
I've just found I have some pics with me, not perfect but will give an idea of what I have tried to describe. The second forestay hasn't been attached yet.

[christanner]

That's useful, thank you John. Pretty much exactly as I'm planning. Your boat looks in great shape!

[VROUW KIRSTEN]

Hello John,

Thank you very much for this report, I enjoyed to read it. Is it possible to add some more photos because my english is not as good as it should be and photos make it easier for me to understand.

Last winter my job didn't gave me a chance to work at my WB, so renewing anti-fouling and repaint all wooden parts will be made at a local shipyard.

I am still looking for a little workshop to rent so I have time and space to go on work at the boot during the winter.

Now it is time to spend the weekends at the water!

Kind regards

Gerold

[John Burton]

Hello Gerold, I will certainly post some more photos. I can't at the moment as I am abroad, but will when I get back in two weeks. I am extremely fortunate to have a barn large enough to get the boat inside, it makes working on it so much easier and more enjoyable.
Very best wishes, John

[Pat Arnold]

A barn!  Oh, bliss!

[John Burton]

Launched!! Not the slickest of launches, but no disasters. Cressy is now safely moored on Coniston, we can see her 100yds away from our campervan at Pier Cottage. A short sail this morning, even the heavy rain couldn't stop the smiles, what wonderful boats these are.