Boat Set up for lightweight sailor.

[Andrew chapman]

Hi,

I wondered if anybody could give some advice on setting up my new boat.

– Bit of a long story, but I bought a Hoare OK 2032 last year and although it was an absolutely beautiful boat I really struggled to hold it down in a breeze. After a few months I regretably sold her as I was really frustrated at my inability to get the best out of her. Since then I visited the dinghy show and spoke to a couple of guys on the stand who were really helpful and motivated me to give it another try.

I picked up my new ‘old’ boat K1946 a O’Donnell composite on Saturday and gave her a blast at Grafham on Sunday – Wow I’m hooked. Inspite of over enthusiastically bending the kicker lever and the rudder jumping off the pintles during a gybe it was a great sail, although to a lesser extent I seemed to get quite over powered in gusts.

I weigh around 12.75 stone and the boat has a black top Needlespar, what would be the best settings to use to de power as much as possible ? – including raising the centre board a little ?

Some ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Andy C.

[andyt15064]

Well where do we start? The whole point of an unstayed mast like the Finn, Europe or OK is that it can be powered up or depowered depending on the conditions. Martin Jones (of Int 14 fame) sailed an OK with me last week and said it was “hard work” but very rewarding. You need to use your 12.5 stone to best effect so get the toes straps in the right place, get some hiking shorts and sit out hard on the beats and sit well forward at the widest part of the boat (next to the traveller). i.e. get fit.

If you are still getting overpowered on the beats don’t touch the kicker but instead pull the outhaul out to the black band, pull the cunningham down really hard (use a double block system?), let the traveller out to the side deck and pull the mainsheet down so the boom end is touching the aft deck. If the boom won’t touch the aft deck then rake the mast back a bit until it does.

Generally black top masts are quite bendy so should be well suited to someone who is 12.5 stone. Of course the sail could be rather full so that when you do all of the above it is still too full. Solution – find a Batt sail.

Where are you sailing the boat? Come and sail with us and we’ll show you how.

Andy

[Andrew chapman]

Thanks Andy,

From what you’ve said I think I’ve been sheeting the boom too close to the centreline and not applying enough mainsheet tension.
I found the sheet loads quite high, is this normal (stuggling to pull the boom down to deck level – Mast rake ?) also would you cleat the Mainsheet on a beat and just hike like hell ? –

I think my fitness must be a big element too, as I have owned and sailed Finn’s before on a much smaller lake than Grafham Water and if anything found it less ‘Beefy’ than the OK.

With the OK is the mast rake adjusted on the deck plate with the Mast heel more or less staying in the same place, or does it have a bottle screw type adjustment at the heel. – I haven’t had a chance to check mine as yet.

Anyway thanks for your advice so far…

I’m really enjoying having the boat..

Andy C

[andyt15064]

Hi Andy – glad you are enjoying the boat. The mainsheet tension is quite high so I always cleat it when I have got it to the right place on the beat, except in really light weather.

You can adjust the mast rake at the bottom and at deck level (there are only spacers, not a screw wheel mechanism as per the Finn & Europe). For starters try moving the mast so that the distance from the stem to the front of the mast is 700mm (move top bearing spacers), then make the distance from the top of the mast to the middle of the transom 6m 15cm (pull your tape up with the main halliard) by moving the mast foot spacers (this could be tricky if they haven’t moved for some time. You might like to check the strength of this bearing and replace if it looks dodgy – it has a load of several tons on a windy day and a failure here means a costly and time consuming repair as the mast sticks out of the bottom of the boat). Water tends to collect round this bearing in the dinghy park if the boat is left “bow down”

Going back to basics if you take your boat out in a force 2 and sit out so the boat is upright (and I mean upright!) there should be very little weather helm, and certainly no lee helm. Try moving the mast rake until you achieve this.

If you’re free over Aug Bank holiday weekend you could bring the boat to Dabchicks SC (West Mersea) and sail it with us at the Nationals.

Andy

[davecooper]

it has a load of several tons on a windy day

How’re you getting this figure, Andy?

Dave

[andyt15064]

From what happens when they bust!

See you at Kings Lynn 4.30pm start?

[Mike Edwards]

Hi Andy and welcome back to the OK! I was one of the people you spoke to at the Dinghy Show, so must take some of the blame! It is a great boat isn’t it!!

Glad to see you have had some advice already and quality advice at that. Andy T has after all been sailing an OK for many decades……sorry Mr T.

At 12.75 stone you should really be able to cope, but as Andy suggests you are no doubt getting a few of the important bits wrong. Another big factor that has not been mentioned yet is time in the boat i.e. experience of sailing what is I am sure you will agree a challenging boat to sail. This is one of the main factors why us stallwarts never leave the class as we love the challenge.

Join the association and come to the Nationals! We are planning a training day on the Thursday which you would really benefit from. We will look at the set up of your boat and help you put things right. Then competing in the event, watching what we do and asking questions as you go will leave you feeling much more confident. Everyone is always willing to advise others.

Hope you can make it

Cheers
Mike

OK Class Chairman

[Author]

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