OK Dinghy too heavy

[Thiele]

Hi all

I bought an old Henriksen dinghy earlier this year. I recently weighed it roughly, by using a bathroom scale and simply flipping the dinghy on to its side on the scale. It seems that the dinghy is quite heavy. Something like 12-14Kg over. When lifting the dinghy by hand it seems that most of that weight is in the bow area.

Do anyone here have an idea of where to start when trying to shave that weight? Is it just sanding away on the surfaces and so on or are there any usual suspects in these matters?

Best regards

[Si Cox]

Hi,

Welcome to the class. I wouldn’t panic about the weight – there are quite a few heavier OK’s out there which are still fast especially in light winds. That said I think that the chances of getting an accurate weight from bathroom scales is remote. They just aren’t up to the job.

Where are you based as there could be someone local with some heavy duty scales.

Thanks,
Simon

[DaveBourne]

hiya and welcome,

Terry Curtis recently refurbished an old henriksen and did a really good job by all accounts, save for the colour!! ( yeah, I know, before anyone says anything!) so I reckon he’ll have the most knowledge. If the boat is that far overweight, you won’t get anywhere near by just sanding surfaces, expect to have decks off, maybe cut out and replace foam in the hull if its wet (if they have foam stringers) that kind of thing. As Simon says though, heavier boats can still be competitive…..once you get ’em moving, they don’t stop!!

Dave

[X]

I managed to get my Henriksen within a couple of kilo’s.
The main problem was that the hollow stringers were full of water and the foam in the front tank was waterlogged, which needed stripping out. I drilled holes in the stringers and in the bow. Then left the boat bow down in dry storage – you could try shutting the boat in a garage with a dehumidifier too.
The other problem with these boats is that the mast gate and step are too far back in the boat. I moved both of these forward which is not a small job. But the boat was way quicker once tthe work had been done

[Thiele]

Thanks for the replies.

I actually have access to a scale which can be used for the correct method of weighing, the bathroom scale was just to get an idea of how far off it is. I will of course have it weighed properly.

The question was mostly on where to start looking for the extra weight. I’m actually kinda surprised by the overweight, because when I knock on the different surfaces of the dinghy it seems quite thin in the different planes.

What are hollow stringers?

/Anders

[X]

The stringers are tubular stiffeners which run the length of thee hull. It is likely that these are full of water drill some holes in them through the mast hole in the deck and see if water comes out

[Author]

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