Stress Less Refit

While Markla is well underway with boat handling and getting up to speed in his boat, I still don't have a boat of my own. I've been umming and aarring about the viable options; buy second-hand or rebuild an old boat with second-hand gear (already have access to a very narrow shell lying around). Ultimately I would love to buy a new boat and not worry about getting sticky fingers, but I just can't see the value in them for a relative newbie.

Decisions, decisions...

The bare hull shell that was stress less is sitting at Markla's parents place gathering dust and snakes. As part of determining whether it is feasible to rebuild it, I present an early rendering. Current thinking is to move towards socketed beams rather than what's shown. Maybe something similar to whisper but without the freestanding rig, a stump stepped mast perhaps. The stress less hull is very narrow but relatively light so I see no reason it can't be converted to a foiler. It will need some carbon reinforcing from mast to cb case though. The biggest problem is finding a place to do the refit.


Foils are also an issue. Markla has been investigating the design for a home-built set and we've got heaps of ideas for building them relatively easily. More on that later though.

Lots to think about...

Moth Tattoo

Who thinks markla should get a moth tattoo?
One or the other of these, or combined as shown would be good. I reckon on the shoulder blade would be best.

camber control

Heard Amac interview talking about how long it takes to trim sail in light weather conditions, i thought this might help.

Glue this device to your deck to provide 100mm throw on the middle control line with a total purchase of 24:1.

Everything is shown to scale.

Assuming vang of 16:1, 6:1 for down haul and 2:1 for outhaul so at 24:1 I am matching the current amount of purchase. With larger diameter rope with an easier pull the overall effort for skipper should be less.

Two features to make it easy to adjust:

• Series of holes in lever, move the take off up the lever to increase the throw of a particualr system
• Turnbuckle on each control line to set the zero point of each system.

I would imagine these two settings would be changed to suit the conditions or sail chosen.

To

It doesn't need to be a single module (could be split into cleat base and lever base) but this way the loads are contained within it rather than applying bending moments to the deck.

Grey is carbon, cream is 80kg foam.

Carbon is moulded from a bent sheet metal mould. Port and stbd halves moulded up, glued to foam and a bridging laminate links the two cleat bases.

I could almost imaging someone in a light weather race holding the mainsheet (blocked out) in his tiller hand and working this sail camber control upwind.