what to do with the deck.

That is exactly what i was thinking about. Nice and simple setup.

 

Having 8" of sheet travel on that horse seems all but meaningless. Double enders struggle with this issue.

 

Where i want to put it the mizzen traveller will be 3 ft long and the main 6ft.

 

Brendan, the traveler is primarily used to center the boom when close hauled, because it tries to fall off to leeward. Moving the car upwind can help the purchase angle a bit. On a ketch, your ability up wind isn't very good, compared to a sloop, so the boom on a close hauled course, generally doesn't need to be that tight to the boat's centerline.

Unless you can mount the main traveler on the cabin top, they just seem to get in the way on a cruiser. The mizzen can have one fitted on the aft deck, maybe on top of that athwart brace at the back of the cockpit. Given your intentions to make a semi rigid or hard dodger at the back of the cabin, maybe it could be fitted (main) on top. It'll be a tight fit, with limited downward pull, but lots of sideways pull, mounted this close to the boom. I think I'd prefer one forward of the companionway hatch slides, so you can get some downward leverage, though this will "disadvantage" the sheet (mid boom attachment), so you might need another fall or two in the tackle to compensate.

Given all the stuff you need to do on this puppy, the best advice might be to place this way down on the list for a while.

 

Thanks again for all the good advice paul. Yes the travellers are down the list. Lots to do before i get that far. But i like to post these questions when i am thinking about things. This way i am compiling a great volume of info from you , jeff and everyone else who has kindly responded to my thread.

 

Kathleen G traveller

As discussed,
when we sail this the traveler is just kept centered, she's gaff rigged with no winches on the head sail sheets so for short tacking around the harbour there's enough to do without playing the traveller. Another purchace for use as a preventer would be a good addition in some conditions.

For reference that traveeler measures around38mm so about 1 &1/2.

Jeff.

 

Great pics. Thats one heavy duty setup.

 

today I removed the ply off the coach house roof, it is in poor condition but luckily the frames are perfect. I am going to reskin it with 15mm ply, I am going to have to scarph 2 pieces together there is no way to avoid it unfortunately. 15mm = 150mm scarph is that correct. and how do I get both sides the same, I only need to scarph 1 mt along the join because the remainder will be over the companion way and cut off.

 

A 120 mm scarf will do, assuming the roof crown isn't too severe. It really doesn't matter if both sides of the scarf are the same, so long as you can align them where they lay flat, once the epoxy cures. A hand or power plane will make quick work of it, with any gaps being filled as they are buttered up with thickened goo. Under putty and paint, who's to know what kind of wood butcher you are.

 

I have a nice flat workshop floor to work on. I don't want to butcher it . Why bother asking advice, i can butcher without asking. The scarph will be visible overhead inside . I have a scraps laying around . I better do a few practice joints i think.

 

Another question paul. Whats cloth should i get to glass the cabin. Protection for the plywood. It is plenty strong enough without it.

 

If you're going to paint the inside of the roof, simply fill the seam on the scarf and call it a day. If you want the seam, maybe a bright finish, well then you need to be precise with the scarf, though only on the inside edge, if the outside is painted. If I have this issue, I'd just not cut the scarf all the way through to a feather edge (see attached). I make a common edge, about a 1/16" deep and scarf from there up (down in the sketch). The machined edge will butt together, looking nice, but below this, you can use a hatchet to make the rest of the scarf, knowing epoxy and filler will fix any ill's. The wood butcher reference wasn't a dig at your skills, but to explain the scarf doesn't need to be at all accurate, unless it's brightly finished or another adhesive other than epoxy is used.

2 ounce (68 GSM) will be fine and invisible under varnish. In fact, anything less than 4 ounce (135 GSM) will be as well. These "finishing" cloths will offer abrasion protection, without a lot of weight or effort to finish neatly. Heavy cloth will not add much to the abrasion protection on the side of a cabin, unless you intend to drag cables and chain over their sides, in which case, you might want to use something other than 'glass.

Back to your scarf, I would do it on the shop floor flat, let it cure for a few days (a week is best) then bend it onto the roof. If the scarf is a real bother, you could just do the best you can (feather edge), then using a straight edge guide, run a shallow (1/16" groove) down the seam line, simulating a well done joint, filled with epoxy. This will look fine under varnish or paint.

 

Thanks again, no varnish just primer and gloss enamel. This boat has no brightwork .
The wood butcher reference didn't bother me. Pretty accurate actually.

 

If it's just paint, hack the scarf out as best as you can, but the only aspect that's import is, the two pieces lying on the same plane, once the goo cures. Fill anything offending and call it ready for paint.

 

I have the ply on the coach house roof now. Next weekend i will epoxy it. I ordered 6oz cloth because the place i get it from did not have 4oz in stock. My question is can i staple this cloth in place and wet it out or do i have to lay it in wet epoxy like fiberglassing. I thought it might wet out easy from the top side being such light cloth.