Restoring a VJ

[Landlubber]

...from memory, we used a cord as the centre lever point, that way it was height adjustable easily. Sone days the lever is required more than others, and changing the angle of attack proves beneficial.

 

[pamam]

Brian,

Thanks for the dimemsions of the plank rail. I will try to put it all together on a drawing and email it to you. My email is pamam@qcsindustries.com. I have your email in my book so it won't go to the Junk folder.

Thanks again.

Mel

 

[pamam]

Brian,

Attached is drawing of my understanding of what you sent me about the plank rails.

I have a couple of questions.

1. the 7 holes 10X15mm holes are how deep into the rail?
2. are the holes in 1. for lines for the jib or spinnaker sheets or some such?
3. the extra 40X48X17 hole: is that for a cleat of some sort?
4. how is the rail attached to the deck?
5. how is the leather attached to the rail?

 

[pamam]

It's been a while but the boat is coming along.

Brian,

I have been hard at work on both my mustang and boat. I have the hull bottom and sides done and am placing the reinforcements for the rigging in the hull. After this I will place the top and paint/fiberglass the finished hull. then add the rigging etc. I had to add the bump in the transom for the rudder housing which was >200mm while the deck height at the transom was only 102mm. Anyway, I post more info when I get further along. I'm hoping to go sailing this summer around August.

Mel

 

[brian_n]

Hi Mal

Seems we are up to about the same stage. I have to replace my entire deck as the brass screws had ruined the ply. This made the replacement of the outside gunwhales a must as the screws had weakened them too badly. As well the mainsheet eyebolts were only chromed steel which had corroded so badly that I had to pull out the bottom of the cockpit to replace them. They were fitted right through the keel and the damage to this timber had to be made good since the nuts were on the outside. I have laminated new gunwhales and fixed the keel and its rubbing strip. The bottom of the boat now has four coats of varnish and is looking beautiful. She is about ready to turn over for the new deck and deck fittings. The fittings will be fun as I dont know where they go. I just have a box of S steel bits and a few holes in the deck beams to go on. I notice a slight differance in your stem from the photo. Mine has a small bump on the top which fits into a recess in the bottom of the bow sprit to locate it. I dont think it was fastened there as well. They relied on the fastenings at the aft end and the bobstay to hold it in position. Anyway good to hear from you and good luck. It's getting quite exicting.
Brian_n

 

[pamam]

Picture of placement of fittings.

Brian,

Here is what I got from my friend in Australia. It is a rough sketch but it will help with almost all of it. Here is his email if you have any questions.
Greg Fryer [greg@fryerguitars.com], yes he has a guitar shop. Greg and his friends have or are in the process of rejuvinating the VJ club in Lake McQuarry area: of course they are using fiberglass and carbon fiber these days. That will be my next boat.

Mel

 

[brian_n]

Thanks Pamam good info re placement on the sketches. I notice that you are using stringers. On my old set of plans they are not used. Humalong had them but they were made very badly from strips of ply which were not glued down to the skin. [ The glue had failed ] I took them out as they were doing nothing but could replace them with something which would work if needed. My question is, how thick is the ply in the bottom of your boat Mine is 5/32. My feeling is, given the short distance between the frames, I wonder if they are really needed.

 

[pamam]

Hi,

Sorry for not answering your post. I have not looked at this post for a long time.

The answer to your question is that the bottom ply is 6mm which is close to 0.24" your 5/32" is closer to 0.156" which is 0.16". the difference is 0.08 which is 33%. So your boat bottom would be less strong by 44%. Inertia of area is proportional to h^3 (thickness of ply) and w^1. If you double the width you double the strength, if you double the height you increase the strength by a factor of 8.

 

[Geoff Faulder]

VJ Plans and stern

Hi guy's

You are probably out on the water by now but just my late 2 cents worth.

Longer planks went from gunnel to gunnel for skipper in the 70's flow through cockpits.

Transom on the flow through's had a curved bar that went in opposite camber to cockpit floor. This gave you something to attach the rudder to.

I had a Larry Selby VJ in the 70's. Great fun.

 

[Martin B.]

Likewise, a little late on contributing to the VJ post but here is one I sailed on Albert Park Lake, Victoria; cotton sails with split bamboo battens (guaranteed to twist your sail out of shape), rectangular birdbath cockpit just about big enough for my 14 year old feet; paddle tied to bowsprit to assist one getting back to the YC as the lake was heavily choked with weed; very modern (?) durallium (aluminium) centre plate - previously they were galv steel !
The rudder shape was typical of the class at that time.

These pics were taken in 1954 on the day of the Aust Grand Prix on the normal roads around Albert Park Lake long before the current F1 Grand Prix Circuit was built.

Hope your rebuilds went well and you are enjoying your VJs !