DRAGONFLY Trimarans User Forum

gminkovsky

...Will any DFs from this board be at the Annapolis show during Columbus Day weekend. That's when I am planning to do said poking... I will be there on Monday early afternoon and intend to spend some time with Richard Suriani, looking at the DF28, and maybe even talk to Jens! I am happy to share my ...

gminkovsky

You probably have one of the older boats where the adjustable backstay would be also used as a preventer going downwind. You would disconnect it from the backstay and connect to the boom. Before the next gybe or before going upwind you would reconnect it to the backstay. That was the reason for the ...

gminkovsky

Also check jib halyard. If there is not enough tension on the jib luff you will be forced to sail lower to prevent jib backwinding and luffing.

gminkovsky

I had a very unusual experience with the boat trim: had very strong weather helm on port tack and slight lee helm on starboard tack. Usually, my boat is very balanced with very slight weather helm. I checked everything, tightened the rudder downhaul and the board downhaul, checked sail trim, checked...

gminkovsky

I am thinking about installing a second halyard. I would need to attach a block at the top of the mast and just keep a thin messenger line in it which would be used to put a real halyard when going up. Not sure what is the easiest way to attach a second block, though. Richard S. said that some peopl...

gminkovsky

Main halyard is fixed now. I turned it end-for-end. It turned out to be a fairly involved procedure. 2 riggers worked on it: one in a bosun chair suspended from a crane, the other at the bottom of the mast. They first threaded in a messenger line with about 50 cm of bicycle chain attached to it. The...

gminkovsky

Larry, Thank you for that info. I was going to use a brand new (and very expensive line). Instead, I will just swap end-for-end. Mario, This sounds like an interesting idea. I have a friend with a large mono moored next to me. I have a few questions: Does my boat have to be folded? If my boat is fol...

gminkovsky

Yesterday my main halyard snapped at the top of the mast where it enters the mast. I was beating into the wind. The wind was around 15-16 kn. The seas were very choppy 3-4 feet (.9 - 1.2 m) right on the nose. Suddenly, the main just come down on us. Luckily, the lazyjacks were adjusted high enough t...

gminkovsky

This summer I had great success doing some lazy-man sailing with just jib. I was able to go upwind, tack and gybe using just jib and tiller. Apparently, the trick to good performance is mast rake. I had my backstays adjusted very tight. I also had the main halyard attached to the end of the boom and...

gminkovsky

The latest issue of Practical Sailor evaluated roller furlers and recommends Seldén Furlex 200S. They claim bullet-proof construction.

I know very little about this subject, though... Just repeating what I read.

gminkovsky

Quorning is a good source. They provided replacement when my pin broke. (I dealt with our local dealer who dealt with Quorning.) Also, these are used on various tiller extensions in racing. So check catalogs that supply replacement parts for racing tillers. BTW, when my pin broke second time, Quorni...

gminkovsky

I would probably choose asymmetric spinnaker with sock over Code 0. The flexible furlers just don't work very well. Asymmetric will be larger and cost less than Code 0. You can fly it off the bowsprit and head pretty high in light winds.

gminkovsky

I have a light air genoa on my 920 and I sail in the area that has a lot of light winds in the summer. The major plus of the screecher is that i can get 90-100% of wind speed with it. In light air it works well from downwind to close reach. For close reach to beam reach I mount the blocks on the inb...

gminkovsky

Important note: I am not sure about 800, but on 920 front and back waterstays are of different length!

gminkovsky

Steve, You can contact Ronstan directly at (727) 545-1911. They have offices somewhere in Florida. However, my experience with them was awful. I needed replacement parts for my Fredriksen blocks. They quoted something around 80% of the cost of a new block for a small plastic part at the head of the ...

gminkovsky

Important correction to my note on extra cover on the Dyneema halyard. My halyard is 8mm, and the cover I added is 10mm. 12 mm cover will not go through the rope clutches on the 920. I had just examined the covers on the halyard. After 6 seasons without any maintenance I had to completely re-stitch ...

gminkovsky

Mal, You could tilt the mast down using Quorning-supplied mast-lowering cables and blocks. The top of the mast will be about 3 meters higher than the base of the mast. So if you have a dock or warf nearby that you can come to, you could put a ladder to support the top of the mast. I know that a coup...

gminkovsky

Mario, My halyard is 10mm. I purchased 12 mm double-braid polyester rope, removed the core, cut the cover into pieces about 50 cm long. I burned the ends of each piece to melt polyester with a screwdriver keeping it in open shape. I then threaded the halyard into the new cover. Pulled the cover to t...

gminkovsky

Larry, I deal with the same issue regularly. The suggestion of placing pickup stick and/or mooring pendant into the dinghy is really nice for the monos. The problem with us is that the dinghy will get caught between main hull and ama. In stronger wind, especially single-handed, it would be a real pa...

gminkovsky

All Dragonflies come with a manual that includes a table of true wind and reefing recommendations. Unless you are racing and willing to take chances, follow Quorning rules for reefing. I don't know DF28 table, but on my cruising 920, first reef on a jib comes at 15 kn upwind. Downwind, at 20-24 kn t...

gminkovsky

I have Dyneema main halyard. I had damage to the cover in the very first year when an inexperienced crew opened the halyard rope clutch under load. I had then installed additional polyester cover at 4 positions on the halyard: main up, reef 1, reef 2, main down. After 6 seasons, the cover is in perf...

gminkovsky

I just came back from my sailmaker who examined my main and declared it dead. He will patch it up and I may be able to squeeze another season out of it. My main is original Elvstrom sail in Pentex tri-radial cut. It lasted 7 seasons. The fibers are completed rutted. The sailmaker was able to tear th...

gminkovsky

No, the frame does not need to be removed. All work is done from the outside in the cockpit. You are not replacing the bedding compound, only the caulking. The whole job takes 30 minutes or less. Oscar, this is a great idea! Until now I used the dust and dirt to trace leaks :D, but our dust tends to...

gminkovsky

Caulking replacement around the frame was very easy. Use a sharp knife to cut out and scrape as much of the old stuff as possible. Then squeeze a thin line of caulk all around. I used a finger (in a latex glove) to push the caulk in and smooth the surface. Then methodically apply more caulk around t...

gminkovsky

I also had safety compartment leak. It is because the outside of the hull is curved, so the outside cover base was not firmly set. Small amount of caulking fixed this permanently. Another thought: look at the rudder mounting post. I had some rain water enter the storage locker from above. I wonder i...

gminkovsky

leak 1: I had this leak. Took me 1 year to figure out exactly what was happening. I replaced the caulking around the aluminum frame with extra around the wooden step and the leaks went away. A also replaced hatch stoppers and added silicone plugs where the hatch track meets the vertical frame. Howev...

gminkovsky

I should have clarified that I use ratchet blocks for screecher sheets. I use regular non-ratchet blocks for the barberhauler.

Why do you use ratchet blocks for barberhaulers? I don't hold barberhauler lines in my hands, they are always cleated in camcleats.

gminkovsky

On my 920, the original Fredriksen ratchet blocks failed after 1 year. I contacted Ronstan (who purchased Fredriksen at the time) and Ronstan replaced the blocks with Ronstan ratchet that were 1 size larger. Unfortunately, I don't remember the sizes, but I think my blocks are at least 70mm if not 80...

gminkovsky

vibration? on a boat? New York City police cars have laptops. Cars on NY streets have a lot more vibration than boats. All police laptops seem just fine. Every utility company in New York uses laptops in their vehicles without problems. From technology perspective, the only difference between chartp...

gminkovsky

Have you considered a laptop with GPS and navigation software? I've been on boats with chartplotter right at the helm, typically on the binnacle. It is convenient. However, laptops have much bigger display and have more functionality. They can be integrated with a radar, AIS, and other instruments. ...

gminkovsky

Ed, Listen to Larry. As I finished writing my post, my wife commented that 920 would not be the right choice and I should explicitly recommend bigger boat. The issue with the outboard prop coming out of the water is very real. I was only able to sustain motoring upwind for short period of time by ca...

gminkovsky

I have a cruising 920 with slightly larger main (36 m2). I always take 1 reef on the jib at around 15 knots of wind. At 18 I also have a reef in the main. I know of someone who purchased a hybrid 920 - Extreme hulls, but shorter cruising mast. He sails in the area that usually has 15-20 knots of win...

gminkovsky

Has anyone changed impeller on Honda 10? At the end of last season my Honda had diminished stream of water coming through the discharge hole. I traced the problem to insects in the plastic hose. I cleaned it with a pipe cleaner and everything went back to normal. My engine is 6.5 years old. I planne...

gminkovsky

The downhaul line on my 920 became very stiff and slippery after 6 years. It would no longer hold in the jam cleat, especially at higher speeds. Downhaul line is 8 mm Dyneema with polyester cover. I solved the problem by sewing new cover over the existing line: I bought 10 mm double-braided polyeste...

gminkovsky

On my 920, the dirt line on the main hull was above the water line and above the bottom paint (my boat is always moored in open position). I raised the bottom paint by about 10 cm (4 inches). Now nothing sticks and is very easy to clean with a power washer at the end of the season. It still looks go...

gminkovsky

I don't think the part of the deck where the spray hood pivot point is mounted is a particularly high stress area. However, this is a favorite spot to step on when rigging/de-rigging at the beginning and end of season, or even when taking sails down or closing sail cover. I think the spot was damage...

gminkovsky

I have a standard Quorning-supplied Honda 10 with factory-supplied prop. I don't know the size. I have no way to measure RPM. To cruise on engine, I turn the throttle to the max, then turn back about 1/4 turn. This gives me average speed of 6.2-6.5 kn over relatively flat water. At this speed, I bur...

gminkovsky

what was the size of your original prop?

gminkovsky

Check if the winch or lines were sprayed with a lubricant or teflon. That would cause slippage. I just checked my winches (both the primary and the swing wing) with a few different lines. They work with 10mm, 8mm, 6mm double-braids and 12mm 3-strand lines. My board downhaul line (8mm) is very stiff ...

gminkovsky

To David Hyland:

can you describe in detail and possibly post pictures of your setup of additional lines from amas to bow cleat. I've been thinking of adding them too.

Thanks.

gminkovsky

A few comments: The reefing table is for TRUE wind. By my calculation, at 60 degrees of aparent wind, your true wind is well over 20 knots! you should reef! In higher winds, the backstay line must be on the winch. The locks will not hold. The amas move in high winds. The leeward backstay becomes loo...

gminkovsky

Notes: the explanations are in the file names - difficult to read. Here they are: 1. Aft bimini closed 2. Aft bimini forward support (attached with an opening jaw to the aft rail) 3. Aft bimini open 4. Aft bimini rear strap (attached to aft mooring cleat) 5. Aft bimini rear support (attached with an...

gminkovsky

to buckle: I absolutely do not wish for a Dacron main! As Larry pointed out, Pentex has better shape and is lighter than Dacron. Even Pentex main with standard battens and reinforced batten pockets is very heavy. Since you are making a new main, go for the lightest battens in carbon fiber. I hear th...

gminkovsky

Larry and Ted, You are both absolutely right! And I usually try to have a properly balanced sail plan. I was merely recording my observation (and that was preceded by a statement that we did not want to reef the main). Some day circumstances may prevent you from using your main (it has happened to m...

gminkovsky

I am very concerned about UV exposure, so I fitted 2 biminis on my 920. The primary bimini is 4 feet (120 cm) long and is mounted on aft rail at about the middle lengthwise. The bimini is a standard size purchased from a marine store in the US. In the open position it reaches to just aft of the end ...

gminkovsky

I have a Pentex main, and I have no problems flaking it neatly with the help of lazy jacks single-handed. I would think that any main is easy to handle with lazy jacks. The choice of material is all about compromise. Since you sail in very sunny area, keep in mind that Pentex will not last nearly as...

gminkovsky

Tack line comes up from the anchor locker first through a turning block mounted on the floor of the locker, then through a block flush mounted on deck. This is the same style as the line for adjustable backstay. From the block the line stretches to the end of the bowsprit.

gminkovsky

Usually, my DF920 does not sail well upwind without the main - there is too much lee helm. It is impossible to tack if the wind is strong or if there is any wave action, and I have to resort to gybing to change tacks. Recently I sailed with my son in very gusty conditions: 7-22 knots. We did not wan...

gminkovsky

Today Auto Login worked for the first time in Firefox. I did not change anything... I am on same version and OS as you are... I remember similar thing happen in Iexplorer early in the new forum format.

gminkovsky

Hey Bo,

whatever you did to fix the forum also fixed the login issue in Firefox. I can now successfully login in Firefox, although auto login still does not work...

George

DRAGONFLY Trimarans User Forum

Search found 210 matches

Unusual experience with a rudder

Main halyard broke!

Update on sailing with just jib

Correction

Sailmakers in the US

Honda 10 impeller

centerboard downhaul line

Sailing with Jib (genoa) only