It all started out with a google search for a land yacht in November 2010.
I wanted to take part in the "Recycle Regatta" here at Pink Lake in Esperance West Australia, where using recycled gear was the object of the competition. I didn't even know what a land yacht was till then.
"seabreeze" with "landyacht's LLM" plans popped up and I've been haunting everyone ever since.

"sn" on this forum contacted me. He said he would chase up some sails and masts and the rest is history. Stephen has been invaluable with his ability to scrounge gear for me.

From the timber body on my original 5 mini yachts for the Regatta, I soon worked out that I needed a better setup.
(I still have not found a source of hardwood welding rods.)



"Landyacht", was kind enough to sort out a fibreglass seat and this has worked perfectly for me.
I really like the idea of a standard fibreglass seat and I can then concentrate on the configuration of the chassis around me.

Slowly but surely the setups have been altered and not always for the better. My last chassis I have just finished tidying up has been through 3 major alterations and I have finally painted it green so as not to dice it again. (I hope.)



Not a lot needs to change from Paul's original LLM plans as they sail particularly well with a 4.5m2 sail.
BUT, I'm a large fella at 108kg and really pushed the boundary with up to 6.9m2 sails on a mini.
So the development of the mast step has been necessary to keep them pointed in the right direction with a sail size that's well outside their original design parameters.





The rear axle was widened on "Saltern" and the steering trail reduced to 10mm from the 40mm I had been using on or softer Pink Lake. Mast was standard as in the plans. This was a positive move.
The Velcro straps are to retain learners legs,to restrain them from putting them out when the yachts capsize. This yacht always goes with me to the lake for newcomers to have a go on.



The next chassis was extended 75mm on "Saline by" and dropped closer to the smooth salt surface with only 45mm of clearance underneath, this helped a lot with the bigger sails. This is the one of the only chassis I'm yet to alter as it takes the pulse jet attachment. I'm not really sure what I was thinking when I dreamt that up.







My next test chassis, I altered the seat shifting it forward 75mm to get more weight onto the front wheel which also worked much better. I had changed the trail on the front wheel to 50 mm but it was not working any different to the 40mm standard one I had. These can be changed by undoing a set screw a bolt and removing a minsup clip. So a couple of minutes and you're back sailing/testing. I cut this chassis 3 times just behind the mast adding 50mm more length to it each time and the mast is now 150mm further forward than a standard LLM but the mast is at 3 degrees of rake. I then removed 75mm from in front of the mast to comply with the 5.6mtr rule.



"Fowl play" was an experiment with rear wheel caster and has 3 sets of axles from 8 degrees, 3 degrees and also 1 degree. 2 front ends with 10mm of trail and also one at 40mm. A 10mm longer chassis and still has 35mm to spare with the 5.6 mini wheelbase ruling. Its mast step was the main difference as the mast was adjustable with 150mm fore/aft position and also from 2-10 degrees of rake. I tried to get a mast rake on the go sorted out and after 3 forward chassis rebuilds, I gave it away and it's as you see it here. This has been the biggest improvements I've made to date. The adjustable rake is fantastic as it is easily adjusted, in the change or surface conditions from Rock hard salt to softer powdery gypsum. The steering is now very point and shoot at 10mm of trail on hard ground and great on softer with 40mm, even when fully powered up with large sails.



The latest mini is "Chicken salt" and "Hiko" sowed the seed to get the mast step right up the front of the chassis and still be adjustable from 0-10 degrees of rake. The steering has only 10mm of trail and the seat is mounted in the 75mm forward position. Ground clearance is still 45mm. This will be my mount for Lake Lefroy this September. The forward mast step is as far as practicable to the front of the yacht and should prove whether it needs to go to back slightly. Time will tell. The axles have 1 degree of camber.





"Poultry in motion" is a chassis that has done many hours on Pink Lake and has been cut up way too many times. I had been experimented with how much 8mm, 10mm and 12mm rod is used to brace the rear axle. 12mm is the way to go as you can see with a Go Pro camera, how the others flexed too much. It's amazing how much that 60mm by 2.5mm wall pipe twists at this junction. I just ruled a texta line along the length of it, on the bottom of the pipe and filmed the differences from the camera mounted from behind.
Having the rear of the 60mm pipe left open and then closed was tested. A "D shaped" cap, welded in to close it off makes a huge difference to the unwanted rear axle flex. It's better to use the spine twist to store the energy created by a gust than the junction of 2 components. It also keeps the moisture out.

Seating positions have been shifted up to 150mm forward and now the mast is 150mm forward from a standard LLM and welded on at 3 degrees of rake.
The welding on this chassis is not very flash as it was a, weld it up and lets go bust it approach when making the changes.



I'm still learning a lot about sails and how the different types perform and what changes to mast stiffness seem to work. This is what makes it such an addictive past time I reckon.

A huge thank you to all the input we get to this forum. It's a very poor day if I don't learn something new.