Looks like sabydent builds a Mini went stale.

I have a couple of friends who have a collector car website...www.mystarcollectorcar.com They just posted an article about my mini. They came out on a good day but were reluctant ...read chicken...to try it.

http://www.mystarcollectorcar.com/2-features/editorials/1236-a-greenpeace-approved-land-yacht-with-an-infinite-mpg-rating.html


Went sailing today and had a few other guys try...they loved it. Hopefully getting something started in the great white north. My son also came out and shot some video. Light winds but at least it will show us underway will post as soon as he finishes editing.

I need to put a bigger sail on my mini. I was ticked off that Michael was kicking my but sailing the zooter...for shame. I could catch him on the gusts though. Given the average summer winds of 15 to 20 kpm I think I need a 6.0 meter sail.

Brian

Brian

No tornado, not even a good thunder head, didn't even get the wind up over 28 kpm. It is our fair grounds, unfortunately some wankers insist on parking their cars there when they to go to their events. Selfish buggers. There are some buildings that can mess up the wind and the lot seems to get smaller the faster you go. Am trying to get permission to use a local sod farm...I think it would be great right after they strip the grass.

Only 22 hours away, might have to consider a summer road trip next year.

nice.....

I was thinking you could slice about 8" off the boom,maybe 6at the front and 10 at the back
that would give you some visibility and allow the sail to sheet in better.
i can see an easy 60 in a carpark that size.
your main problem is not making use if the sail area you have there

And he's sailing along on moonlight bay.. Looks good, though I'd give Pauls suggestion a bit of thought.
Ron

Yahooo!!!! I just got permission to use the sod farm for sailing. They are going to let me use any of the fields that have just had the sod removed. This leaves a very flat hard packed surface. All I have to do is sign a waiver that I won't sue.
Now I just need some wind with no rain.

I have raised my boom by putting some 3/4 inch plywood circles in the mast step pipe. It worked better, but I think I will make a mast extension to give me some more head room and to give me more leaverage on the sail when sheeting. I think that was what landyacht was getting at... I hope so.

Thanks nebbian:

I think I will put a cleat on my downhaul. I can then add some downhaul, yet the amount of downhaul will still increase when I sheet in.

Brian

landyacht:

would adding length to my mast and creating some downhaul have the same effect?

That mast does it have any stiffening in it? Looks very flexy to me ?
interesting to see what others think

"G'day" Brian,
Looking at the footage I reckon you could either raise the height of the mast up to 8" or raise and adjust the Mast step angle a few degrees. Looking at the fully sheeted sail I think it could be a little to angled back and bringing the battens below parallel.

It is up to you haw you go about it but look at the whole thing logically and follow your gut You do anyway
Ron

Hang on nikrum.. changing the mast angle?
The Lake Lefroy Mini has an angle of 10 Deg, isn't that part of developing a "class"

This is one of the disadvantages of re cutting sails you need to work with what you've got, where as making a new sail from scratch is a different proposition.

Ive noticed you have packing around the top of the mast step do you have similar packing around the bottom of the mast, if not.. is this what is making the mast rake a bit greater?

For what it is worth sabydent, I think you should drop the mast back to where it was and put an extension on the TOP of the mast with enough length to be able to adjust sail height.

Your mast looks to be flexing rearwards way to much which will change the dynamic of the Centre of Effort in relation to the Centre of Lateral Resistance.

The raised height of the sail increases the lever length between the Centre of Gravity and Centre of Effort as well which causes the yacht to tip over more easily.

As suggested, tilting the seat back further back to about 30 degrees will give you more head clearance under the boom and a greater sheeting range.

From the looks of it that sail in my opinion is a good high wind sail and I would leave it alone for the moment.

Were I you, which I am not, but if I was, I would be working on getting a fairly stiff but taller mast and a larger area sail with a higher aspect ratio, ie taller in comparison to the base length or in sailing terms more luff in comparison to foot.

Don't you just luff this sailing caper.

Edit:- Here is a plan for a "stiff" aluminium mast that Paul put up some time ago. It was the first mast I sailed my Mini with and it went like a rocket. He took it home with him and I had to build a sectional mast from a couple of windsurfer masts which while good, does not deliver the power to the yacht as well as the ally mast.



Edit 2:- If you can end up with something like this combination of mast and sail I think you will be very pleased. Just scroll to one of his posts, click on his profile and then on the right, click on his photos and you will find a lot of good stuff.

Gizmo said...

Hang on nikrum.. changing the mast angle?
The Lake Lefroy Mini has an angle of 10 Deg, isn't that part of developing a "class"

This is one of the disadvantages of re cutting sails you need to work with what you've got, where as making a new sail from scratch is a different proposition.

Ive noticed you have packing around the top of the mast step do you have similar packing around the bottom of the mast, if not.. is this what is making the mast rake a bit greater?

OK! Giz'
I will assume you are referring to my machines? I don't refer to the pieces fitted into the top of my Mast Steps as Packing. They are Tubular Mast Supports, I didn't like the idea of having the mast sitting against a Rod/Bolt and felt that if the mast were to sit in a a pipe section about 2 - 3" long and no contact until it sits in the bottom of the mast set there would be Flex in the section of Mast all-be-it minimal. The Pipe section is pivoted and gives the Mast a larger area of contact at the MS top, along with that it also gives me a choice of Mast Angles. Giz" I may do and say some strange Shiite (Only in fun and never meant to hurt anyone) BUT there is a method in my madness.

On LLF Mini construction; I didn't realize that the Spec's were written in Blood.

Looking at Cisco's Post;
It is odd how the Mind works, I don't think I mentioned a base extension in Sabydents Mast, that was his I think. But once the seed was sewn it grew from there Funny, that, as I extended mine from the Top. Works well.
I was thinking in the same vane as CISCO when I mentioned the Mast Step Angle. Maybe not as technical but to the same effect.

Like Saby said, he is in for a bit of experimentation, that too is part of the fun of building your own. Putting your own five cents worth in to find out the results.

There is an old Expression "Horses for Courses".

Ron

PS; Look carefully at the point where his mast leaves the Mast Step--- It seems to me that the Mast flexes greatly upon exit increasing the mast angle a few Degrees allowing the foot to drop about the amount he is suggesting alterations too?????????

What i'm saying Nikrum about the mast angle is that if all the LLMinis have a 10 deg mast rake why does this one look different?... rather than chop the mast step look for other things that might be different from other LLMini's like mast dia.(or a larger mast tube) If a smaller dia. mast is used the rake will appear greater, and if you pack out the top to make the mast fit snugly you may need to do the same at the base of the mast to maintain that 10 deg angle.

Brian,
Good thinking try everything before taking a risk on another good mast.. Put the TEFLON at the back of the mast and the piece at the bottom is a good idea as well.
Giz,
That is what I did with the demo in my previous post. All ideas are good ideas, it is just that some are better than others.
Ron
PS; The smallest differences can be magnified out of all proportions give the right circumstances..