There are probably a number of generic books,  but I am not aware of any class specific ones.

However I suspect that it might help to make contact in person.   I am thinking of initially a telephone discussion,  more than one if it helps;   but if the boat is at Glossop Sailing Club you are not too far away for us to meet,  if we can arrange a mutually convenient occasion.    Please contact me,  via the Association,  so that we can set up contact details.

Oliver

Hello Dave,

I found this to be a great problem – all the guidance is geared towards racing/high end boats. Other than Oliver, who has been very helpful but has a life to lead.

We who come in at the bottom with our unloved middle-aged GPs have to figure it out.  There only so much you can learn at a club if there are no GPs there.  I got some help from a seasoned Wayfarer sailor, but some things are just so different (like routing the headsail sheets & position of sheet travellers…)

It might help the GP14 Class Association draw members in/retain them if there was a bit more guidance for our sort, who buy a cheap GP14 by varying degrees of luck/randomness. The link below is an example of what would help.

In the absence of anything better, you may well find  useful info on Wayfarer websites, including the US Wayfarer one which has more useful info than the UK one. Also worth a look for are Enterprise & Lark CA’s. I found a useful article (but can’t now find it…) from a sailing club website with an article on Larks.

http://www.uswayfarer.org/index.php/technical/wayfarer-technical</div&gt;

If I find the other article I’ll post a link.

Regards

Jonathan

• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by warsashod. Reason: Readability. The page somehow made the HTML visible on submission

Grovelling apologies,  my post a few minutes ago was in reply to the wrong topic!

Hope I have deleted it successfully;  and I will now post it again to the correct topic.

Oliver

Hi Dave,

There are good clubs nearby to Glossop and I am sure people there would be happy to assist you. I sail at Budworth SC which is not far, so if you would like to visit Budworth then I would be happy to help! Contact me via the association office if this is of interest.

Budworth SC also have an Open Day on May 5th – I may be pretty busy but I am sure myself or another GP14 sailor can talk you through the rigging – it can be a bit daunting but help is available!

Chris

• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by Chris Hearn.

Hi Dave, and welcome. I too have just got a Mk1 (Grp) and am trying to get to know her. After forty odd years of offshore sailing I am hoping to do some cruising in her. I am just down the road in Buxton and have just joined Combs sailing club, hopefully to gain some knowledge.

Bob

Dave,

Well done with your refresher course;   congratulations on how much you remembered,  and I am glad that it boosted your confidence.

I concur with your plan to sail her under main alone on this first occasion,  for the reasons you indicate.   It is sensible also to limit yourself to no more than moderate wind strengths until you have built up experience and confidence.

Another useful exercise for you,  if you have a genoa,  might on another occasion be to try sailing her under genoa alone.    A GP14 will sail effectively under genoa alone,  on any point of sailing,  including to windward.   Occasionally it is useful to be able to do so,  and getting to know how she handles and what to expect is all part of your growing knowledge of the boat.

Oliver

Hi Dave

Welcome to GP14 sailing and being a member of the Class Association. We are a friendly bunch of sailors, with people of all levels of sailing ability. I am still learning new things about my GP14, but people are always willing to help so don’t worry about how often you need to ask.

Well done on completing your course and to many years of fun on the water. If you get the chance to get to an event do please say ‘Hello’.

Best wishes

Ann Penny (President)

Hi Bob

Look out for our cruising events, Bassenthwaite, Ullswater and Loch Lomond are planned for this year. There will be lots of helpful advice before and at the event.

Here’s to new adventures.

Ann 🙂

Hi, I found this document buried in our website  http://gp14.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Rigging_guide-1.pdf which should help you!

I run the GP14 Owners Online Community.  and Chris’s document (above) reminds me that several years ago I compiled a photo album of the various rigging systems that have been used on GP14s over the years,  and I put it on that site.    It is now on our archive site at https://gp14building.wordpress.com/about/photos/gp14-rigging-systems/ and you may find it helpful.

I am not certain whether you can get straight into that,  or whether you will need to “join” the Online Community first,  but I would encourage you to consider doing that anyway.   The Online Community and the Class Association maintain warm reciprocal relations,  and each support the other;   and as a purely online operation it is free.   https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/GP14_Community/info

This may be helpful to you.

Oliver

• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by Oliver Shaw.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by Oliver Shaw.

Chris,

Whilst that document has some value to this kind of situation, it is pretty limited.

And Oliver’s detailed photos, whilst being helpful to an extent, mostly apply to wooden boats (eg turning blocks, line routing & mast exit slots)

My boat and very probably, Cookie’s, doesn’t even have a jib tensioning system, just the halyard. Things like this really dampen one’s enthusiasm as there is no obvious way forward.

There must be hundreds if not thousands of virtually “immortal” Bourne et al GRP boats out there that are in this “no man’s land” of not being wooden classics/sought after or competitive newer modern ones.

As this is a route into the class, I feel that this is a great pity and a lost opportunity.  I can’t help but think that the average “beginner” will have one of these boats.  If you’re buying a boat with centre main, cascading kicker & a million to one jib tensioner, you’re probably not a beginner.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by Oliver Shaw.

The boat as originally designed had indeed no jib tensioning system,  other than the halliard.   That was entirely normal for sailing dinghies generally at that time.

The usual way to obtain adequate tension on the jib luff was then to use one (or more) of three techniques:

1. Use traditional horn cleats to secure the halliard,  and “sweat on” the halliard when making it off.   This entails taking a half turn round the cleat,  to provide some friction;   then pull hard on the tail of the halliard (after it leaves the cleat) while simultaneously pulling the halliard between the cleat and the mast,  in a direction at right-angles.      This will pull another half-inch or so through the sheaves.    Then very quickly release the perpendicular pull,  and pull the end of the halliard that further half inch round the cleat,  relying on the friction in the sheaves to help prevent the newly gained extra half inch from running back into the mast.   That is why initially you take no more than one turn,  and usually no more than a single half turn,  round the cleat.     Naturally enough there is a limit to how many times you can surge a little more tension into the halliard;   it is a law of diminishing returns.   But it is remarkable how much more tension this technique can generate,  as compared with simply a straight pull and then making off to the cleat.   Although the attached photo is for a much larger boat  –  it shows my godson back in the eighties hoisting sail on my then yacht  –  the technique is the same;  in the photo he is just about to apply the perpendicular pull,  while still maintaining tension on the tail of the halliard.
2. The crew pulls the mast forward by means of the forestay while the helmsman makes off the halliard to the cleat.   This can be done either by pulling the forestay (at a convenient height) horizontally forwards,  or by using two hands (or a home-made wooden tool) to put an S-bend into the forestay.   In either case,  this can only be done while the crew is ashore,  which implies that either the boat also is ashore or she is moored stem-on to a jetty,  and close enough for the crew to be standing on the jetty.
3. If you are doing this while afloat,   one person makes off the halliard to the cleat while the other person pushes the mast forwards (at a point as high as can reasonably be managed).   The use of this method should be restricted to occasions when you are afloat,  since it requires two people to both be inside the boat,  which is not recommended when she is ashore.

However there are a number of very simple and cheap retro-fits available which will enable you to achieve higher tensions;   a Highfield lever,  or a toothed rack (perhaps on the centreboard case) perpendicular to the halliard (between the exit from the mast and the cleat),  or even a simple block and tackle.   You may even be able to pick up the kit second-hand,  either at a Boat Jumble or via eBay or otherwise.   Even if your boat does not currently have any of these systems it is entirely open to you to fit one if you so wish;    as a beginner you will probably not yet see the need to do so,  but once you gain more experience you will very probably wish to do it.

However for a seriously early vintage boat you may decide that historical authenticity is paramount,  in which case you are left with no tensioning aids.    For my 1951 vintage boats historical authenticity is indeed paramount,  and although I have not yet got round to it I intend to make up a home-made wooden “spanner” to temporarily put an S-bend into the forestay to assist with getting tension on the halliard while making it off to the cleat.

Hope these ideas help.

Oliver

• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by Oliver Shaw.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by Oliver Shaw.

Dave,

Excellent news.

Congratulations,  and enjoy!

Oliver

Dave,

when you chock the mast use thin pieces of wood on either side to keep it central and then move the mast as far back in the mast step as is possible towards the stern and the fill the space kin front of the mast to keep it in place.

As for how much tension as much as you dare,  racers will measure this with a shroud tension gauge but unless you can borrow one they are expensive toys,  racers will apply about 400lbs tension using multi purchase systems it’s wire halyards,  you won’t get anywhere near that with a rope halyard so just pull as hard as you can.

Steve

Thanks for this info. A lot of good stuff.