- This topic has 13 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 7 months ago by
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Hi
I am new to the class (based in the West Midlands) having being offered an older GP14 from our Sailing Club that wasnt used for several years at no cost. I have only sailed Single handers previous apart from when instructing but decided to have a look at this GP with a thought to doing some day sailing on lakes and maybe a little coastal chilled out sailing.
I have done a tidy up on her for the last 4 weeks and to be fair she is coming up a treat, she is a Bourne plastics Hull with a serial Number 7026881 so looking at previous posts she is a 1970 Mk2 6881. Currently the SN is 11470 with the current set of sails.
So far its cost me a used Mersea trolley, dyneema, stain, varnish and several pleasurable hours in the garage. Fantastic
I notice several differing opinions of use of a highfield lever for added genoa halyard tension, I have one that could fit somehow on the mast but not sure exactly where to fit it. I am replacing the old rope halyard with dyneema so can bring the loop out where I want really. Either out through the wider gap in the mast track or from near the bottom after the sheaves. Are there any pictures available of examples please? I could just run the halyard through a couple of blocks and cleat onto the mast, I dont really want to start drilling the centreboard case etc as its a shame to deface it.
Looking forward to actually sailing her hopefully next week sometime.
All the best Paul
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Paul,
Welcome to the Class, and I am sure you will enjoy the boat. She is (in my opinion, and also that of many others) one of the only two world-class cruiser-racer dinghies; the other boat in that category is the larger (and significantly heavier) Wayfarer.
The arrangement for the Highfield lever is absolutely dependent on the type of mast you have. For the IYE mast shown in your photo, which is one of the two earliest makes of metal mast which was approved for the class, bring the halliard out through the block at the bottom of the mast (ideally the port-hand sheave), then up to the Highfield lever, which should be set so that it pulls upwards. Make an eye in the dyneema, to hook onto the Highfield, and attach a suitable length of line (which may be lighter if you wish) for initially pulling the sail up until the eye will reach the Highfield. Any position convenient for the Highfield around the position shown in your photo is fine.
One word of warning; there is both a safe way and a highly dangerous way to operate a Highfield lever. It is an excellent device if used correctly, but it does have something of a (well-deserved) reputation for serious injury to fingers. Never under any circumstances clasp the fingers fully around the lever when opening it or – still worse – when closing it. Always, always, always close it (i.e. tension the halliard) by pressing it closed with the base (or the “ball” of the hand, keeping the fingers straight, and well clear of the gap between lever and mast! When opening it, to release the halliard, if at all possible use one hand to pull it away from the mast while having the ball of the other hand lightly up against it to check it, in order to prevent it violently flying open; then, once it is “past centre” allow it to open under control.
Hope this helps,
Oliver
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This reply was modified 7 months, 1 week ago by
. Reason: Technical difficulties at time of original posting; working blind because typed text was not visible. Became visible only after posting, so now able to edit and correct as necessary!!!
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This reply was modified 7 months, 1 week ago by
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This reply was modified 7 months, 1 week ago by
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This reply was modified 7 months, 1 week ago by
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Thank you for the quick reply Oliver, that makes complete sense so will have a look at setting it up. There seems to be a lot of good advice and ideas on the Forum so this will keep me busy.
Thank you again
Paul
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Paul,
Glad you picked the reply, impressively quickly, but you slightly beat me to it, in that I was still editing. Because of an intermittent technical glitch I was initially working blind, in that my typed text was not visible, so I typed with the intention of editing once the reply had appeared! Then a couple of further edits followed.
Do have a look at the final version!
Oliver
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Hi Paul, no argument with any of Oliver’s suggestions. Additionally, if the lever is suitably located for you to operate it while reaching the forestay, pulling hard on (across) the forestay takes a lot of tension off the halyard. I’ve done it and know it’s possible with the lever fitted above deck level. not sure about anywhere else.
Enjoy the boat,
Norman
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If you do treat her to a suit of new cruising sails, Edge are the headline make to consider, and you won’t regret it.
A Capella‘s sails, from Edge, are now 17 years old, and despite a great deal of use during my own ownership of the boat they still retain their shape, and they are still good for further service.
Do consider having reefing points fitted, and consider genoa reefing. See my paper on Reefing Systems, in the Members’ Area
Oliver
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And if you are going for a new suit of cruising sails, you might like to consider choosing tan, rather than white.
Many reasons, starting with that it is a traditional cruising colour; but in bright sunlight they also produce far less glare, and (perhaps surprisingly) they are sufficiently different to enable your boat to stand out conspicuously from others on the water – which can be a safety feature.
And as an added bonus they look marvellous; see (four) photos of three different boats, each with tan sails.
Oliver
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It would seem difficult, but not impossible, to rig a block (or blocks in the plural) to divert the halliard clear of the strap eye for the kicker. And I can see that you entirely reasonably wish to avoid unnecessary chafe with the present arrangement.
I can suggest several possibilities for you to consider, and perhaps investigate further. In no particular order:
- Run the halliard inside the strap eye, with the D (rather than the pin) of the kicker shackle through the strap eye; when under load (i.e. with the kicker tensioned) I would expect that the shackle will then be just clear of the halliard. Then, with the shackle the correct way round so that the head of the pin is accessible (rather than jammed against the mast), that may completely solve the problem. But if you find it necessary (and it may prove not to be necessary) devise a means of holding the shackle in that position; perhaps Araldite or other epoxy glue (there are many available), or tape, or whipping twine, or whatever.
- If you prefer to take the halliard outside the strap eye, use a pair of locking pliers (a.k.a. Mole wrench, a.k.a vice-grips) to bend the strap eye slightly; either so that the edges are bent inwards, so that the halliard slides over only a convex surface, and/or bend the eye in profile so that it is fully out of the way of the halliard. Or (with care) use a ball-pein hammer to bend it in profile so that it is clear of the halliard.
- With the halliard outside the strap eye, run the halliard through a short length of flexible plastic tubing, and position that to cushion it against the strap eye before you tension the Highfield.
- Again with the halliard outside the strap eye, use a small piece of high density foam as a cushion between halliard and strap eye, again putting it in place before you tension the Highfield.
I may well think of other ideas later, but I have to adjourn now as I need to leave the house imminently to take a Choir Practice. I may well edit this reply later.
Oliver
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