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PostPosted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 4:45 am 
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Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2010 7:51 am
Posts: 5
Location: London
I sail a 2006 (sand) Adventure in the UK. I sail it without any sidekicks. It is tippy but it has only capsized me once in several years. If you sheet out quickly enough there is no problem. I also run a forward block next to the cupholder through the factory pad eye. As mentioned sheeting out in a gust feels more natural. In the open sea with big waves I too feel a bit more vulnerable so I wouldn't want to cross vast tracts of ocean with it.

Regarding performance I am trying everything to get more out of her as I want to travel further faster. I am getting 4.5 knots average and 6.7 top speed in high wind. I have sailed it in 20 knots of breeze but it becomes an exercise in how to sheet in and out really fast coupled with lots of hiking out. In light winds it is really slow though which is a bit dull and you find yourself desperate for more sail. In the scheme of things an Adventure Island would do all of this better. But there is something so pure/minimal about the hull shape without amas that makes it appealing to me. I love the earlier pictures in this post showing the white adventure healing to the wind like a proper little sailing boat. Anyway I have also resorted to taking out the drive and putting in the drive well plug as well as taping up the scupper holes to reduce drag. I find some silicon spray on the hull seems to make it more slippery through the water but that really is splitting hairs. Without the drive I naturally have to use the dagger board and finally the larger sailing rudder. I am thinking of moving the rear block forward nearer the storage area edge to provide a better more natural sheeting line to help with sail shape. I also have placed a batten (carbon kite rod) in the sails lower edge to make for a better shape upwind and downwind. I find a shallower shape to the sail helps to de power it and therefore reduce the heel to leeward. That only leaves a jib,a stayed mast and a better sail. Had lots of trouble with the rudder popping up such that I use a bungee to keep it tied down. The newer boats resolved this problem with separate elasticated up haul and downhaul for the rudder.

It is a great boat though. I keep it in my garage in London and put it on the roof of my estate car and within an hour and a half it takes me to the wilderness and away from urban chaos.

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2013 Mirage Adventure, Turbo fins, sail kit, sailing rudder, daggerboard.


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 9:45 pm 
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Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:46 pm
Posts: 3017
Location: Escondido
JOHNNY B, welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing your sailing experience and rigging details on your Adventure. Here's a picture of one of our forum members handling a gust -- one of my favorites:
Image
8)


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PostPosted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 10:14 am 
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Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2010 7:51 am
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Location: London
Hi Roadrunner. I notice you have your block mounted closer to the centre of the hull. i would like to see a picture of how you have mounted the pad eye for that block/pulley and what kind you are using. At present I use a Harken that can rotate but some people mention a non rotating block.

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2013 Mirage Adventure, Turbo fins, sail kit, sailing rudder, daggerboard.


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PostPosted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 12:32 pm 
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Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2007 5:17 pm
Posts: 679
Location: Auckland NZ
JohnnyB,

It is easy to move the rear turning block forward: just tie it into a loop (or a couple of loops - see below) in some cordage (to stop it sliding along the cord) and tie that to various of the existing padeyes on deck so that the block is held further forwards to change the sheeting angle. This will enable you to experiment with different sheeting angles without drilling holes in your pride & joy.

If you tie the padeye into a single loop (i.e. thread it on the the cord and tie it into a loop using an overhand knot) you will get 2 'ends' of cord to position the block; if you tie it into 2 loops you will get 4 'ends' to play with (to make it easier to position).

Personally I tried id but didn't reckon it made much difference so I just went back to attaching it to the standard rear padeye.

Swiveled blocks come with the following safety warning : they have a tendency to twist up under load & if your sheet is all twisted at the rear block, when it comes time to de-power the sail in a hurry you might find that you can't because of the friction in the twisted rope - and that South Coast water is C O L D!

Finally: you mention staying the mast & adding a jib. I have done both (though for now I am back to the simplicity of the bog-standard sail) and both can be done with the minimum amount of drilling if you use your noggin.

Staying the mast creates a marked improvement in sail shape at the expense of making the sail more difficult to take down and roller reefing, which I have, next to impossible when the mast is stayed (in my experience though I believe that other may have preservered longer than me and achieved success). I had a system which allowed me to put the mast up unstayed without affecting reefing ability and then stay it when I didn't mind not having roller reefing.

To run a jib you need a stayed mast (to support the extra load on the mast). A jib approx. doubles the sail area and creates a marked improvement in light wind sailing performance at the expense of increased risk of capsize and a lot more complexity when sailing (lots of cordage which tends to snag on anything lying around in the cockpit). There also has to be an increased danger of becoming entangled in this cordage if you do capsize - this happened to someone I know and his daughter in their sailing dinghy and neither survived!
But running a jib in light conditions on a stayed mast is huge fun (when you get it right) and really does make your kayak into a cut down version of a superyacht (which I suspect may be part of the appeal to you). I have posted on these forums with pictures (I think) of my set up. If you are interested & can't find other posts/pictures I can send you pictures if you PM me.


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PostPosted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 11:53 pm 
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Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:46 pm
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Location: Escondido
JOHNNY B wrote:
i would like to see a picture of how you have mounted the pad eye for that block/pulley and what kind you are using. At present I use a Harken that can rotate but some people mention a non rotating block.
I personally use swivel blocks as well, but am careful to remove any bias from the sheet before going out. Because of the possibility of binding the sheet, standard blocks are a safer bet and recommended by Hobie. Standard blocks can pinch the sheet against the deck however if oriented improperly so it pays to test everything before setting off.

Moving the block forward tightens the leech and flattens the sail. IMO, this gives better control in higher winds and reduces the whipping action on jibes. Here's a look at the sail shape with the block moved forward:
Image

In determining the best location, I rigged an adjustable "eyelet" that I could control from the cockpit. It also served as a traveler (which had negligible effect):
Image

I settled on this location and am very pleased with it.
Image

My friend in the picture from my previous post uses a similar set-up, but with the padeye just inside the cargo well (to maintain a flat deck). Note, he also uses a non swiveling block -- it works well in that location:
Image

You can stiffen the mast by inserting a dowel or bamboo stick. This reduces whipping but can add more stress to the hull. I haven't tried it, but those who have seem to like it. Where I usually sail, we can get sudden gusts from odd directions off the mountains, so I like the mast flexible to act as a safety valve. 8)


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PostPosted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 3:07 am 
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Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2010 7:51 am
Posts: 5
Location: London
Roadrunner,

Thanks for that post and the informative photos. They were really helpful. I think the position forward of the hatch or inside the lip of the tank well seem to be about right. I like the use of the ropes to work out in advance how to place the block but it looks like you have worked it out for me. I think I might plum for just inside the tank well.

Stobbo

Thanks. I like your idea about putting the rods inside the mast. I presume that would involve two sections of mast reinforcement. The winds in Chichester Harbour tend to be flukey. I rarely go out into open ocean where the wind would be more consistent.

Does anybody have any images of how they stayed their mast for a jib. I was thinking of using the bow pad eye and the adding two more either side of the hull near but slightly aft of the mast. I suspect this is overly simplistic and somebody will have a better idea. Do people use cleats for the jib sheets.

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2013 Mirage Adventure, Turbo fins, sail kit, sailing rudder, daggerboard.


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