Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Hello John,
Thank you for your comments, yes it is nice to have some company in NZ. I haven’t had the chance to sail her yet as it is either flat calm, too windy, or too cold!! Bit wimpy I guess. I am looking forward to get sailing though. Your craft is looking rather nice, real smart. I have just today completed fitting the belting and feeling quite proud of how it turned out. As mentioned in another area of the forum, we don’t have anything suitable for fixed fendering so I have created one which is simple and I hope will do the job.
People may consider it a little agricultural I suppose but I am confident it will work, and it is economical. I want to tow it behind our launch so it has to have good fenders for when we moor up at night, don’t want it banging up against the hull all night! Do keep in touch if you are ever down this way, roysieatxtra.co.nz
cheers, Roy
Hi All, thanks for the supportive comments Doug, and yes I have just got the product back from the saddlers and I think it looks fine, except for the colour. It is a little fiddly to fasten to the gunnel as I don’t have enough hands!
However it has attached firmly and I think it has perfectly enough cushioning to work well as a fender against another hull. As I didn’t have enough screw and cup washers, I fitted a 3/4 inch copper flat head nail in between the screw and it doesn’t stand out as too much fixings. The screws I placed at 6 in Centres so it’s fastened every 3 in. After wacking my fingers a few times, the light bulb went off and I used a pair of pointed nose pliers to grip the nail as I drove it with the hammer.
As the carpet was only 6 ft wide I had the saddler make it in short lengths with the joins placed under the leathers at the oarlocks and mid bow transom. It made it very manageable in short lengths.
I think the leather protection under the oarlocks is a splendid idea serving a double purpose in my case.
The fender folded around the bow & stern quarters really nice and I took it up almost to the engine well drop at the stern transom. The leathers here caused me some angst thinking how to fit them until I slept on it. I cut an obround, then a paper circle to place on top of the leather, then I sprayed contact glue on the exposed outer rim of the leather. I then folded the leather over like a pastry clamping the two halves together until set, then cut the half circle into two halves.
This left a nice handy little pocket into which I could slip the fender rod and carpet into. It saved a lot of fiddling trying to fold over the top flap of leather while trying to fasten it in place at the same time. Rather than have a blunt end to the fender I tapered it a little before sliding the leather pocket over the end of the fender. Once sure of the position I used a spring clamp to secure it while fastening it in place with some flat head copper nails.
All in all I am delighted with the end product considering nothing like this is available here in New Zealand. Cost wise It was NZ$28 for the poly rod, $29 for the carpet, $75 to be stitched up with Dyeema stitching and $35 for the leather… total of NZ$167.00 probably equivilent to about US$4.25!!
I have named my Oonagh, Fionn McCool, after the Irish Giant that Oonagh married.
Hi Bob, I had difficulty in locating those nice style brass hinges but eventually located some complete with brass screws!!! However, while fitting them, I thought to myself that these were really strong screws for brass, so I got a magnet and checked them… They were all mild steel brass coated. I had to replace them all with Stainless steel as they would have rusted real quick. Please do check yours with a magnet. It might have been just our brand here in NZ. Good luck, cheers, From a coldish NZ… roll on summertime.
Hello Doug, nice to hear from you, yes oars lose in the boat are a nuisance and when trailing them on the road they can damage the boat bouncing around, but even when boating I like to have them secured somewhere. I fitted that light pad down onto the middle thwart beside the knee and just drilled a hole same diameter as the oarlock and drop the pair of locks into them. That way the locks and the oars are in secure in one place and stop them getting in the road when using the boat. Re the thumb groove, it is pretty easy to create.. if no drum or belt sander, I would use one of those simple round 1 inch sanding drills that fit into a battery or electric drill. Cheers and you’re doing well with your Oonagh… have you a name for her as yet? cheers, keep in touch.