King Tubbys winter upgrades

[scorpion_1925]

Having bought King Tubby and sailed at the inlands last year it was deemed necessary to make a few upgrades over the winter, and spring, and well into summer!!!

A long list of jobs was drawn up , some simple repairs other more technical, giving me a chance to do some carbon work which I haven't done for a few years.

a new cover was first on the list

[scorpion_1925]

then came the repositioned control lines

[scorpion_1925]

and a spinnaker halyard routing that actually worked and relocated cleat

[scorpion_1925]

then the self tacking jib

[scorpion_1925]

and finally a compass mounting so I know where I'm going

[kerrgreg]

Great work looking so much better! hopefully not much faster

[scorpion_1925]

That we'll find out next weekend

[Tim Noyce]

Looks great! Hope to see you on the water before too long.

[roland_trim]

Looks epic. Great to see her back in fighting form.

The self tacker looks a little like it might prove fragile? Two things to consider:
1) Central connection point is key. This is the only thing stopping it working like a portal frame (and ripping the foundations out at either side). Put in another way - lefty-righty pushing rips the ears off - connect it in the middle and all is good.
2) When the crew steps on the self tracker (or lands on it) then some toe reinforcing the fillet toes can buy a fair bit of additional "my track is still attached" happyiness

[scorpion_1925]

There is a central location point either side of the mast, although not clearly visible from those views.

I am more wanting to test it out to check its all working and in the right place, so as long as it stays attached through Weymouth then after that I can look at added reinforcing to make it bomb proof.

[roland_trim]

as long as it stays attached through Weymouth then after that I can look at added reinforcing to make it bomb proof.

Understood - but you learn very little when being towed back in on a rib with a flapping jib :-)

Having destroyed a few - I'd add at least a few strands around the middle. Takes the same amount to chop off if you do need to move it and costs a few pence to add now :-)

[scorpion_1925]

I have central location as well as the ends so should all be fine

[JP233]

I have central location as well as the ends so should all be fine

Is that connection chemical (bog) or some form of stainless steel in there?

[JayW]

One reason for Roland and Jamie asking about this central support is that is was an ongoing weakness on EJ.
Roland had made a wonderfully light U-shaped channel backing piece for the jib track but it kept on coming away from its attachment point on the stump (in the circumstances that Roland describes) despite various attempts with unis, plexus etc.
So over the winter Jamie and I cut the track off, filled the central section of the channel - for about 100mm - with ?bog, and then could drill through that to put two meaty screws into the stump to take the vertical load in shear from crew standing on the track.
For extra vertical strength for the track as a whole I added a formed aluminium backing plate that sits in the channel and is held in place by the track bolts. May sound a bit posh but is actually a carpet edge cover that would normally sit in a doorway!

Happy to show off our workmanship at Weymouth.

[scorpion_1925]

I'll certainly be taking notes off various boats at Weymouth. I may yet change my central attachment point although it'll be a bit of a pig to get it off. but as with all engineering, better ideas are always had after the event