Ray
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I have 4- two of them are S1’s, and I have one S2. The S1’s are big (0.5oz cloth, so light to medium air only) and allow sailing ddw to almost beam reach- they’ll collapse if the apparent wind picks up and we’re reaching anywhere near the 90deg mark. The S2’s (one is 1oz, and I just bought a used 1.5oz from Bacon sails) I’ve been able to use in med to heavy air (which is why I bought the 1.5oz kite) and can carry them considerably higher wind angles- maybe 40deg off the wind.
Jean- to address what Bill’s saying; that dimension is one of the more critical dimensions specified in the instructions, and you usually have < 1 cm (fore and aft) to mount the tiller attachment for the pilot. I would guess they are all different, but the autopilots are designed with specific force and throw. If you go too far away from the rudder post (which would be easier on the pilot, obviously), then you need a longer worm drive in the design of the pilot.
Hey, Jean- I removed them for exactly the reason Bruce mentions, and I like to sit up on the side-deck, not down in the cockpit for visibility reasons and to see tell-tales, etc… I hear ya about being the lonesome Olson owner!
About your other question about mainsheet configuration- I had the standard Harken mainsheet block attached to the traveler car, but found a Spinlock brand that works a bit better. The cleat was starting to wear out, and I would sometimes have trouble uncleating in big breeze. The Spinlock clutch is the opposite- uncleating in any breeze is a snap- it’s more difficult cleating, though, which is the way I’d rather have it if I had to pick. not sure that makes sense…
I mounted a Raymarine ST-2000 last year this way (see photo), and it works well for modest conditions (so I’m installing the EV-100 later this year for the Bermuda 1-2 next year). Luckily, Raymarine sells a variety of brackets and extensions so you can put these things just about anywhere and the critical dimensions are fairly well explained in the installation manual.
Thanks, Bruce- glad I like making stuff! I like the idea of a flicker, too- luckily we don’t have a ton of light air days around here!
Yup- I know about the usual pole easing/squaring and driving techniques. This is legal in phrf (at least in California. I don’t think anyone around here would even notice I had one rigged). Maybe this will help- http://www.spinnakershop.com/Out-grabber.htm Not an outboard strut, but a block fastened to the boom to position the spin sheet more outboard.
What this does is flatten the foot of the sail and open the leach when you tighten the pole downhaul/ease topping-lift, if I believe the few tutorials I’ve read. I just know of nobody actually using it, which is what I was hoping to find.
There are times when you have a handful driving the boat downwind in heavy air despite all of the usual tricks- frequently occurs when we get a mixed bag of heavy air along with sloppy seas (due to current, ocean swells and local weather systems).
Thank you, Zeke!
Hi, Derek- I’m pretty sure it was all Ronstan. The stainless plate is visibly embossed with the word “Australia” along one edge, and Buzz said they were originally Ronstan. I’m assuming maybe the masthead sheaves were the same? I found one Harken H106 bullet block at our local West Marine, so I’m going to go look at it tomorrow before work (I measured all dimensions of the existing one today, and if the rivet holes line up, I’ll install it. Otherwise, I might have to order the Ronstan rf31712 from APS and place rivets from the sides (6 in total).
Thanks, Gary- I figured it out.. actually ordered the medium (9″ long).
It actually holds it open. Gary, that looks pretty close- I’ll give them a call and find out it’s length. Thank you!
Marykate On & Off hull and bottom cleaner. Be careful, though- that stuff is a mixture of acids (HCl, phosphoric and oxalic) and is extremely caustic. Fiberglass and gelcoat safe, though.. It’s so effective that all I was eventually doing is lightly soaking a rag and it easily wipes the stains off.
Thanks- hadn’t thought of that!
Hi, Lilya- same for me (cruising for the most part), and I’m a good way through the project. Just finishing fairing the rudder blade, so I can build a form fitting cassette, then to complete the attachments to the transom – I decided not to use the motor mount, but epoxied a 4″ x 2″ block of G10 below to through bolt a stainless gudgeon that I built.
That IS a good question. I honestly don’t know. My plans to do this project this winter come from a discussion I had earlier this summer with a group of local sailors regarding offshore sailing, and my boat (given it’s lack of adequate motorized propulsion compared to most other boats) seems to be a no-brainer. I’m planning on doing several longer offshore races to and from Bermuda as well as down in the Abacos in the coming years, and having backup steering is just one of the several upgrades I’m doing. I’ve already beefed up the rigging and sail inventory, all with those races in mind. This rudder should be fairly easy to build- the welding is for making pintles and gudgeons to fit a 4″ wide cassette- you just can’t buy stuff like that off the shelf.
Hi, Bruce- I’ve heard that doesn’t work so well, especially in conditions where you’d like to break a rudder post like the stock glass ones we have on these boats. I’ve figured out a relatively simple way to add a cassette style rudder without too much modification of the transom. I will however, need to fabricate my own pintles and gudgeons, so I’m learning how to weld.. I’m excited to learn a new trade!
Sorry, Bruce- I think that would really cramp our inshore racing… I’d love the convenience, but not the sweat equity I’d have to shell out!
Has there ever been a problem with these boats (or any other boat with similar dimensions) in ORR sanctioned races? I’m quite new to all this stuff (only been sailing ~ 4-5 yrs, and all of it inshore), but I don’t want to take unecessary risks.
Well- good thing I just started looking into this before getting my heart all set on it. I think that’s a deal killer! I really don’t understand why they have it set so high, so I’ve just emailed the BROC participation chairman to find out if there are any exceptions for such a proven design as the O-30. You’d think all those single-hand transpac races would amount to something…
Hey, guys- sorry to bring up an older thread, but this one is fairly close to something I’m considering (Newport-Bermuda). They have a stability index requirement of 115, which I’m fairly sure would require adding quite a bit of lead to the keel if I’m reading these threads correctly. Does anyone know for sure?
Bruce- check your email. I’ve sent a couple messages that may have been funneled into your junk box…
Ray
Bruce- I ended up buying the Cookmate, and I don’t think I need my tracks. I’ll just give them to you. The Cookmate is also a bit narrower, so I’ll need to shim the gimbals in a bit, but I’m pretty sure I will have no need for the tracks (unless you know differently?).
Ray
Sorry, Bruce- I’m trying to get mine workin’.. Not sure how I missed that search on the Defender site, but I found the double burner fairly cheap on swego.com.
Thanks, Scot- I’ve moved the twing lines back to the area just aft of the primary winches (skipper can reach them, and so can either trimmer). They were originally attached to the cabin top and occasionally tangled with the genoa leads. We do twing down before gybing, if it’s breezy enough (which it usually is). I didn’t think about the geometry of the downhaul attached that far forward- that would only complicate things, so that’s out. We’ve not yet launched/doused the kite from the cabin hatch, only from a bag attached to the rail, then from the forward hatch, but I can’t imagine moving too many more lines further away from the cockpit. Right now, everything (all halyards, uphaul and cunningham) is located on the cabin top next to the secondary winches- the usual location. The downhaul is actually trimmed from the forward side of the mast at it’s base- something the original owner did to make something available to the bowman.
The more I think about it, it looks like we’re set about as simple as it gets unless we launch from the companionway reducing the chores on the bow. My wife was down in the v-berth gathering the kite on douses, and she’s quite small.. maybe putting one of my gorillas down there would help get it down faster so the bowman doesn’t having to help stuff it before attending to the pole…
I just read a fairly lengthy thread over on SA about this topic, and I think if I do anything I’ll only tab in some stringers between the two forward bulkheads as described above. I think my boat was just meant to get to the windward mark whenever it does, then go fast back down. I’m hearing/reading this more and more. Here’s the thread- http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/index.php?showtopic=95578
I think if I take out that toggle, the double block would rub on that line spliced with the thimble attached directly to the plate and wouldn’t run as freely. I forgot to answer your question about my helm. I have no other O-30 boats to compare, but the helm isn’t what I’d put in the difficult to handle category. I think in normal conditions like we had yesterday (7-10) I have maybe 4 or 5 deg of weather helm sailing upwind. Even when the boat heels to upward of 35 or 40 degrees (I’m estimating) I still have control, which surprises me with the shorter stock rudder. On a J24, we’d round up or even auto-tack. I’m just learning to live with it, and reduce sail when shorthanded if it’s blowing > 10. The real issue for me is to figure out if that 4 or 5″ of forestay sag is anything to worry about. I have one more option, and that’s to get our local Quantum guy on the boat (John Bowden) and go out for a sail to see what he thinks. I just might do that anyway- I’m sure John will point out all sorts of idiosyncrasies.
by the way- here’s our current arrangement-
Bruce- can you provide a photo of your setup? It would make things a lot clearer..
By the way- that image attached (3185.jpg) isn’t the current configuration- that was an experiment, but it spreads things out so you can see all of the blocks. I’ve put everything on that single plate, which is the way the boat was sold to me.
Hey, Jim- here’s a photo of my setup. It’s quite a bit different from the usual split arrangement. All of it comes down to a custom plate mounted on the transom that is about 6 inches wide, has 3 blocks and two fixed lines (and spliced with thimbles) attached. I’m not sure if this is a 36:1 or the conventional 48:1, but it’s a lot of purchase.
Ok- we took off cruising today (so please ignore the horizontal wrinkles in the main!), and I took a few photos of the jib with backstay full on and backstay off. I clipped the spare spin halyard to the tack horn on the bow and tensioned it for a straight line reference point and from photo 1 (backstay on) you can see about 5 or 6 inches of sag in the forestay. This was sailing close hauled in about 8-9 kts of breeze. Then for comparisons sake, I took a photo with the backstay completely off and you can see the extra heel induced and maybe 10-12 inches of forestay sag. So- should I shorten the forestay more at the turnbuckle? Yanking on the backstay gets pretty tough beyond this point, but I could possibly manage another inch or so. This is fairly light breeze for around here, so I don’t think that’s the answer.. imagine what it would be like in 15-20– rather tough.. although I could spend more time in the gym…
Edit: you know on second view- the jib isn’t fully trimmed in, but I think the forestay sag would be even a little worse.
