On 20 Feb 2020, at 12:02 pm, Rob Denney harryproa@gmail.com [harryproa] <harryproa@yahoogroups.com.au> wrote:

First sail yesterday, 1 month after I arrived.  20-25 knots, 1 mile fetch.  Used the smallest sail I could find that did not have big holes in it.  Sewing new sails is part of the project.

The lee board string was nowhere near strong enough.  Not surprising, but we have either 2mm black net rope (remarkably strong, it is what was used to tow Henrik and me in when the canoe capsized) or donated 18mm sheet rope.  Will sort out something with the 18mm and a tensioner.   

Me,  Sealand and Isocker (both highly accomplished canoe sailors and all round nice guys.  Isoka is also one of the best craftsmen I have met) were getting along ok with the lee board severely canted due to the line stretch.  Then it broke.   We bore away onto a reach, the bows lifted and we got along very nicely.    No pics of this, and the speed puck was in my bag in the workshop, but those who saw it were impressed.

We shunted with relative ease, the system worked, but because the pulling line was too long, it got caught under the hull, an easy fix with a shorter line.   

Without the leeboard, it pointed high, sailed fast, but leeway was too much.  

We did another shunt, but we were not going to make it home so asked the camera boat for a tow..  They had control issues, we got the wrong side to the wind, so dropped the mast over the stern before it fell over the short hull.  I will put the step further to windward.   

Under sailing loads the hulls are held together and the trampoline does this when the mast is down.  However, without the rig or the trampoline (soon) the beams came partly out of the ww hull.  Some smart work by Sealend got them back in.  We got a rope around the hulls, and towed back.  Fun,  but disappointing.  

Both Sealand and Isocker are impressed with the set up, strength,  shunting and the steering (better than a traditional canoe).   We will try again on Monday.

regards,

rob