My favorite mod was what I fondly called the “Rusty Reef”. I simply used a large stainless hook attached to the outhaul and after dropping the sail to reef would run the hook through the reef grommet in the leach. Tensioning the outhaul also pulled the foot of the reef taut and a sail tie around the boom held the reef down to the boom. Simple, fast, and only one line for the outhaul and as many reefs as the sail had.
My favourite mod was sealing off under the fore and aft decks on my GP14. I know it takes her out of compliance for racing, but having that huge sealed off areas has made the boat both safer from being knocked down and gave me more room for dry storage when camp cruising.
I did the work when I redecked by boat, using the internal framing to secure the okoume ply before sealing it right. In the middle I used a large compression hatch to make access easy, aside from ducking beneath the edge of the deck. Overall, It is just a good mod all around that makes the boat safer and better to use.
We have also seen tiller yokes with two arms attached to pull-pull rudder lines leading to either foot pedals or simply pulled by hand.
In the interest of simplicity, I generally use a single arm from the rudder head to a rod leading to the cockpit. The gooseneck is the joint at the end of the arm. They are commonly available from marine hardware manufacturers, such as Harken. A piece of tape on the rod and another on the inwale serve to reference where the rudder is centered.
Anyone who has played with flying model aircraft will remember the bellcrank that was used to control movable surfaces, such as the rudder, flaps and elevator. This is an application of the same principle.
An additional advantage of this system is that it allows the sailor to trim the boat fore and aft as well as from side to side. Make the rod longer than you think you need it to be. I use EMT tubing. Easy, if not elegant.
The arm can be attached to the rudder head with a snugly fitted mortise and tenon joint.
My favorite mod was what I fondly called the “Rusty Reef”. I simply used a large stainless hook attached to the outhaul and after dropping the sail to reef would run the hook through the reef grommet in the leach. Tensioning the outhaul also pulled the foot of the reef taut and a sail tie around the boom held the reef down to the boom. Simple, fast, and only one line for the outhaul and as many reefs as the sail had.
I reefed my Cape Dory 25 main exactly this way. I had a four part tackle on the outhaul, and I easily got a hard, flat main in a big breeze.
My favourite mod was sealing off under the fore and aft decks on my GP14. I know it takes her out of compliance for racing, but having that huge sealed off areas has made the boat both safer from being knocked down and gave me more room for dry storage when camp cruising.
I did the work when I redecked by boat, using the internal framing to secure the okoume ply before sealing it right. In the middle I used a large compression hatch to make access easy, aside from ducking beneath the edge of the deck. Overall, It is just a good mod all around that makes the boat safer and better to use.
Thought I would add a pic, now that I have found a pic of the compression hatch installed.
https://imgur.com/a/cZY2PUN
Most of us have seen tiller extension goosenecks.
We have also seen tiller yokes with two arms attached to pull-pull rudder lines leading to either foot pedals or simply pulled by hand.
In the interest of simplicity, I generally use a single arm from the rudder head to a rod leading to the cockpit. The gooseneck is the joint at the end of the arm. They are commonly available from marine hardware manufacturers, such as Harken. A piece of tape on the rod and another on the inwale serve to reference where the rudder is centered.
Anyone who has played with flying model aircraft will remember the bellcrank that was used to control movable surfaces, such as the rudder, flaps and elevator. This is an application of the same principle.
An additional advantage of this system is that it allows the sailor to trim the boat fore and aft as well as from side to side. Make the rod longer than you think you need it to be. I use EMT tubing. Easy, if not elegant.
The arm can be attached to the rudder head with a snugly fitted mortise and tenon joint.