Scamp Build in Kansas!

The place to discuss SCAMP (Small Craft Advisor Magazine Project), our 11' 11" micro minicruiser.

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ericleif
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Re: Scamp Build in Kansas!

Post by ericleif »

And...I was using the aft-most cleat on the boom below to sinch down the foot outhaul line, but I’m always adjusting that line and it’s difficult to reach if the boom is out over the water. So, installed a clam cleat instead, further forward, and ran the line (Black line) through the block, up through the clew grommet, and back for a 2-1. I really like this new set-up.
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High on the cheap/usefulness scale, I put two shock cord loops around the boom. After reefing, the reef line loose ends are all grabbed together, wrapped a few turns around two cleats. Then I just pull the loop over one of the cleats to sit between the two and keep the bundle of reef lines from unwinding. Otherwise those lines can be unruly and get wrapped up in the mainsheet Block. Works in seconds like a charm.
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ericleif
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Re: Scamp Build in Kansas!

Post by ericleif »

Just three more things - for now : )...

I originally put these bow chocks on the stern transom cap for certain anchoring situations where I wanted a stern line too. I was worried they might catch the main sheet (they don’t) and wasn’t sure they would get used (they do). After initially anchoring 6-7 times from the bow, I tried anchoring only from the stern. It just works so well, I unrouted my rodes out of the fore bow chocks and only anchor from the stern now - anchored that way during my 8 days in the apostles.

From the bow, the boat kites back and forth at anchor, even turns beam too a bit as it sails from one side across the wind to the other, and never settles down.

From stern it’s just stuck in the wind flagging perfectly with the wind vane (no hunting) and is much more comfortable for me that way. It’s also easier to deploy and retrieve, and I found sailing off anchor from the stern much easier too. There is a bit of wave slap on the transom but just anchoring off one chock puts quarter a little to the waves which I think helps a bit. I cleat off to the aft deck cleat:
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and the yellow on the anchor rode is a length marker: one strip of yellow ripstop interlaced in the rode marks 25 feet, two strips mark 50, and three at 75 feet.

I originally made a little masthead light I could raise and lower with a loop of line and some shock cord to keep tension along the mast. With the sail up or down, I could lower it, turn it on and raise it back up for night sailing or as anchor light (100 hours on set of batteries). It snagged on the halyard a couple of times, so I promptly took it off. But after my recent trip anchoring out among big boats, I felt vulnerable without a light on the mast. I had an anchor light strapped to the aft/high part of my sail bundle every night, but I worried I would look farther away than I really was since the light was relatively low. Even the masthead is pretty low compared to the big yachts. So, I put it back on, and modified it so it won’t snag - so far, so good:
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Speaking of lights, I use these under cabin top lights every night when sleeping aboard. They are the same as all the other lights on Birdy (Nav Lights, anchor light) so batteries are same for all and lenses can be switched out incase one fails. Great for reading, and handy to just reach up and switch on a light in the middle of the night. The starboard side light points to the compass on BH3.
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ericleif
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Re: Scamp Build in Kansas!

Post by ericleif »

I went sailing in SCAMP the other day and think I started to get close to an upper limit (for me) for windspeed. Weather Underground said wind at Lawrence Municipal was blowing 22 kts, gusting to 33 kts. I wonder if there wasn’t more wind at the lake...Clinton reservoir is a big open space at a higher elevation than Lawrence airport...but I don’t know - I need to get a wind meter.

Video here:

https://www.facebook.com/34516020885619 ... 910475671/

I left dock with first reef in, and immediately felt the need for the third reef (second reef is not set up). Getting out of that cove felt sketchy - missing a tack didn’t seem like an option, but I got far enough luffing the sail through a few tacks to get room to put the third reef in. Then I was off!!!

I sailed many miles that day, the only boat on the lake. Most of it was spent sitting on the rail, feet hooked under thwart, body leaned out over the water to keep the boat close hauled and upright.

If it was blowing much harder, I imagine having to resort to sailing a close reach or less to keep things under control and/or constant luffing, or...make a new friend who likes sailing (ballast) : |. 5-10 kts more and I’m not sure I could make reliable upwind progress, but I guess I won’t know that until I try.

Anyway good fun, not too tiring, and I did some testing too : )

Capsize Drill: sailing close hauled and moving my butt from the rail back down to the seat was enough to get it over. I jumped in the water right before the mast hit and swam around to the stern. At that point it was already turning turtle. The nice thing about turtling is it gives me a chance to examine the hull bottom for damage (looking good so far). I’ve pulled out the CB in the past and righted that way. I tried that but in these conditions it was too difficult, so finally gave up and just threw a righting line over and righted that way, no problem-came up quick. It was a good feeling having a righting line loop in my hand as the boat righted and started to drift.

Got back in and tested my sea drogue in that wind, with sail down. From the bow, it held the boat beam to waves so I deployed from stern instead, and SCAMP flagged downwind moving 1-2 kts. (I might modify my sea anchor a bit after that test).

Then pulled it in and tested boat speed running downwind under mast alone: 3-4 kts.

Good to know I think...
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pocketyacht
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Re: Scamp Build in Kansas!

Post by pocketyacht »

I am curious as to your capsize moves and why your boat turtled. I have fund it is the sailor who will cause a turtle and this can be exacerbated by weight up high. Perhaps to much weight up high, such as anchors stowed high in the transom? Anything else stowed high?
ericleif wrote:I went sailing in SCAMP the other day and think I started to get close to an upper limit (for me) for windspeed. Weather Underground said wind at Lawrence Municipal was blowing 22 kts, gusting to 33 kts. I wonder if there wasn’t more wind at the lake...Clinton reservoir is a big open space at a higher elevation than Lawrence airport...but I don’t know - I need to get a wind meter.

Video here:

https://www.facebook.com/34516020885619 ... 910475671/

I left dock with first reef in, and immediately felt the need for the third reef (second reef is not set up). Getting out of that cove felt sketchy - missing a tack didn’t seem like an option, but I got far enough luffing the sail through a few tacks to get room to put the third reef in. Then I was off!!!

I sailed many miles that day, the only boat on the lake. Most of it was spent sitting on the rail, feet hooked under thwart, body leaned out over the water to keep the boat close hauled and upright.

If it was blowing much harder, I imagine having to resort to sailing a close reach or less to keep things under control and/or constant luffing, or...make a new friend who likes sailing (ballast) : |. 5-10 kts more and I’m not sure I could make reliable upwind progress, but I guess I won’t know that until I try.

Anyway good fun, not too tiring, and I did some testing too : )

Capsize Drill: sailing close hauled and moving my butt from the rail back down to the seat was enough to get it over. I jumped in the water right before the mast hit and swam around to the stern. At that point it was already turning turtle. The nice thing about turtling is it gives me a chance to examine the hull bottom for damage (looking good so far). I’ve pulled out the CB in the past and righted that way. I tried that but in these conditions it was too difficult, so finally gave up and just threw a righting line over and righted that way, no problem-came up quick. It was a good feeling having a righting line loop in my hand as the boat righted and started to drift.

Got back in and tested my sea drogue in that wind, with sail down. From the bow, it held the boat beam to waves so I deployed from stern instead, and SCAMP flagged downwind moving 1-2 kts. (I might modify my sea anchor a bit after that test).

Then pulled it in and tested boat speed running downwind under mast alone: 3-4 kts.

Good to know I think...
3D728912-7F50-462F-A334-89F01559D6D8.jpeg
ericleif
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Re: Scamp Build in Kansas!

Post by ericleif »

Hi Howard,

I don’t think that’s entirely what’s happening - Check out my SCAMP turtle theory...

Imagine SCAMP capsizes to leeward, the hull on it’s side, hull bottom facing/catching the wind, drifts downwind. As it moves through the water, the masthead pointing downwind works like a plow and digs into the water. In the process, the leech and aft end of the yard are forced under the water by the motion and rotate under. The mast is forced under water imparting leverage on the hull. At that point, it’s turtling or barely stable on it’s side.

Once I observed what was happening, I tested the theory by swimming the capsized boat’s mast downwind. The masthead that was bobbing at the surface, now went under a few feet and it started to turtle, sail rotating. Swam the masthead back around so it was pointing upwind, and it popped back up to the surface and the hull was stable again, sail flat.

I did this a few times, swimming the masthead around clockwise, and counter. Also just capsized to leeward and to windward from the start to see. The difference is dramatic.

I did capsize tests with stuff in, as well as stripped down (anchors, thwart, etc. removed). In both situations (stripped down and all geared up), capsized on it’s side, with the masthead pointing upwind, I could climb up inside the cockpit, hang from the upper coaming rail like a monkey, stand with my weight on the lower coaming that was submerged, and the boat stayed on it’s side, stuff or no stuff.

Mast upwind, stable on it’s side, all geared up with anchors, etc.:
81DFEDDC-A011-434B-BB27-5AE1EF3387FE.jpeg
I think that in the right wind conditions, and right capsized boat position, a hand clutching the boat, or the weight of anchors (9 lbs each) could be the last straw, but don’t think the leverage of those things compares to the torque caused by the mast. I bet in heavy wind, a capsize to leeward is more likely to turtle regardless...but that can be tested too!
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GregWads
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Re: Scamp Build in Kansas!

Post by GregWads »

Just an observation from a noob, in your photo, the boat is capsized onto it's Port side. So with an offset centerboard to starboard and capsize to port would it not mean that all of weight associated with the centerboard is now on the the high side?
ericleif
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Re: Scamp Build in Kansas!

Post by ericleif »

Hey Greg,

In that shot the CB is on the high side (but high side or low, it sits out of the water when extended- *I think*). Right after that photo I was trying to push the boat to its limit before turtle and in the process of putting most of my weight on it as far out as I could on the coaming, it tilted enough for the CB to slide back into its case but it didn’t turtle. I didn’t realize that until I swam around to the other side, and saw it had retracted, but the boat was still stable in that position on it’s side.

After, I rotated the boat around with mast downwind, I pulled the CB back out so it was working a bit to counterbalance. Still, the boat was significantly less stable, and ready to go over, which it eventually did, regardless of the extended CB.
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wdscobie
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Re: Scamp Build in Kansas!

Post by wdscobie »

[So with an offset centerboard to starboard and capsize to port would it not mean that all of weight associated with the centerboard is now on the the high side?[/quote]

So little weight in the centerboard, just enough to keep it down and not float, that it doesn't do much for righting the boat ... once the boat is over the board can be a platform for standing and using your weight to bring the boat upright. This is why Howard recommends the the line on the board so if it does go into the slot you can pull it out.
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GregWads
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Re: Scamp Build in Kansas!

Post by GregWads »

Well, taking the CB out of the equation, then my other thought would have to do with wind and water.

When I used to sail in the Mississippi river there were two currents to deal with, the surface and subsurface. In the fall, when the water levels were low, the Corps of Engineers would nearly close the roller dams to keep a minimum 9ft of depth in the channel. So on a windy day where the wind is blowing directly upriver you could have a zero or negative surface current and only a 1 or 2 knot subsurface current. Under the bridge, where the flow was constrained bridge footings, the wind could cause 3-4 ft rollers

You stated if was a fairly windy day. Which typically means the wind is piling up water on the lee shore. So with the mast pointed upwind the sail I am guessing is just below the surface and your cockpit would also be facing upwind. Is it possible the sail and cockpit are being affected by the surface current, acting like a scoop, and therefore causing the instability?

Just an idea,
Greg.

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Please disregard this post. Greg.
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Last edited by GregWads on Tue Oct 02, 2018 6:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
steve71
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Re: Scamp Build in Kansas!

Post by steve71 »

Fantastic pics with lots of helpful detail. Great job!
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