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Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades
Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 4:31 pm
by 81venture
Taking her out again tomorrow...
Meeting up with friends out on Falls lake.
Weather says 5-15 mph winds so We should be able to play with the lake-only sail setup again...
Tomorrow I will take some pics of how I rigged up the lake mast to sail..would appreciate feedback.
I have figured out how to raise the sail and attach to the boom...as well as how to use a rope and the "locking cleat" thingy at the back to let the boom swing either way...
What I don't have figured out is how to loosen the sail from the boom, say in case of a gust, so I can slack the sail....last time (and the first time actually) we tried sailing I tied a "furniture-knot" so that in case we needed to suddenly slack the sail one reached up and pulled the single rope and the sail flaps loose....
so much to learn...
Cheers
Dave
Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades
Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 4:57 pm
by mastreb
Sail with the mainsheet (the line that controls the main sail boom position) in your hand. You need to change it constantly for perfect sail handling, especially in inconsistent winds. Keep in hand, under some tension, until you get a real feel for it. Then you can cleat it off once you've learned how it works.
Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades
Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 6:18 pm
by Catigale
The bottom block on the main sheet should have a Becket and a cleat on it. You can jam the sheet in the cleat and then snap it up and out of the clet in a gust.
Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades
Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2013 7:48 am
by 81venture
mastreb wrote:Sail with the mainsheet (the line that controls the main sail boom position) in your hand. You need to change it constantly for perfect sail handling, especially in inconsistent winds. Keep in hand, under some tension, until you get a real feel for it. Then you can cleat it off once you've learned how it works.
I've got that part figured out....
Catigale wrote:The bottom block on the main sheet should have a Becket and a cleat on it. You can jam the sheet in the cleat and then snap it up and out of the clet in a gust.
I forgot to bring the camera yesterday so I couldn't take pics of the bottom of the boom and whats on it and how I ended up tying it off. in the interest of safety (wind gust) i just pull the one line hanging under the boom and the sail goes free....never touched it though, the winds were calm and just perfect for practice.
Either way we spent all day on the large portion of falls lake. We sailed all around and even tacked some....the little lake mast moves the boat quite well considering it's "too small for the boat" We were clipping along at about 6-7 miles an hour easy at some points...
It's good practice also for when I finally raise the big boy...
I am looking for another small sail for the lake setup...maybe a windsurfing sail or something to use as a front Jib... that or maybe raise the front stay higher (or add another one) and I might could use the 1 jib I have now...
Hopeing to go out again today..I'll try to remember the camera
cheers
Dave
Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades
Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2013 11:07 am
by 81venture
today is 10-20 MPH at Falls lake (close to my house)
Cooler full of beer is loaded!
Going out for more practice wit lake setup
REMEMBERED Camera this time
Will take video of "speed" and also take pics of lower boom setup and furniture knot
Should be a fun day
Cheers
Dave
Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades
Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2013 5:14 pm
by 81venture
Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 5:59 am
by 81venture
Well i've done it again. Picked up another sailboat.
Found this on Craigslist for $500 and talked him down to $400
Says on the paperwork it is a 1976 Newport 15....on the back of the boat there is a tag says Newport 16 (??)
Came with mast, sails (and front jib), motor and trailer...
The mast is 20 foot, and my current "Lake Mast" is only 18ft. This new mast has a front jib, and my current lake mast just has a loose foot mainsail...
So for sure switching the masts and sails to the Venture 23.....and putting my hobie Lake mast on this boat.
Got the little 2 hp mariner running pretty quick (being a boat mech has its advantages) and it runs great.
Now we are re-painting and adding wood trim to this little Venture, and will be asking $2000 obo after we finish....I used the leftover Blue from painting our venture and now it looks like pirate ship JR lol....I will take a pic side by side before we sell it
Will be rigging it and painting topside white today....
How bout them apples Catigale?
Cheers
Dave
Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 7:38 am
by K9Kampers
Dave -
I noticed you've used the names
Newport and
Venture to name this project. IMO - this one looks like a version of the Lockley Newport 16, also goes by model name Gloucester 16 & Neptune 16 - depending who made it and how it was configured.
LINK
This isn't of the MacG lineage, but looks like a neat project. Send us more pics when it is finished... good luck flipping boats!
Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 8:37 am
by 81venture
I call my "pirate ship" the Venture in this post. It's a Venture of Newport right? My friends all call it the Pirate ship as I am the only one on the lake with this gianormus sloop moored among bass, ski, and wakeboats...the lake we go to most often is no good for sailing so you never really ever see one.
This new little boat has a tag on the back says it is a "Newport"
I checked your link and that sure looks like mine...only difference is there are smaller portholes on mine, 2 each side, and no windows. It actually looks like the "portholes" are actually pipe caps from home depot, but I am not sure.
I am only posting this in my thread as I will be using this new mast from the 16 on my Venture23 as our new lake mast.
I also scored a COMPLETE set of sails for the Venture23 from a fellow on the yahoo group whom had a tree fall on his venture and crushed it. Now I have 2 mainsails and 3 front sails for the big mast when we finally haul that one up and try it out (next year)
We did spend the weekend ON the boat during Labor day weekend at Lake Gaston. Was wonderful, and the first time the admiral and I have slept over night on it (or any other boat)
Cheers
Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 12:33 pm
by 81venture
more updates on the little ship
Painted the trailer
Painted topside white, and final coat of midships blue
Sneak peek at the wood paneling trim
A friend and his wife are on their way over to help me re-rig the stays on my venture lake setup for the new mast ...then I will raise the new lake sails and take some pics....
cheers
Dave
Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 2:00 pm
by Catigale
If I remember this right Lockley Newport started in CA and moved to CA - active until late 1980s..
Roger's first boats were called Venture of Newport just to make it confusing ..
Good luck with those projects Dave!!
Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades
Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 5:15 am
by 81venture
Few Updates :
Little ship is almost done....wood trim is in
Motor mount is built and motor is installed
Sail is up

Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades
Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 5:40 am
by 81venture
I decided to keep the original Hobie "lake sail" because I like the blue and white, and the sails that came with the little boat look like old motel 6 sheets...Plain white with some stains that look like (well, use your imagination)
The new lake mast for my venture is 2 foot taller. However it has 3 pullys, mainsail, jib, and a flag. So I can run the sails AND my pirate flag out at the lake.
In this pic you see the new Lake setup in construction progress.. I had to use the other set of longer stays from the crackboat, the ones I had with the first lake mast were not long enough (and I didn't cut the extra off intentionally for this reason) so when we did it I underestimated where to attach the forestay and went to the furthest one. I need to bring it back to the first one....
The little ship came with FIVE sails. one mainsail, and 4 different sized jibs including one that is so small it looks like it should go on a toy boat. I assume it is a "storm jib". I ran a pulley on the front of the mast on the little ship, and am going to see if it will work as a "jib" and make the little boat look better for re-sale. i think it would be too small for the bigger venture even as a lake set up...the other 3 are good and different sizes anyway and I doubt I will ever be sailing in huge swells in a storm out at falls lake...
going to drop little boat in the water this afternoon and see if she floats (probably should've tested that first, but it looks good lol)
Take a few pics on the water and then put her on CL and concentrate on rigging up my venture 23
cheers
Dave
Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades
Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 5:48 am
by 81venture
One other thing...on the little boat what is this pully called, and how do you thread it. I know it's for swinging the boom, but not sure how to rig it up. I have one side of the rope cleated off and just ran up 1 pulley for the moment...it's working at the moment but I know that is not correct

Re: I'm back...Bimini top and many upgrades
Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 9:19 am
by Catigale
You need another 'single block with Beckett' aka pulley on the boom to rig that double block in the picture.
The line will run....becket on top block, first (upper on the lower block in pic), now back to the upper block, now back to the lower block on the pictured block, and finally out to the cam cleat.
Hint - its a lot faster to rig these 'backwards' starting by feeding through the cam cleat FIRST....took me three years to figure that out.
PS - that rigging is probably overkill for that size boat/rigging..