FBB SIMPLE SELF STEERING RIG
An addition that I have found useful has been to construct a self steering mechanism using two metres of half inch bungee elastic.
It allows you to let go of the tiller for a short while and maintain a course, providing the side forces on the hull are not too great.
You can also continue to steer yourself with this connected to the tiller. Useful in light airs or when motoring!
Also, if on a mooring it prevents the rudder banging about.
I used stainless steel pad eyes and swivels along with the elastic, all purchased in Trago Mills, Liskeard. If anyone has an improvement on this arrangement I would be interested to know.
Barrie Willoughby
It allows you to let go of the tiller for a short while and maintain a course, providing the side forces on the hull are not too great.
You can also continue to steer yourself with this connected to the tiller. Useful in light airs or when motoring!
Also, if on a mooring it prevents the rudder banging about.
I used stainless steel pad eyes and swivels along with the elastic, all purchased in Trago Mills, Liskeard. If anyone has an improvement on this arrangement I would be interested to know.
Barrie Willoughby
FBB BOOM EXTENSION FOR BOAT COVER
How to extend your FBB Boom to enable the fitting of an over boom cover .
The major problem to overcome with the FBB Boom is that it does not reach the transom and therefore is basically unable to support an 'over boom' cover.
I got around this problem by simply attaching a suitable length of wood (cost 62p) to the boom with two bolts and butterfly nuts (cost £1-72) through the holes normally used for the mainsail attachment rope.
The 'over boom' cover is then fully supported along its whole length.
EASY & VERY CHEAP!!!!
Graham G Matthews
The major problem to overcome with the FBB Boom is that it does not reach the transom and therefore is basically unable to support an 'over boom' cover.
I got around this problem by simply attaching a suitable length of wood (cost 62p) to the boom with two bolts and butterfly nuts (cost £1-72) through the holes normally used for the mainsail attachment rope.
The 'over boom' cover is then fully supported along its whole length.
EASY & VERY CHEAP!!!!
Graham G Matthews
ROWLOCK BUTTON RETAINERS
The buttons for the rowlock retainers are made from 10mm dowling, each 25mm long, drilled to take 3mm polyester rope/lashing 300mm long. The buttons are grooved from the hole to one end and from the hole to the other end on the opposite side. I used a Makita hand grinder to make the groove about 3mm deep. Perhaps a better job can be done with a simple pocket knife and some sand paper. The buttons were dipped in varnish and allowed to dry. The rope lashing can be sealed at each end with a flame. Thread the rope throgh the hole and tie a figure of eight knot at the end, attaching the other end to the rollock with a bowline.
Barrie Willoughby
Barrie Willoughby
FBB TRAILER MODIFICATION
Mick Pearce made this simple modification to help center the boat on the trailer and aid recovery.
The modification is simply a couple of small plastic wheels mounted on the rear of the main spar which guide the hull onto the central rollers.
A slightly modified recovery technique is required.
From a gently sloping surface like a beach the trick is to tilt the trailer up at the hitch end after hooking on the winch hawser, then merely winching in centralises the boat. The boat is both pulled onto the trailer and the trailer is pulled under the boat, then hitch on car and away.
From a gently sloping surface like a beach the trick is to tilt the trailer up at the hitch end after hooking on the winch hawser, then merely winching in centralises the boat. The boat is both pulled onto the trailer and the trailer is pulled under the boat, then hitch on car and away.
On a slipway, using the car, I just dip the guiding wheels in the water float the nose of the boat between the guide wheels then winch in. A bit more of an effort is required because you are winching up a slope, as it were, but it works every time.
SINGLE HANDED MAST STEPPING
Bob Hunt's Cunning Arrangement For Easy Single Handed Mast Stepping/Unstepping
This Article was provided by Bob Hunt who thought it might be of interest to other FBB owners forced to rig their boats single handed. Bob, in common with other "trailer sailors" rigs his boat whilst it is still on the trailer, prior to launching.
"My first thoughts were to improve the appearance of the centre-board casing. A new thwart was cut from 18 mm marine ply, to cover the entire top surface of the casing; this was also rather wider, with a view to fitting a box like device to give the trunk a more timbered appearance. Fore & aft surfaces on the trunk did indeed become fixed marine ply panels, but, to justify the effort, the side panels were hinged to the decking, and became lockers sized to be able to contain your B.S.S. beer can, or similar, a la fridge door trough.
This Article was provided by Bob Hunt who thought it might be of interest to other FBB owners forced to rig their boats single handed. Bob, in common with other "trailer sailors" rigs his boat whilst it is still on the trailer, prior to launching.
"My first thoughts were to improve the appearance of the centre-board casing. A new thwart was cut from 18 mm marine ply, to cover the entire top surface of the casing; this was also rather wider, with a view to fitting a box like device to give the trunk a more timbered appearance. Fore & aft surfaces on the trunk did indeed become fixed marine ply panels, but, to justify the effort, the side panels were hinged to the decking, and became lockers sized to be able to contain your B.S.S. beer can, or similar, a la fridge door trough.
The original construction of the trunk, using GRP plates was, I'm sure, never intended to be a precision engineering job, so various bits of 'packing' were glued in position to square the wooden construction up a bit.
The most useful spin-off of this exercise was that it led to an opportunity to make single handed mast stepping, whilst the boat is still on the trailer, an easier operation - my non-crewing 1st Mate fancied (hoped!) it would lead rapidly to a ' For Sale ' notice..... however.....
Having bolted the new thwart to the casing along it's length, I found that it was
a) quite strong and
b) level with the top edge of the opened forward locker.
I bridged the space between the casing and the locker incorporating a gate device into which the mast could be slotted and secured until it could be rigged.
The photo shows the final effort, which is dropped into place, slid aft, and locked with a pin. The forward end has a return lip which hooks onto the locker opening. The other end locks around the thwart, with a key which fits into the centre-board slot. The 'gate' is opened by removing a further pin, and you are ready to step the mast.
With something soft laid over the gunwhale, it is quite easy to dip the mast into the step from your shoulder. Hold the mast against the' stepping aid', close the gate, insert the pin, and you can attend to the shrouds & forestay. While the gate has a circular profile to fit, & hold the mast, the main piece has a more elongated arrangement to allow removal by un-pinning and sliding forward.
Un-stepping is a reversal of the operation - ' hold the mast with one hand, un-pin gate, open, then (with two hands) – lift out mast.'
" G'day Mr. Osteopath!"
With something soft laid over the gunwhale, it is quite easy to dip the mast into the step from your shoulder. Hold the mast against the' stepping aid', close the gate, insert the pin, and you can attend to the shrouds & forestay. While the gate has a circular profile to fit, & hold the mast, the main piece has a more elongated arrangement to allow removal by un-pinning and sliding forward.
Un-stepping is a reversal of the operation - ' hold the mast with one hand, un-pin gate, open, then (with two hands) – lift out mast.'
" G'day Mr. Osteopath!"
To raise the mast from the step a hinged lever, directly under the mast heel, carries an inch and a half diameter plug of delrin loosely on a pin. This round plug works happily in the otherwise square hole of the step. The moving end of the lever has a long shanked eye attached, to which is clipped a snap-hook, made off to a length of rope. The rope passess up through a bullseye and then to a jamming cleat on the top surface of the mast stepper. Four inches of broom-handle gives a good purchase on the end. A relatively easy pull brings the plug level with the top of the mast step, thereby raising the mast, which will remain so as you jam the rope.
The rope hinge was not purely for asthetic reasons , but was done because, having originally made a conventionally hinged sub-assemby, I found it was impossible to fit it in position. Using a longer piece of cord, I found it possible to thread it through and pull the pieces together, suitably knotted on the top. The purpose of the shock cord is to limit the travel of the system, since the geometry goes wrong if it's allowed to fall too far ( gets jammed!). It also keeps the kit dryish and makes it easier to reach the eye, which sits just below the deck level when the mast is in position."
The rope hinge was not purely for asthetic reasons , but was done because, having originally made a conventionally hinged sub-assemby, I found it was impossible to fit it in position. Using a longer piece of cord, I found it possible to thread it through and pull the pieces together, suitably knotted on the top. The purpose of the shock cord is to limit the travel of the system, since the geometry goes wrong if it's allowed to fall too far ( gets jammed!). It also keeps the kit dryish and makes it easier to reach the eye, which sits just below the deck level when the mast is in position."