The Jester Azores Challenge 2008 - Jake Kavanagh and Pod
Jake has completed an incredible number of modifications to Pod in preparation for the Jester Azores Challenge. Many of them are of interest to the less adventurous among us - in particular the anchor locker (which was the basis of a PBO article) and the portlights in the cockpit well. Shelves in the stern locker would also be a useful addition to any cruising Corribee (judging from the amount of smaller bits and pieces which litter my own).
Rudder:
Pod always used to stall when going about, so a few years ago I had the rudder extended aft by three inches. (The Corribee apparently suffers from the junk rig being not far enough forward).
This extension made quite a difference, but I’m going one further by making the rudder more semi-balanced, and extending the bottom edge down by another 4 inches. This, I hope, will make her easier to handle when surfing down an Atlantic breaker! I used a thin grinding disc to make a deep groove in the bottom of the rudder, and then made an extension out of three pieces of ply epoxied together, the thinner, central piece forming a flange to fit the groove. Thickened epoxy locked it all together. The leading edge of the skeg has also been sharpened with the addition of a laminated and sculpted plwood/epoxy cutwater. This has made the skeg a bit longer, but it no longer presents a wide, flat surface to the passing water, which was acting as a brake. As you can see, work is still in progress, but the shape is coming along nicely. Sculpting is done with an angle ginder fitted with a coarse sanding disc. Fine details are done with a Dremel fitted with a drum sanding disc. By the end (and after creating tons of sawdust) I should have a nice aerofoil shape.
Extra mast:
I used to use a large cruising chute in light airs, but this would bend the mast quite alarmingly in gusts. Instead, I have fitted a down pipe to take a small unstayed aluminium mast through the foredeck. (In fact, it can also take my large emergency sweep to act as a spare mast).
The plastic pipe has been reinforced with epoxy rovings (it needs more than is shown here) and wedged into wooden blocks glassed – and sealed – into the bow. Note also the curved reinforcing pad that sits directly behind the bow. This will form the backing for a stainless steel deflector strip. The tube has a drain hole at the bottom, and the mast itself can also double as a bowsprit for a small jib (as used by Ming Ming) I plan on using a loose-footed lugsail up forward, which should give me the ability to goosewing downwind.
Anchor locker:
Currently featured in PBO, this locker is designed to seal up tight at sea, but be fully open when at anchor. The idea is that a wind scoop will feed air down into the locker, and then force it through the watertight hatch at the rear, and into the cabin to create a flow-through.
As you know, Corri’s with a junk rig don’t have a forehatch, so can get a bit stuffy. The locker also allows me to keep a lightweight picnic anchor handy (on warp) and thanks to a (sealable) drain, I can wash off the muddy anchor rode when it comes aboard. Smaller additional hatches give me access to the under-deck fittings, should any additions/adjustments be needed. (Well, you never know!) The main anchor chain is being fed back aft to sit under the triangular hatch under the inner moulding. This will be completely enclosed, although a drain cock will allow it to empty back into the bilge for washing. With the weight further aft, it should reduce the seesawing. The main forward bulkhead is also being positioned further aft.
Compartments:
Work to seal up the quarter berths is progressing well, with the area now receiving it’s transverse bulkheads. The idea is that all the lockers are sealed with watertight hatches, so the boat has at least four compartments each side to contain a hull breach.
Windows:
Why not drop a window into your quarter berth. I’ve cut the slot for one already, and the difference it makes to the light inside is huge. As you can see, I sighted it high to clear ther bunk cushions, and dead centre to get the best spread of light.
Ballast:
The first of my winged ballast bulbs has been made from a mould, weighing 11lbs and looking like a sliced elephant tusk. The mouldings are designed to be symmetrical, so one mould should make four bulb sections, two each side. (More pix of this to follow.)
This should add a total of 44lbs to the very bottom of the keel, which as you can see has had the gelcoat ground off to accept it. Judging from the discussion group, the keel is full of hard metal, so drilling isn’t an option. Instead, I’ll be relying on a combination of epoxy, rovings and 3M UV4000 to stick each ballast wing… for ever!
Lazarette shelves:
Two shelves about 8in wide have been added to the lazarette. These also give a bit of strength to the sides. The process was a bit fiddly, and I’ll have some more pix to show it step by step soon.
The area was finished with flo-coat. Two longitudinal dividers will hold the fuel and water tanks, but again, they are being moved as far forward as possible.
The inside of Pod still looks like a bomb-site, but she’s taking shape slowly. Too late, I think, for any winter sailing, as the weather this year has really slowed things up. I hope this was of interest, and I’ll keep you posted on any further design changes! Jake Kavanagh Sept 2007