Boat Maintenance Tips

Extract from book, to be the published "Maintenance and Recommissioning of Racing Dinghies” 1. Storage Wooden Boats.  There is only one place for an all wood or composite racing dinghy to be stored, and that is undercover in a dry storage garage, workshop or shed.  Even with modern varnishes (1 and 2 pot) and epoxy coatings, there is still a chance for water, ice & frost to penetrate the surface & joints and damage the wood. Expensive to repair once damaged, and water damage often ends up being painted over due to discoloration. Plastic boats. All glass and FRP boats will survive the UK winter climate outside but invest in a good breathable cover with a deep skirt as seen in the photo 1 - on a Solo dinghy. It will also prevent UV fading of the gelcoat as seen on this blue 2000 - See photo 2 below. Photo 1 Photo 2 - Shows typical UV fading if left unprotected, the gelcoat is slowly degraded by UV radiation causing the surface to become yellowy / white and powdery as the gelcoat is oxidized. – Can be expensive to correct. Also, I have seen ILCA/Lasers hulls that have been dry stored (and with non-breathable PVC covers - both with top and undercovers) being stored inside with damp or wet surfaces and can suffer over time from osmosis.  Make sure the carpet or protection used on the trolley cradle is dry before storing, as this will hold water and damage the hull (both wood and plastic hulls) surface over time.  2. Sail Care Remove the sails from your boat. Boats both stored outside and inside are a target for rodents to hibernate in and eat your sails and sail bags. The damage can be extensive. Give them a thorough rinse with fresh water from a hose. I hang mine up to dry on the washing line (use the mainsheet rope) and then store indoors/garage/workshop. Check for any damage around the batten pockets and headboard/luff rope area and get any repairs at your local sailmaker.   3. Spars Remove the spars from your boat, wash, dry down and then dry store if possible. Galvanic corrosion (see below photo 3 example of a RS400 s/s block mounted on the boom) can occur between the stainless-steel fittings and your aluminium mast. Note: Carbon fibre masts will not suffer from galvanic corrosion but metals in electric contact (and the presence of an electrolyte such as salt water) with carbon can cause issues.   Photo 3 - Above (red arrow) shows typical galvanic corrosion that occur between the stainless-steel fittings and your aluminium spar. If you find an issue, then remove the stainless fitting, and clean the area behind them thoroughly.  Bed the fittings down with Duralac paste applied to the entire surface when putting them back, taking care that there are no voids between fitting and mast wall where water can get in and stand. Duralac also provides corrosion protection. Also, add a smear Durlac on the screws or rivets when affixing the fitting. Duralac paste (photo 4) is a chromate containing jointing compound designed to inhibit electrolytic decomposition between dissimilar metals – often called galvanic corrosion. It is a single pack, air setting product. Used correctly, Duralac prevents anodic decomposition. Photo 4 4. Hull Upkeep Wash and polish the hull.  Many sailing areas around the coast suffer from the issue of sewage discharge into the sea and harbours.  This is especially noticeable on the light breeze days, when a light brown scum line can be seen on the waterline of your dinghy. Wash down every time you exit the water and sponge off the hull.  The discharge is stubborn to remove and will stain especially FRP/Glass boats as seen in photo 5 and can be difficult to remove without a good deal elbow grease and a product like the Facecla G3 Fine Finishing Compound to remove the staining.  Finish off with a good quality polish such as the McLube polish. Photo 5 – Pollution staining 5. Ropes and control lines  Remove and wash the control lines and sheets (remove all non-continuous control lines).  You can put the control lines in a bucket of warm water with a mild detergent to soak. The mainsheet, jib and kite sheets in a pillowcase, tie off the opening and put in a washing machine on a cool temp wash with some suitable conditioner. When the cycle is complete remove from the machine and allow to dry off before storage. 6. Security If the boat is stored - especially in the winter months in the local dinghy compound or park, make sure that the boat is tied down well, the cover is undamaged and that the securing clips are locked in place and tightened. It is important to check that your insurance covers you for winter outdoor storage. Make you own ground concrete tie down anchorage fixings if needed. (Photo 6) Photo 6 - Build your own concrete tie downs - if permissible by your club.  Use wheel clamps & hitch locks, plus padlocks and chain (photo 7) for added security. Photo 7 - A substantial wheel clamp and padlock. 7. Maintenance Deck fittings I recommend slightly loosening off the tops off your cam cleats and giving them a thorough clean with mild detergent and fresh water. When dry, apply a dab of Harken McLube OneDrop Ball Bearing Conditioner. Do not use grease or oil as this will attract salt particles next season. Damaged cam springs can be replaced, and you may need new cams/cleats if you have signs of wear on the cam teeth. Ball bearing mainsheet block systems and traveller cars need particular attention, flush through with fresh water.  It’s a good time to check traveller cars are running freely and replace if necessary. Check all rudder fitting both for galvanic corrosion between the alloy fitting and the screws/bolts. Check for tightness of all fixings. Toestraps One the most used items on the boat and take considerable amount of stress and strain during the season. They generally start to wear at the edges, around the pressed in eyelets and the mounting points (if they are screwed down via the gripper plates) check the fixing points and tighten any screws and replace any adjustment ropes as necessary toestraps should be given a good clean and thoroughly washed with freshwater. Toestraps are easily replaced and are relatively inexpensive and can smarted up an otherwise tatty hull. Check your gripper plate screws for tightness as seen in photo 8. Photo 8 - A typical toestrap gripper plate. Foils.  Rudder and daggerboards/centreboards are easy to work on indoors. Check the leading and trailing edges for signs of damage before storing away. Any gelcoat work should be done at this time in a warm (indoor) environment.   Bailers leaking? Now is the time to replace those internal rubber seals with a service kit. Otherwise, if not leaking, then just putting the bailer down and then smearing a small amount of Vaseline along the sides and back of the wedge that protrudes below the boat to keep it in good shape. Then put the bailer up and wipe off any excess.   Trailers and Trolleys. Trailers: Grease the bearings (or replace the entire hub if corroded (photo 9) or you have worn bearings - and they become noisy or stiff when rotated). Locate the grease fitting—it is the nipple (photo 10 - see the red arrow) that fits into the female end of a grease gun. Squeeze grease from the gun until bearings are well lubricated (but not too full). Photo 9 - A trailer wheel & hub in poor condition. Photo 10 - Location of the hub grease nipple. 'Milky grease' in the bearing is a sign that it has been compromised by water. If this happens, repack all bearings or replace. Lubricate your wheel nuts. Doing so will help you to loosen them when changing wheels. This is especially important if you are fixing a flat by the side of the road. Wheel nuts tend to rust easily. Use Copper Ease grease to lubricate the threads to stop them seizing. Check your tyre pressures. Check the tyre sidewall (also for sidewall perishing) for the correct pressure and ensure the tread depth is not below the legal limit. 1.6mm is the legal minimum tyre tread depth for all vehicle tyres, including trailers, a minimum of 3mm is recommended, as this ensures the safest driving - and towing - experience across all road and weather conditions. Below this level, handling can be compromised.   Trolleys Check you glass fibre cradle(s) for cracks or damaged, and repair. Replace the any damaged foam covering or use the Astro Turf matting – (See photo 11). Get any metal/welding repairs done now rather than in the middle of the sailing season.  Repairs will almost always be cheaper than the cost of a new trolley. Consider replacing your pneumatic wheels with puncture proof wheels/tyres if your boat is launched from a hard surface. (Not recommended for sandy foreshores). Photo 11 - Astro Turf matting. Astro Turf matting (photo 11) as used on the trolley cradle. Reduces water retention and possible scratching of the hull from any grit and sand held on the cradle. Consider a set of puncture proof wheels as seen in photo 12 - ideal for launching from hard surfaces. Photo 12 – A puncture proof trolley wheel Photo 13 - A wide 'beach wheel' used on for launching on sandy and soft launching areas.  If you leave you boat outside, use a decent prop, so if any water that does get in - it can drain out. -Photo 14 Photo 14 - Use a prop to support your dinghy. Final bit of advice! Investing time now to prepare your dinghy for winter will pay dividends when the warmer weather comes around, enabling you to get sailing quickly again without any fuss. You will also have helped to protect your investment for the longer term.

Name Length Diameter Type Jib sheet strop 3.4m 4mm Rooster Spectwelve (grey) Jib sheet 4.5m 6mm Rooster AllSpec Pro™ Spinnaker Sheet 12.7m 6mm Rooster AllSpec Pro™ Standard mainsheet 7.25m 9mm Rooster Polilite® 5:1 Mainsheet 10m 9mm Rooster Polilite® New rear sheeting mainsheet 12m 9mm Rooster Polilite® Mainsheet strops 2.5m 4mm Rooster Spectwelve™ Boom strops (main) 0.7m 4mm Rooster Spectwelve™ Boom strops (kicker) 0.9m 4mm Rooster Spectwelve™ Continuous kicker 13.5m 4mm Rooster EasySplice Continuos Control Line Cunningham 13.5m 4mm Rooster EasySplice Continuos Control Line Cunningham tail 1m 4mm Rooster Spectwelve™ Tramp ties 3.6m 4mm Rooster Polyloc™ Toe Strap Ties 0.8m 5mm Rooster Polyloc™ Wing pin ties 0.3m 3mm Shockcord Jib fast pin ties 0.25m 3mm Shockcord Main/Spin halyard take up 1.8m 5mm Shockcord Trapeze front 5m 5mm Shockcord Trapeze back 6m 5mm Shockcord Control line take away 3.8m 5mm Shockcord Take away block tie 0.3m 3mm Rooster Spectwelve Spinnaker sock tie 0.3m 5mm Shockcord Daggerboard Retainer 0.7m 5mm Shockcord Control line ties 0.2m 3mm Rooster AllSpec Pro™ Bowsprit launch line 3.2m 4mm Rooster Spectwelve™ Bowsprit / Spinnaker tack line 6m 4mm Rooster Spectwelve™ Spinnaker halyard 21.5m 5mm Rooster Spinfast Jib halyard 15m 4mm Rooster Halitec™ Main Halyard 21.5m 4mm Rooster Halitec™ Trapeze adjuster 1.6m 5mm Rooster Polyloc™

Since the Dinghy Show in 2014, Rooster's involvement in the 4000 class could be construed as slow but steady. Early in 2014 we introduced the new Mainsail with a modern look. We changed the cloth of the Asymmetric Spinnaker to one that was more slippery - ideal for the chute of the 4000.    Photo © Richard de Fleury Late in 2014 we started testing a new rudder stock with brass pintles. Yes brass! It seams that stainless steel is more likely to propagate cracks than brass. The old steel pintles were failing regularly so we worked closely with Sea Sure and a metallurgist consultant to create the ultimate rudder stock. We have completed the updated Gennaker Chute that will work with both the older and newer boats. The new Carbon Trailing Edge Daggerboard and Rudder Blade has been made from aluminium tooling. We have a second carbon mast in hand now that is ready for testing. The class are keen to make the boat much easier to handle in tacks and gybes, and with its foam filled top mast, even easier to right. We have had made replacement Bow U Bolts as these are starting to fail on second hand boats. They might be something we all need to consider changing before the rig comes down. I am sure we will be able to once again build and sell boats, now we have new sails, new foils and a carbon mast - it makes the sums possible that a new boat is not too far away from a second hand boat with all the extras.

Sometimes we develop good ideas ourselves; sometimes they fall in our lap. I am not taking any credit for this invention, but it is sheer brilliance on the part of a fellow Masters Laser sailor!Perhaps its because I have to spend half an hour every 6 months changing my self bailer bands, or maybe its the worry that the bailer might leak for the next sail after changing them. This is a once only solution. However, they only work on the current official (old replica) nautos® self bailers for the Laser® or ILCA...So when you open yours up for the umpteenth time to change the bands, check its a nautos® which most of them are by now) and you can fit a Rooster® Spring Plate instead of the rubber bands. They are class legal and are being manufactured under the Rooster Parts Brand. 

How to Stop Your Spinnaker Halyard Getting Jammed? When pulling it up or "your standing on the spinny halyard" When pulling it down "- ***m its re-cleated again". This short video shows you what we did recently to solve this problem. Its a development of what we have seen on a well rigged Feva and appears to make the kite sheet run smoothly. The trick is to use a stainless ring and 3mm elastic to pull the halyard to one side of the cleat - so it will not cleat - unless you get the tension when the kite reaches the top of the mast. We have also recently changed the kite halyard to some nice 4mm Spinfast: Its less sticky in the boat - runs faster and is less likely to snag. We have also been doing some boat bimbling on our mainsheet bridle system. Simple Taper with Rooster Dual Core Dual Core sheet has two Dynema cores, one inside each other. The outer sheet is easy to open up to take out the two Dynema cores, you can then cut it, taper it and feed it inside the two Dynema cores to make a smooth transition. I then sewed some whipping twine into it to make it secure at each end. To make the split bridle part - you can take the inner core out from the middle core, weave it in and out once and Bob's your uncle. You might also notice some more bimbling on the outhaul. A couple of basic loops in the end of the red and blue spectra lines for the flattener and outhaul - which quickly and safely loop around the boggles attached to the boom. Rooster Dual Core Sheet

I started this project wondering how to make a reliable Halyard using Rooster's Zero  (UMHwPE heat treated and solution dyed) equivalent to some of the best Dyneema® on the market.  Luckily I had some expert help from Derek Clark who was happy to share some of his work for the RYA, and together we tested and made a solution for the Europe. I have had one on my boat since March 2021, sailed in lots of breeze over the season in my bid to win the UK Europe National Championships just 25 years since my last title. On inspection the excellent stainless bead has only polished the Zero that takes the strain and offers me a very lightweight custom solution at the same time.  It's easy to make a quick adjustment to maximise the height of the headboard as well.   Check out the video below - I hope you find it instructive.       The video pretty much spells out how to make the halyard.  The kit is available from our UK store here.   A nice lightweight  2mm halyard line (reduces windage) is available here. Also used in the video are Rooster Serrated Scissors.    

Gelcoat First, try to buy a gelcoat either by the name of the existing hull/deck colour/shade of your boat, or if possible find out from the original manufacturer or class association the BS or RAL code of the gelcoat colour used, so that it will match the existing. See this video here for more details. Years of UV and sunlight will discolour the surface and may cause a some mis-match to getting a perfect match. You may need to mix an additional pigment to get a perfect match for your boat. For the Laser 2000 here is a handy guide to the colours v sail numbers they used see:Hull Colours | 2000 Class Association the deck moulding and hull below waterline have always been Vella Grey, except for the Purple boats which we believe were Dawn Grey. A RAL colour chart such as the above can be useful. Once you have your gelcoat, check that the gelcoat you intend to use has a small amount (approx. 2%) of styrene wax additive added. This wax additive is used to aid curing the gelcoat, and creates an air barrier so the resin can cure to a tack-free state ready for wet sanding and finishing. Always stir the contents thoroughly for at least 1 min before using and dispensing from the container. You will need to add and mix catalyst to the gelcoat to make it cure. MEKP is the standard curing agent/catalyst for polyester resins and gelcoats. How to repair small damaged areas? 1. The area of damage should be thoroughly cleaned. Loose particles should be scraped or sanded down. Very minor damage or scratches need only to be cleaned with acetone. 2. Mask up using masking tape the area, sand down with 120 grit oxide to expose & key the damaged area. Clean the area with acetone, mix the gelcoat (add any extra pigment to get the exact colour/shade) and then add the catalyst. How much Catalyst? 2% is ideal, 3% is a fast mix. Additions outside these bands in not advisable for proper curing, in fact adding more than 4% may result in a failure to cure. The pot life of the mixture is also determined by temperature and the amount of resin you are mixing in the pot etc. Appy the first coat of gelcoat mix with a small plastic spatula. The minimum temperature whilst filling, should be + 13C both the air and surface temperature.  The higher the temperature the faster the cure. Ideal temperature is 16 - 20°C Use 6 drops into 10ml of resin. (As a guide 1 UK tablespoon = 14.2ml) Curing: At 15C pot life is approx 15 mins, repair cure 1-3 hours. At higher temps, cure times will be reduced and colder, will be slower. Never work on surfaces colder that 10C and do not allow the resin or catalyst to freeze. 3. Allow to cure for 3-4 hours (depending on temperature). After 1.5 hrs at 20 deg. C the first gelcoat layer is hard and tack free. 4. Rub down the repaired area lightly with 180 grit wet and dry paper, until all unevenness is removed. Use the grades, 200, 400, 600 and 800, and finish by lightly sanding with 1000 and 1200 grade wet and dry paper. Use lots of water when rubbing down and prevent the wet and dry paper from clogging. 5. If necessary, repeat the above process and apply further quantities of mixed gelcoat and more rubbing down, finishing off with 1000/1200 grade wet and dry paper. 6. Avoid sanding outside of the damaged area (using masking tape again to protect the existing gelcoat) as one can easily rub through the existing coloured surface to expose the uncoloured laminate beneath and therefore increase the area of damage. 7. After sanding down with 1200 grade wet and dry, polish to a mirror finish using a fine rubbing compound (with a light spray of water on the surface and a damp cloth) such as Farecla G3 and then G10 and apply a good marine polish such as McLube HullKote polish to complete. The final repair completed seen here in this short video.. 

At the local club (Dell Quay SC in Chichester Harbour) we have strong Solo Class. To help encourage the National Solo class to grow , the decision was made by two existing owners (who currently race Solo FRP boats) to find and purchase a wooden Solo, in order to help continue to promote this strong fleet at the club.Over the next few weeks, I will try to give an insight on how to restore a 23 year built boat and be competitive for club racing.... Most of the materials and fittings used during the restore are available from the Rooster Sailing website….The choice of wood over FRP was made not only for budget purposes, but also for the tough construction wood has over the modern FRP hulls in case of any damage occurring and also that we have the expertise in the class to look after a wooden boat . Anyone who has sailed a wooden racing dinghy will also appreciate the 'charm' that a wooden hull gives too. The 3 main aims of having a Club Solo are:1. To have a Solo available for potential new members of Dell Quay SC who wish to try out a Solo before purchasing one and joining the Club.2. To have a Solo available to current members of DQ from other Classes who would like to use her for occasional racing and an introduction in to how lovely these boats are.3. To have a spare boat available to the members of the Solo fleet to use when their own boats are either off the water or packed up for travelling Series.Watch out for further Rooster blog articles on the restoration process...