Merlin Rocket bits - 950

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Stephen Hawkins
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Merlin Rocket bits - 950

Post by Stephen Hawkins »

On inspection last night I have discovered that I have a few broken or missing bits. If anyone has any of the following spare, to give/sell I would be most appreciative:

1. One of my long yellow crewsaver bouyancy bags is actually a mast float, something I only discovered when I pulled it out from under the rear deck....Doh! Rather than buying new - if I can even get them, I was wondering if anyone had an old one - to match the other 3 serviceable ones I have.

2. I mentioned before that I have a triangular block/pulley, one side of which seems to form part of the forstay length, that is breaking up. I think it is for the spinnaker. The plastic wheel is the issue, the metal case is complete.

3. One of the small drainer's in the transom, who's bungs are linked with a bit of cord is also breaking up and incomplete - one of the translucent plastic outer pieces that is screwed to the transom. The bungs are also very old and wrinkly, but will do for now. I only ask as they as of a smaller 'bore' than most I have seen, and I do not know if I can source a new set.

4. The rudder has a small split in it and the whole assembly needs refurbishment. If anyone has a spare that I can use while I refurbish my own, Please let me know.

5. Finally some advice - I have a hog stepped mast of indeterminate make, Although I can set B2 on the plate. that seems to have two sets of spreaders. The small topmost set seems to be pretty slackly set up with wire. How should it be setup really? There are adjusters, its just that the previous owner obviously did not really know what he had and how to look after it.

Cheers

Steve Hawkins
Steve Hawkins

1967 National 12 2383 "Sparkle"
chris
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Re: Merlin Rocket bits - 950

Post by chris »

Can probably help with a rudder, what measurement between the pintle and gudgeon?

Mast
sounds like a diamond or possibly jumpers at the top, a picture and more details and we can help set that up. Do they point forward or not?

Must go and work now!
Stephen Hawkins
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Re: Merlin Rocket bits - 950

Post by Stephen Hawkins »

The top set of 'spreaders' point forward and form a diamond shape with the wire. If that is any help.

Steve Hawkins
Steve Hawkins

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Re: Merlin Rocket bits - 950

Post by Ancient Geek »

Well
1. You can still buy the bags from various manufacturers and sources second hand ones can be found The Boat Barge at Burseldon Bridge is a gold mine of out of date stuff that one had long forgotten worth a call.
2. Your little plasic wheel the nautical term is sheave and you can source this from any decen chandler in brass or stainless tuphnol and plastic to be avoided as they split as you have noticed!
3. Take the silly buts of plastic out and use corks"
A True Tall Tale about Thames Sailing Club
The Bar Secretary was furious. There were just two corked bottles of gin left in stock, and one of those corks was already earmarked for McDougall, who was always losing his bung. Tomorrow was the start of an open meeting and there were bound to be visitors in the same predicament.
Do you know what had happened? The new delivery of gin bottles all had screw tops. Not a cork amongst them. Absolutely no warning, no apology, no thought of the disastrous consequences to many people. The Bar Secretary could not let the crisis drift without taking action, so he put an URGENT notice about lack of corks on the notice board, putting the blame where blame was due.
The news was received by members with the indignation it deserved, and for at least 10 minutes overshadowed the argument at the bar about who had right of way at the buoy that afternoon. It was unanimously agreed that the Hon. Bar. Sec. should write a stiff letter to the distillery, at the highest level, which he did before going to bed, while the topic was still fresh in spirit.
Dear Sir,
For over 45 years this sailing club has bought your gin. Many new boats have been designed in that time and much standardisation achieved in order to bring sailing into the reach of the masses. That has included bunghole sizes; medicine bottles size, champagne size (few), in overwhelming majority gin size. Your gin, Sir.
Corks don’t last forever. They break, get lost, and float away in buoyancy tests. Always this club has been able to produce a replacement without charge to you for free advertisement on the transoms of boats travelling all over the country.
Now, without warning, you have changed to screw top fasteners and many small boat sailors may be deprived of their recreation. If you cannot change your bottling policy the Committee may have to recommend a change of supplier.
Yours faithfully
You know, the Production Manager thought he was having his leg pulled! He was a golfer, not a sailor, but he called in one of his reps that he knew had a dinghy.
“Smith, is it true that all that keeps the water out of sailing dinghies are our corks?”
“Yes, Sir, jolly good too. Even better if we had a stronger join between cork and serrated edge. Less tendency to find ourselves still bunged up with the head in our hands!”
“Smith, the company will not revert to corks for the sake of sailors, but we can try to save their goodwill. Get a box of old corks, take a few sample bottles to the club and see what you can do”.
“Yes, Sir!”
Smith knew the TSC. This was job for a Tuesday evening!! The Bar Sec gratefully stowed the corks away and decorated the shelf with the miniatures. The assembled bar got down to the serious business of the evening and a few pints later Smith was ready to admit his Directors had made a shocking error in policy. They were decent chaps but a bit dim about boats. How about the Bar Committee coming to see over the distillery one day and have lunch in their canteen? The invitation was accepted unambiguously and a date fixed before retraction was possible. Many working hours were lost that day and appetites for home suppers were suspiciously diminished!
We discovered a few weeks later that the local Marina sells cheap, first rate rubber bungs, firmly attached to strings, unbreakable, unlosable, just the job for dinghies. There is no holding the march of progress. Anyone want a box of old corks
4. Sorry cannot help.
5 The rig - It will almost certainly be a Proctor C section (Label about 2" square on the front?) with Diamonds and a single set of spreaders below the hounds it's pretty self evident how the wire runs set the tension so it twangs in a low note and keeps the mast straight if you overtension the speaders you will pull the top mast forward. If you need to replace the wire 1/16" piano wire is readily available and the ends are easy enough with pliers and copper tube. The Rigging Screws will be fine if stiff WD 40 or easing oil of choice. use the lock nuts or wire them up when you have set it up.
NB if using a spinnaker and no doubt you will put a length of shock cord from the end of the spreaders to the shrouds to prevent the spinaker snarling up.
Simples.
Garry R

Re: Merlin Rocket bits - 950

Post by Garry R »

I bought 4 rigging screws yesterday with 8cm barrels for diamond tension on a wooden mast I am refurbishing. Cost £14 delivered from ebay. If the rigging screws you have are sticking, a bit of heat from a heat gun, get them moving and get some WD40 round the threads. Check the shrouds too. It really is surprising by the time you get new shrouds, forestay, halyards, piano wire, bottle screws etc just how the cost mounts up.
Stephen Hawkins
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Re: Merlin Rocket bits - 950

Post by Stephen Hawkins »

Oh, and I need a boat cover.........Fnurk!

I expect I will have to buy that one meself. Its finding one that will fit an old Merlin.

Shopping list:

1. New Boat Cover - £200
2. New bungs - Pennies
3. New bouyancy bag - £30
4. G4 £36 inc postage
5. Better stop this or i'll get depressed.....

Cheers

Steve Hawkins
Steve Hawkins

1967 National 12 2383 "Sparkle"
chris
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Re: Merlin Rocket bits - 950

Post by chris »

Yes don't go down that route!


I bought me cover from Velas about 18years ago simply 'cos they advertised in the merlin mag.
They do know about the different shaped merlins and I had to take some measurements but what they made was a good fit. A decent cover does pay for itself in reducing maintenance. (looking on the bright side.)
My velas cover has only just started to 'go' in the last year or so. I replaced some of the bungees a while a go but now the stitches have mostly decayed. but the fabric is still OK. I paid 140 for it which works out at £7.77 per year which is half a tin of varnish so I have saved quite a bit on that alone.
Pat
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Re: Merlin Rocket bits - 950

Post by Pat »

Get your G4 from the local garden centre. £18 a tin in ours.
(Half Cut and What a Lark Removals Ltd)
Rupert
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Re: Merlin Rocket bits - 950

Post by Rupert »

I have a long Crewsaver buoyancy bag in the shed. Probebly got various other bits you don't know you need yet, too. I'm in Purton, if you want to pop over and see?
Rupert
Stephen Hawkins
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Re: Merlin Rocket bits - 950

Post by Stephen Hawkins »

Rupert,

I would love to.

This weekend sometime?

I have some sanding to do tomorrow.

Cheers

Steve Hawkins
Steve Hawkins

1967 National 12 2383 "Sparkle"
Rupert
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Re: Merlin Rocket bits - 950

Post by Rupert »

I'll be at the Whitefriars Comet Versa open during the day Sat and Sun, but you could pop in one evening?
Rupert
Stephen Hawkins
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Re: Merlin Rocket bits - 950

Post by Stephen Hawkins »

I vaguely recall where you are, as I dropped by once some years ago for some old tuffnall bits and bobs.

You will probably be knackered by the time you get home on the weekend, whether you are sailing or supporting the event?

One evening will be fine, but I can drop by early next week if it is more convenient. I will be 'fettling' all my spare time on the weekend on the Merlin. Or, if you want a laugh, you could drop by and cast a gaze over 950.

The bag would be very welcome, as being second hand, hopefully it will be more of a match for the other 3. And a new one would stick out almost as much as putting in the Holt equivalent. Do you need a Crewsaver mast float? :lol:

Give us a bell on my Moby 07511135033.

Steve Hawkins
Steve Hawkins

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jon711
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Re: Merlin Rocket bits - 950

Post by jon711 »

Stephen,

It would be lovely to see this diamond, any chance you could upload some overalls??

Jon
davidh
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Re: Merlin Rocket bits - 950

Post by davidh »

Steve, (and jon)

somewhere (in my deep and darkest past) I do recall writing about these diamonds as part of the series 'keeping it up'

I'll try and dig it out as it included pictures but from memory the story goes as follows:

If your mast is wooden, then the key thing is to keep everything in column. Wooden spars can bend a bit but understanding that bend- and managing it, is something of a dark art.

The forward facing diamonds were mainly to support the upper 1/3 of the stick, both in the sideways and fore and aft planes. Funnily enough, early contenders also used them, as this boat had an almost excessive unsupported top section. Nose dive the boat in waves and it was possible to invert the mast: you then had to strip off the rigging and with luck, the mast could then spring back to something akin to a straight spar.

Don't try this at home however with wooden mastes else there be a loud splintering noise from above!

D
David H
Garry R

Re: Merlin Rocket bits - 950

Post by Garry R »

Secret Water, Iska and Terrapin have so many wires, halyards shrouds, diamonds etc it's a real surprise that the whole thing looks like Jodrell bank. I am dreading going digital!!
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