MERLIN ROCKET FORUM

Topic : merlin n° 3065

hello,
i am the owner of MR n° 3065 built in 1977 i think, with what appears to be the original mast (proctor) and sails.

i am thinking about upgrading the rig, and here are the options:

-if i keep the old alu mast (or get a new one) and get new sails, can i go for mylar or kevlar ? or should i stick with dacron ?
-if i get a carbon mast + new sails, will the boat be strong enough ?


Posted: 13/06/2005 11:22:55
By: jeremy
Jeremy,

Phil King would say that putting a carbon mast on is always an improvement, - but I am not sure what the current costs are for a super spar carbon to work out whether it would be worth the expenditure. There are technical issues in that carbon is not good in compression and has in the past caused problems for hog stepped rigs at the mast gate that would need addressing, but if you were thinking in terms of putting the rig on this boat, and then taking it to a newer one in a few months or so, I would say go for it. You would be able to get some good second hand sails from a front of the fleetie and would save alot of money there - but don't think about deck stepping the rig - by the time you have strengthened the hull, filled in the mast gate and provided a king post and put in the tackles for the shroud and lower adjustment, any weigh tsaved out of the mast has been put into the hull two fold!


Posted: 13/06/2005 15:38:45
By: Chairman GGGGGG
Ahhh...but the weight wouldnt be 20ft in the air above you...  ;o)


Posted: 13/06/2005 15:47:27
By: Mags
You could get 2nd hand sails recut to suit the mast, but the hull is definitely not strong enough without major reinforcement, which is pricey.  See Dan Alsop's articles on the website (link Mags?? I can't find them now)


Posted: 13/06/2005 16:00:32
By: Andrew M
ok thanks for this.
for information, i live in france, so i guess buying anything in UK will be expensive for me.
there is a guy here who makes filament winding carbon tubes and masts, and i am ok with composite materials engineering, so it won't be too dificult to get that done locally.

are there any cases of wooden merlins that were fitted with a carbon hog-stepped mast that failed ?

also, i guess that "racing" sails cut for a carbon mast won't fit my old proctor ?


Posted: 13/06/2005 16:11:50
By: jeremy
Link below.

http://www.merlinrocket.co.uk/mrold.htm

Posted: 13/06/2005 17:28:45
By: Mags
thanks very much !


Posted: 13/06/2005 20:24:56
By: jeremy
Another point to consider is whether the hull is strong enough to take the rig tension.  You will have a high bow tank which ends forward of the bow tank and my understanding is that deck stepping has not been so sucessful with such boats as the hull gets stressed by the shrouds and does not have enough across the boat to keep it rigid.


Posted: 13/06/2005 20:44:25
By: RichardT
if i go for a carbon mast, i will keep it hog stepped, and locally reinforce it where it goes through the deck.

does anyone have a superspars carbon mast ? i checked on their website, and the section for merlins is a 55mm diameter tube with 1.5mm skin, that seems really soft.


Posted: 14/06/2005 07:26:30
By: jeremy
by the way, i never got the class or measurement certificate of my boat, is there a way to find a copy of it at the class assocition ?


Posted: 14/06/2005 15:26:58
By: jeremy
The RYA control the certificates.  Try www.rya.org.uk and look for the link to the Technical Department.  I think a replacement certificate costs about £20 for non-RYA members.

For the record the yearbook shows that your boat is the last registration of 1976. It is a Smokers' Satisfaction built by the Rowsell Brothers (identical to mine, 3076). The original name was Psychic.


Posted: 14/06/2005 15:42:54
By: bill
I owned Psycic abt 4 years ago - is a beautiful boat had just had the decks re epoxied and varnished by Winders. The boat was displayed at the boat show that year and i think won a concourse award, also featured in Y and Y report of the show.
Good to hear Psycic is still active.


Posted: 14/06/2005 16:06:00
By: Chris
yep, psychic is still active, although not racing since there must be about 5 merlins in france and none at the same place. but that nice deck is still turning heads !


Posted: 14/06/2005 18:37:10
By: jeremy

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