MERLIN ROCKET FORUM

Topic : Merlin 950 - Spinnaker set-up

Okay its an old one (1959 Proctor mkVIII).

But its new to me.

I am looking to get this boat up together more for the CVRDA, than the Merlin circuit - it probably would not even be competetive on the Merlin Vintage circuit, I suspect, it being a slim river boat. To that end I am trying to make the old gear work rather than replace with the new. Its cheaper as well!

I am trying to get the spinnaker arrangement working, its been fitted, but not used in a long time. I have two poles of different length, a wooden pole which is 5+ ft or so, and along aluminium Proctor pole that is 6 and a half feet in length. I have two spinnaker sails, one is the original silky textured one (dated 1959 - I have the main and jib as well) and another huge spinnaker, with a number in the 42XX, can't remember the exact number, but 4 thousand 2 hundred and something. The question is:

How many Merlins have been made? This spinnaker has a loop in the centre to pull it down into a chute, so could be for a later Merlin? Or is it from something else entirely. I will be using bags as I do not have a chute.

Cheers

Steve Hawkins


Posted: 22/07/2010 08:19:26
By: Steve Hawkins
Hi Steve,

If the spinnaker has a number starting with a 4*** then it is not a merlin one. The Merlin Numbers finish at 37** at the moment. As for your poles you should ideally have one 2.3 meters long but would suggest that a 2m pole is ok if you use an older spinnaker.

As for the boat not being competative on the Merlin Vintage circuit, well that is what it is for. The older narrow boats are exactly why we have a vintage circuit. We have a handicap system in place to allow adjustments for wider, newer boats and for boats that have modern rigs and sails. In an ideal world you would an old sub 1000 number with a wooden mast, cotton sails and a small spinnaker. If you can sail it well you would win by a mile!!

Not sure exactly when they use the handicap but if you are planning on joining the association and want to join in the Vintage wing I am sure Mervin will happily tell you all about it.

Good luck.


Posted: 22/07/2010 08:45:33
By: Jez3645
Yes I met Mervyn at Bough Beech recently, in fact my son crewed for him, while I crewed in MR 507 Spritefull with Chris with cotton sails.....I did note that Mervyn's vintage boat was fitted with carbon spars though....:)

The Merlin Vintage circuit is something to aspire to, certainly. But it is early days yet. I hope to do a CVRDA event or two first and see how things develope next year. If only their forum was working!

Also in an earlier post I think we decided that this boat was originally fitted with an aluminium proctor mast and boom, and the original sails are from Ratsey and Lapthorn in Cowes...dated 1959, as was the boat. I stand to be corrected on this point, however.

The aluminium pole is aprox 2 metres, so I wnder what the other wooden pole is for - perhaps for goosing the jib?

So original spinnaker and long pole it is.


Posted: 22/07/2010 09:16:09
By: Steve Hawkins
the 4xxx spinnaker will be from a different class, new MR spinny dont have numbers on.
The 5' wooden pole was the original MR spin pole length, this was what we had to use in the early days with the then small spinnaker.


Posted: 22/07/2010 09:29:25
By: Rob 3708
These numbers are only in felt tip in the corners of the spinnaker.  I will measure it and see if it needs to be got rid of :(

My original spinnaker has 950 right across the middle though. So perkaps I should fix up the short pole to use with the original spinnaker in the short term?

Its no fun being the only MR in the village:)

Okay, sailing club!

Steve H


Posted: 22/07/2010 10:01:14
By: Steve Hawkins
Steve, I might be able to shed a bit more light on this.
In 1959 your boat would have had a 5ft spinnaker pole, that was the maximum allowed then and it was designed to fit under the foredeck. It would have had numbers on the spinnaker too, that was also in the rules.
There have been quite a few rule changes and innovations regarding spinnakers since those days. Originally the spinnakers were launched from bags and both sheets were set to windward of the forestay, which worked OK with a small spinnaker on a dead run but reaching was out of the question! Then crews started throwing the leeward sheet round the forestay, picking it up in the water on the leeward side and threading it through the aft carrying handle!
Gradually more kit was introduced: sheaves in the deck for permanently rigged sheets, spinnaker shutes, longer poles, bigger spinnakers, numbers were dropped off both sides and eventually all together etc.
Good luck with her - don't worry about being the only Merlin in the village - there are plenty more old boat nutters on here!


Posted: 22/07/2010 10:40:27
By: Pat Blake
Oops Pat in 1959 it would have had a 4'6" spinnaker pole the 5 ft pole came in in at the AGM at Ranelagh in the Autumn of 1960, after Geoffry Saffery-Cooper had been trialing a 5 foot pole all year. I remember his recomendation that it improved the existing boat with no virew to what it might do in the furure. At the same time we began to fly our spinnakers just above the forestay which allowed outside the rigging flying of the kite and thus realistic spinnaker reaching and gybing the kite eight years later along came spinnaker chutes and tale was complete.


Posted: 22/07/2010 11:15:04
By: David Child
My sheave(?) for the spinnaker halyard is just above the forstay. On the old Proctor mast. 

The jib halyard is ouside the mast and leads up to a block that forms part of the length of the forstay - if you get my description.

So in the short term I can fly my old spinnaker with sheets running outside the standing rigging, in the normal way, with the 5ft pole to be "of the period". And to just get some practice on something slightly less lively.

In the medium term I can measure the bigger spinnaker and see if it is of any use, with a view to putting it, or another spinnaker on and using the 2m pole.

Ho hum!

Steve H


Posted: 22/07/2010 11:27:40
By: Steve Hawkins
Hi Steve, I sail MR 1066 (Ten-Sixty-Six) on the vintage circuit and some CVRDA meetings, with the original rig and old spiny flown inside the forstay when possible.
On 1066 the spinnacker halyard is just below the forstay. It can work well on a run.
Email me if you want further info.


Posted: 24/07/2010 08:51:44
By: Tim Bury
I have now rigged it but failed to fly at my club today.  Combination of fickle wind, new crew (not my son Chris) and my general incompetence.  

However will try again soon, as I have the week off. Most problems solved, just a little bit more practice, and get the crew to chuck the thing round the forstay as I pull it up.

cheers

Steve H


Posted: 24/07/2010 21:02:37
By: steve hawkins

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