S.M.U. 15 Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Anyone know how the tracker keel was made? How many keelbolts they are ment to have? Also has anyone put a bulb on or extended it and yes I know they're more regarded as a caravan. There we are........... that will do for starters Link to post Share on other sites
sow1ld 2 Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Hey hey no tracker bashing thyre neat boat's. Ive done plenty of cook strait crossing on a tracker! With regards to the keel anything is possible but at a cost that tends to make keel changes a bit cost prohibited. The tracker is plenty stiff enough so I personally wouldn't head down the bulb road. To do a bulb ul have to stiffen up the floor and or hull deck join plus a bulb would be dear steel fin, getting the bulb shape drawn making the mould etc If I was doing a keel change or mod I'd prob go a later model foil section (or re profile the keel you have? ) but increase the Draft by using a timber deadwood. U maybe be able to take the keel bolts out of the old keel get some longer bolts and add the deadwood to the top of your existing keel. My thoughts behind that is only a mild increase in righting moment but deeper Draft to help pointing. As to how many bolts and if they where j bolts or not I'm not really sure sorry! Link to post Share on other sites
Dusty 0 Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 If I remember correctly my keel that came out of the Hopwood constucted mould had five bolt and the one forwardwas a smaller diameter to the others. Hardly an ideal set up as all bolt were on the centre line with no pairs. If I were building the same boat again I would try and have at least two pairs included. The keel was a very poor shape for good upwind performance with a very fat trailing edge, this fat edge was where a spacer was put in the mould to increase keel volume to get the reqired 2000 pounds of lead. if building the same design again I would go for a lower centre of gravity keel and design a far more efficient shape. This would probably mean a slight increase in draft. A bulb would also be my pick as the tracker hull does not have much in the way of form stability. Most improvements would be upwind. Construction of the interior would need beefing up. I did a rudder change on mine changing from the skeg arrangement to a balanced spade rudder and that really helped in tacking situations, Holding a kite in 25 knots all the way from the barrier back to Auckland proved the boat was quicker to respond to the helm with the spade rudder. All of this however costs money if you can't do it yourself, but for those people probably best to put your money into a Marauder. Link to post Share on other sites
waikiore 408 Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Be very careful if it is a glass tracker, as with glass Harmonics I have lifted the hull on drums , to let the keel hang free to do some work on them only to find that I can move the keel athwartship at the bottom in one case inches -- without the hull moving at all at gunwhale level. ie the floor and load bearing hull skin has gone so soft that it will not support the standard keel properly, never mind a deeper/heavier one. This does not seem to be a problem with Reactors or Ravens or the timber versions of these boats. Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,246 Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Ravens are completely different - keel does not bolt on....ballast is internal, and keel is part of the hull... You are in serious trouble if the keel comes off a raven - your hull is in bits Link to post Share on other sites
Changed 10 Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Years ago I had a Harmonic. Hull is easily stiffened. Glass webs into stub to tie the sides together and glue to the floor and then glue in a one piece 15mm cabin sole. Still going strong last time I saw it. Inspection holes over the stub need to be kept fairly small to gain rigidity. Overall a very cheap fix for a great little boat. I think all choppy boats were a bit soft in modern terms. Link to post Share on other sites
S.M.U. 15 Posted August 23, 2014 Author Share Posted August 23, 2014 Thanks for you input guys. I was just contemplating/dreaming new lengthened keel after reading Booboo's Maurader add in trademe . Also I only have 3 keel bolts and 1 locator bolt on centre line. Have checked dimensions to weight of keel and Niverns(?) rule and it all stacks up. Someone has done the ply floor job to her already so we are all good there. ps anyone knows if theres been a stabity test or figures done for the Tracker? Wifey is relativley keen on White Island race with RAYC one day. I know we're small but we enjoy ourselves and the various challenges sailing throws at us and that race looks a bit of us! Link to post Share on other sites
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