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How long?

Made of what?

Wall thickness?

Bobstay fitted or knot

and most importantly - Are you happy it's working well and doesn't make you think it's about to bust?

 

 

I've been offered some 100mm carbon tube with a 2.7mm wall thickness. I can protrud 2000mm max from the stem on my R930 family cruiser. Whatta ya think?

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Cool. I would put in a Bobstay especially if you will be flying a code zero type sail that requires a bit of luff tension.

Will the carbon tube slide in and out of another bit of tube?

I find a fixed one sticking out gets a bit tricky in close quarters.

 

Go for it...930's really light up with a masthead gennaker and wind at a suitable angle.

 

Hoping to replace the fixed folding one with a disappearing tube version sometime soon. Got prod envy when I saw what Entertainers looked like.

 

a.f.u

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My prod on 8.5 Tri sticks out 2m is made from 70mm ID x 77mm OD Carbon (so 3.5mm wall) - made from mix of 90 and 45 degree fibers from Kilwell. I run a bobstay and whiskers stays (I think that's what they are called??). Once the various stays stopped stretching it looks OK with code zero up but time will tell if it survives long term - there seems to be a few stresses going through it all without the bobstay I think it would bust really quickly.

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On Rafferty rules we are running a 49er prod that has been cut down abit I think. Got a VERY thin set of spreaders on it and its rotatiing, Not to sure on the dimensions.

 

Rotating and lifting so we just unhook the bobstay when we get in and lifts up, only thing We could improve on it without going beefier is the fitting onto the boat which is abit light weight. Although, that could be a winter job...

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Prod on WT is an Elliott 7 lower mast section. ID70-OD76. We run a bobstay but no side rigging. I wouldn't go any lighter than that. We have 2 settings on the bobstay, Code 0 and full extension. Just have to be super careful that in the CZ setting (1m of prod out) we launch the prod hard and get bobstay tension. If not we snap the prod off, like we did on our way to bay week!

 

If this 100mm tube of yours is 100% carbon and has a bit of off axis it should be fine for gennakers, but for any kind of tight luff sail you'll need a bobstay.

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yup raffety rules is running a 1.8m rotating carbon prod. using solid carbon rod as spreaders ( super yacht sidestay off cut). bob stay is a must, mine is shackled to the winch rope eye. also running bobstays off the spreader ends to stop the prod swiveling which means all the prod to boat fitting needs to take is the compression.

I'm not running any kites, just A sails. big masthead gennaker and a 18 footer no 1 as a fractional.

boat lights up and with a rotating prod we find we can keep up with most flat off in the light. Its good to keep weight off the bow.

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Here's Squid's new prod. Several have got these and very sexy they are. Pretty sure they are contained within the anchor well and don't protrude into the accommodation. They must however make the anchor well quite small. I'm not sure but it looks like a fair bit sticks out permanently which might be a pain in close quarters or marina size is an issue. Toles or Ptown could elaborate. They certainly look nice.

 

There's a few options on pivoting (up,down,sideways) in carbon/alloy that work. One recently on trademe pictured. Ballistic has variation on one. Not hard to find hotrods around the marina's with some cool setups.

 

Local Hero and maybe No Worries have deck mounted prods in carbon with associated fittings which might be worth a look. These might have an advantage in being able to remove them getting rid of weight in a bad place. Not sure as No Worries can be seen with it extended in the "BMW" even flying a spinnaker.

 

I'm trying a simple Selden solution which will or won't work. Not intending to load it up with Code O's and setting it up well within their tolerances. Will know in a week or two if it works or not. I'm expecting to have to fit a bob stay. It only sticks out 1.2m though. My old Baverstock mast will probably go before the prod. Would like a bulletproof solution but the co-owner has to be convinced :D

 

Comes down to money really. Assy's are great for harbour/coastal courses and short handed but you're still going to need kites for regattas. 2 of everything :(

TE.jpg

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Comes down to money really.
Those that die with more toys have done better than those who die with a bank account full of coin. I'm taking the toy route.

 

I'm planing on a smarter version of Squids. Retractable like his but in further so only bugger all sticks out. It will go back to the dunny bulkhead (one you may knot have SD as some boats don't like SV). It'll cruise well above the grunter so still plenty of shagging height. Squids when retracted still sticks out 800mm odd, I think. Knot to sure if that's due to structure issues or Toles just likes looking at the projection he wants but doesn't see when he looks down :twisted: :lol: :lol:

 

Inside the boat the whole thing will be encased with something, maybe even simple sewer pipe, which will be sealed and drain overboard leaving no water ingress avenues. It'll also tie into the deck/gunwale/topsides real well making it strong.

 

I thought while she's out do it that way and keep the foredeck clear so I can still run self-tackers.

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"leaving no water ingress avenues" :lol: this is a 930 :crazy:

 

I was amazed when under class spin in 20knots & small swell how much the prod on The Entertainer buried itself in the tide. There was alot being drained back out the front and through the anchor locker, need a cap on definitely.

 

C-tech did a great job on mine:

 

1 off: 80mm ID x 3.6mm wall @ 1600 long

 

1 off: 88.8mm ID x 3.3mm wall @ 1600 long

 

1 off:74.6mm ID x 2.7mm wall @ 300 long

 

With bob-stay. I haven't had masthead gear on it yet but I'd say she'll be just fine - my issue is my noodle mast still.

 

From memory she sticks out 700 from the stem

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Non retracting, fixed prods dig deep when running flat off in any sort of seaway. Caused a couple of nasty broaches on my SR. The rotating prod ca be cocked to weather but that brings its own issues. WT has the best of both worlds- retracting and rotating!!

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Only trouble with closing the inside bits off to the outside world is if the 'prod out' line breaks, you may be in for a bit of a job re running the bugger. you will obviously do it way overkill in the string department so it may never break but there is always the 'what if....' to think about.

 

have it a tight (tapered) fit at the front end when it is in, and a tight fit at the back end when it is out, your housing tube through the anchor well should have a fuggen big hole in the bottom so it can drain at most normal angles of heel, with a fancy plastic bush at the front and back to stop water running back.

 

a nice set of balls on the end of the tack lines (all fast boats have 2) and that is your 'prod in' line

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Non retracting, fixed prods dig deep when running flat off in any sort of seaway. Caused a couple of nasty broaches on my SR. The rotating prod ca be cocked to weather but that brings its own issues. WT has the best of both worlds- retracting and rotating!!

 

Cutting a massive hole in the middle of the bow, directly below the forestay fitting does have its own issues though! There's about two kilo of carbon holding the show together up there on WT!

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"leaving no water ingress avenues" :lol: this is a 930 :crazy:
No need to tell me brother :lol: :lol:

 

It is an area that I can stop easy, unlike most of the rest of the bloody boat. Na, new foredeck hatch and this one may even get bolted in unlike the existing, that may help. Total redesign of the companionway hatch. Cockpit lockers being removed so will the leaks in them.

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Think the prod on the shaw was 5mm wall tapering down to 3 or something like that.. extending 3m from the bow without any stays. It was also UHM carbon which made a huge difference to the amount of deflection. We used it with the upwind super zero with 1m out of the boat with no problems.

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Update - going to a heavier wall thickness as the boat will be out of easy fix range for a while so reliability is a huge factor.

 

The idea is set 1mt off of load carrying tube in beside the stem and back thru 2 bulkheads, then have a water catcher tube on behind that so the boat is sealed. That water catcher could be plastic as it will carry no weight at any time. The Prod will slide inside that tube.

 

I don't mind and if in the slightest doubt will fit a bobstay but the boat has no beam to fit any side support.

 

Knot bothering with rotating, the range in which that will work well is just too small to piss around for and I don't want the extra blaa that comes with those systems.

 

K.I.S.S ............... and I am one of those S's.

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Only problem with your "water catcher" scheme is you have permanently lost all that internal space and humping room.

 

I have an inspection hatch in the aft bulkhead of the anchor well. When boat on trailer etc then prod retracted and running back through

open hatch - when I'm sailing or at anchor etc prod out and inspection hatch closed sealing off main cabin so no water ingress problem.

 

Depends if you want to always sail with prod out (as I do) - I only retract for trailer-ing and marina parking (though now I park arse in so

don't have to bother with that either). I don't know if your internal bulkhead layout would allow this.

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