johnmac

Yes they are the most efficient once up & running, but not the best overall. I've done back to back tests of the Optimist 207, Optimist 9007, Bertschi and the new German made 207 types. The best overall are the original Optimist 207 type - fastest to preheat & quickest overall to heat a measured litre of cold water. In this case you can't bets the original. I service & repair kero & meths stoves if anyone needs one brought up to speed.

Please note 316 stainless is very susceptible to crevice corrosion so its not a good material for chainplates which are buried inside deck timbers. I've seen several yachts with broken masts from either 316 stainless bolts or 316 stainless chainplates fracturing from unseen crevice corrosion. Far, far better to use mild steel galvanised (budget option), or 2205 stainless (bling option), or best of all - use the old fittings as patterns to cast new ones in AB2 bronze - which should pretty much last forever. Same with the bolts - bronze bolts will outlast 316 stainless and have no issue with cr

Bad news this morning, Colman dismasted last night, with only 700 miles to the finish. He's cut away his mast and sails but saved the boom. He'll have to wait a couple of days for the weather, then he's planning to jury rig and hopefully finish. Bummer for him after doing so well in an old boat. Hopefully he's done enough to get funding for a better one for next race.

Sold last night, $37,550. Amazing. All one can do is wish the buyer lots of luck.

I echo comments made by Wheels ree gusty sailing in the Sounds, it's a real issue. You need someone riding shotgun on the main traveller/mainsheet in those conditions. The Farr's form stability (wide hull aft) and cast iron centreboard make it more stable than most TY's that size. The wide hull aft means good motoring in a seaway under outboard, which for Sounds cruising with inexperienced crew is a major plus. Mine had a 8 hp two-stroke with sailing prop, an ideal blend of power & weight. Another big plus for the Farr is its pop-top & opening rear panels; combined with a cockpit ten

Recommend the Farr 6000. I owned one for three years. Fantastic little boats, great performance & plenty of room. While they cost a bit more than some others this size, they do hold their value well so you'd likely get that money back. In fact I made money on mine. Seaworthy little boats. I had to sail mine up from Orakei to Westhaven in a 45+ knot storm when the ramp at Orakei proved too dangerous to pull out. Used double reefed main, storm jib, and we played the traveller continually so we kept the yacht moving fast to give good steerage way. No issues and while it wasn't pleasant, i

Good point Ballystick, an iPad/tablet might be OK while navigating the Gulf on a nice day, but trying to hold and read one whilst singlehandedly moving anchor @ 1am in a storm --- no thanks.

Hi IT The yacht has a four meter backbone with four-way connectors each end. Fore end has power, Airmar depth/temp transducer, Airmar boat speed/temp transducer, Simard RC42 compass and provision for wind gear later. Aft four way has twin Triton displays and currently two spares for chartplotter(s) or computer. Thanks for pointing out twin Vulcans wouldn't work - I suspected as much. Looks like a single Vulcan unit on a swinging bracket or mounted on the bulkhead is the way to go. BTW, how much (ballpark) are the Zeus2 units? cheers john

Thanks IT. I don't have radar & apart from my NMEA2000 transducers for depth, speed & compass, don't have a network. However I have a couple more questions. 1. Should I mount a Vulcan on a swinging bracket inside the cabin with the ability to swing it out to see it from the companionway, obviously the unit will move through 180 degrees. Does this affect its internal orientation for the likes of COG &/or heading? Or does it automatically compensate? 2. Another option I have considered is mounting twin 5" Vulcans on the aft face of the cockpit bulkhead - one each side - as opp

Hi All Finding a suitable location for a MFD is a challenge for a tiller steered yacht, especially if you dislike the thought of boring big holes through the bulkhead. Even then, that location might be OK on port tack, not so good on starboard. Has anyone here mounted their MFD on a bracket inside the cabin so it can be swung out into the compainionway? How has that worked? My reservation with this approach is that someone could grab it (by mistake) when in rough water and that could be the end of that. The other alternative is mount it inside and control it with an iPad. I tried this on a B