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Introduction - 8.5 Meter Cat Terrapin


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Hello,

 

I've introduced myself over on the 8.5 facebook page.  It looks like this forum might be a good place as well.   I've learned a LOT by gleaning info from your past threads.

 

My wife and I recently bought one of the few Tennant 8.5 Wildfires in the US.  I have some of the drawings etc from the builder, but certainly not a complete set.   So, as we go through the process of re-commissioning this spring, I will have some questions for you all.

 

We are located in Maryland - about 50 miles south of Washington DC on the Chesapeake Bay, and have two sons 17 and 20.   We are all sailors, and have owned a variety of coastal boats over the years.   We still have a Laser, Hobie 16 and other assorted craft.

 

Since you guys are the locus of 8.5 activity, I hope I can pick your brains for info when needed on what is a VERY unique boat in the US.  I'm way out on a limb here, and I thank you in advance!   Seemingly simple things like dropping the 13 meter mast are freaking me out a bit without access to instructions.

 

The boat:

 

The boat was built 2000 to 2003 or so, from Tennant's plans in Western Red Cedar.  As of now, it has no sprit (prodder?)  At some point I hope to rectify that or figure some alternate plan to be able to fly a nice downwind sail.

The main and jib were cut according to Tennant's sail plan, and sewn by the (backyard) builder.   At some point, they might be upgraded as well.

I rebuilt the engine pod and will be re-installing as well.  (The original had some non-marine ply that rotted out)

The tramps are being re-sewn right now, and I expect to re install over the next couple of weeks.

The mast is is built up out of spruce and aircraft ply covered with fabric and epoxy.   It has a double spreader and appears to be in good shape.

Shrouds are Dynex Dux.

 

I do not expect to race the boat this year, but will sail/cruise it extensively on fairly protected water.   Weekend Warrior style.  

I have only sailed her about 40 miles thus far, upwind, in 15 to 20 knots.   Two reefs since I don't have a sense of when it is overpowered yet.    She did well.   The hulls were tight and moved together over the waves.   The leeward shroud was a LOT looser than I think is proper.  She continued to move upwind well in 1 meter waves.   Waves over that gave her pause.

 

Here's a pic of the boat.

 

 

DoHk5rO.jpg

 

Rebuilt engine pod with new tramp lacing points:

 

iAH2edZ.jpg

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Welcome Aboard Paxfish, I'm sure you'll find plenty of support from the 8.5m guys! Just remember, there are no dumb questions, don't be afraid to ask anything about your boat or general sailing. Good on you for buying an "unusual" boat for where you are, I'm sure you'll have heaps of fun!

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Yes welcome, plenty of forum members here have done a lot of miles on Tennant cats, more on the 8.5 Great Barrier Express than the Wildfire but they are pretty similar by the looks of it.

You will want a prod, but lots of people here will help with advice on all things I'm sure.

Some of it will even be helpful if you're lucky! ;-) 

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Yes - it does feel light underway as well.  I note in Tennant's drawing that the boot top should be "painted 150mm above the datum waterline (DWL)"

 

I believe this is to account for the difference between light displacement and "full load" displacement.

 

Scotti - Do you run a GBE?  I remain curious about spinnaker rigging and am considering mounting a sprit or possibly a way to simply have a tack point near each bow.

 

Currently I have only a main and blade jib.

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Thanks for that link - I have reviewed it exhaustively over the last few months!  

 

If you were to re-do your spin rig how would you do it?   Some of you guys may already have them, but would an Assymetrical furling rig be optimal for general use and occasional racing?

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A furling screecher puts a lot of stress on your mast ours is fractional and only used for reaching (angle of death)

 

The mast head assymetrical kite on the end of the prod is more useful downwind, use this cruising also. You need to watch the mast.

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In the middle of the front beam, there is just  a ring, with a spinnaker pole beak i the prod. easy to clip on and off.

 

Down low on the bows, there was a u bolt that went through one side of the hull. It was causing distortion, so I removed the u bolt, fitted a block of cedar into the bow (prick of a job) and drilled right through the hull. Inserted 2 tubes, and bobstay now lashed through the hull. as in, goes from the inside, through to outside, then back through the other tube. Works well, no leaks, better load distribution.

 

Agree with freedoms comments re sails, but if you were asking about furling asymmetric spinnakers instead of furling screecher, that might be a different story.  Although, with such a big foredeck, a well set up asym is easy to hoist and drop with no furler, and a much wider use window.  No one I am aware of in the 8.5s has a furling asym(?) just furling screechers.  

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GREAT Info, Guys!  Clipper -thanks for that good description.   In fact, Tennant's plans call for your old U bolt.   I will pursue something like your modification though.   It APPEARS that the stem is beefy enough for this.   Is that a bad idea?   With regard to the tubes you glued in there - PVC pipe?   Or something made of glass?

 

And thanks to you both about sails comments.  You're right - I need to bone up on my sail types.  We are used to dinghy/Hobie sails.  I have seen several assym spin furlers available these days.  I was not necessarily considering adding a screecher to the inventory, figuring a reach on main and jib would suffice.  But we will see what comes along.

 

My son's crankin' along:

 

eSmwTpj.jpg?1

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A furling screecher puts a lot of stress on your mast ours is fractional and only used for reaching (angle of death)

 

The mast head assymetrical kite on the end of the prod is more useful downwind, use this cruising also. You need to watch the mast.

 

Thanks - As interest, my spinnaker halyard is not masthead - it exits just above the hounds.

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GREAT Info, Guys!  Clipper -thanks for that good description.   In fact, Tennant's plans call for your old U bolt.   I will pursue something like your modification though.   It APPEARS that the stem is beefy enough for this.   Is that a bad idea?   With regard to the tubes you glued in there - PVC pipe?   Or something made of glass?

 

And thanks to you both about sails comments.  You're right - I need to bone up on my sail types.  We are used to dinghy/Hobie sails.  I have seen several assym spin furlers available these days.  I was not necessarily considering adding a screecher to the inventory, figuring a reach on main and jib would suffice.  But we will see what comes along.

 

 

Glass tube glued in with ends rounded and some boat cloth to seal up the ends. Added a carbon plate on outside of hull, between the holes so lashing would not dent or  'cut in' to hull skin.

 

Main and jib fine unless racing. I have only added decent screecher a few months ago to my inventory, not at issue 95 % of the time, but that 5% when I didn't have one, we would get smoked!

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Yeah good question Scottie. I know you own one, I know it floats. Does it sail....?

ha ha - sh*t stirrer Ken.  Actually its not currently floating - but will be by 0830 hrs tomorrow morning.  Looking at the forcast - should be sailing by 0900 hrs provided I can bolt the rest of the bits on tonight after I finish lashing the aft tramps, reconnect the tiller bar, install the motor, remeber the dinghy, sheets, sails etce and any other somewhat important sh*t!

 

Paxfish - I own a very old GBE called Euphoria. Owned it for years but never really found the time to get her going properly.  Still sail about (occaisonally as alluded to by Clipper) with the original main!

Just moving her onto a mooring 10mins row/paddle from my house with intention of day and overnighting her with wife an' kiddies. 

 

 

 

Recent pic of boat - not floating - attached.

 

 

 

euphoria-red.jpg

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On Freedom we have pretty much the same system as Voom except:

- we still have the eye bolts in the bows - Ours must be anchored better as there is no movement at all. They, along with the stays do seem quite draggy and splash a lot of water around when sailing.

- We don't have a patriots beak on connection between the prod and the front beam. The end of our prod is just molded to sit over the ring, with nothing physically holding the two together other than compression. To hold the prod up, we normally have a halyard clipped on but have a little string from about half way along to top of the dolphin striker to hold it up and maintain the compression when we don't have a halyard on. 

 

This arrangement means when you drop the kite into the water (even with a huge foredeck, it does happen occasionally and its not a huge deal normally), and the prod is trying to be pulled down into the water, the little string breaks and the prod just falls into the water and drags between the hulls of the stays to the bows. You just pull it back and stick it back on.

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