When we did the mini refit in the summer we also gave the hull a bit of a spruce up. Didn’t take any photos then but thought we would follow up now. It was looking rough with chips out of the hull and big dents. We only had a short amount of time to tidy up the hull, so it … Read More
RS600 – A mini refit
With the Wildcat on the water we decided to give the 600 a quick work over. The underside of the hull had some damage which we needed to fill and fair, and we wanted to get rid of the old blue Pro-Grip on the wings and the deck. Below is the result of the work, before to the left and … Read More
RS600 – Sailing on the 17th of October
It was a very gusty day at Swords, wind ranging from sat on the side, too flat out wiring and back again. Usually quick rapidly. Here is a short video. Top speed for the day was 14.2 knots.
RS600 – Sail Comparison very old vs brand new
Our shiny new sail arrived today, many thanks to a good friend who brought it over for us. Obviously the first thing we wanted to do was compare it with our existing crisp packet… sorry sail. So we decided to share what we saw. To be clear, our old sail is very old, so it has shrunk over the years, … Read More
RS600 – The project block and rope equipment list
A breakdown of the fittings and cordage used for the RS600 refit.
RS600- Iterate and optimise the controls
We’ve had a good number of outings on the boat now, and it’s given us the opportunity to fine tune the initial systems. Nothing to major, but more about making the boat as easy to sail as possible. But first lessons learnt to date, firstly the boat is so much easier to sail than the International 14. The boat is … Read More
I14 & RS600- Unpacking our shiny new tiller extensions (Ok they have a matt finish)
The problem with carbon or glass tiller extensions is they are notoriously fragile if you fall over the side! A stronger solution is a kevlar/carbon composite, kevlar being a super tough material. Hence they make bullet proof jackets out of it. But it is also very difficult to effectively laminate together, its hard to get the resin penetration. Enter our … Read More
RS600 – Fitting out the main control systems, new mainsheet and bridles
Big day, the weather was great in Ireland, despite a bad forecast, we had sunshine and light winds, so decided to hit the RS600 hard.
RS600 – Tidying up the racks, add the take up systems for the controls
If you are thing this might the wrong way around, you would normally be right. Instead of keeping the mass of metal saddles, rings.
RS600 – Mast rebuild, some new rigging & cleaned up fittings
After a few days of curing the we took the mast out of the shed and rebuilt it. Did something I haven’t done in years… used a rivet gun.
RS600 – Varnishing The Mast, Takes Time And Patience
We are using Epifanes 2 part polyurethane varnish for the new coating. We are using polyurethane instead of epoxy because it is more flexible and hard wearing.
RS600 – Sanding the Mast, just need to be careful
Been sanding the Mast in the evenings. The picture above is actually of the starboard side of the mast before we started rather than after.
Finalising the 14 and continue to strip the RS600 down
First job was to finish the 14, the old Pole Sock has reached the end of its life, so Phillip Watson of Watson Sails in Kinsealy made us a new one.
RS600 – Breakdown, clean and make the job list
We got the boat home, yes she is neglected, but it looks like she is fundamentally sound. First we had to take all of the not permanently attached kit off the boat. We are going to strip the boat all the way down, wings off the whole lot, just to be sure there is no hidden damage. While we are … Read More
A new project – RS600
With lockdown in Ireland we’ve been banned from sailing the 14 as both of us are outside of the 5km boundary. Also its not exactly subtle to turn up to a club with an International 14! Getting hold of any single handers in Ireland has been next to impossible, more so for trapeze single handers. However fate decided to intervene … Read More