Newcomer from Brittany

[Thierry Msika]

Hello,
I live in Loctudy, Brittany. I might acquire a Sprint 15 soon.
Next Monday I am going to check over #1571, a boat made in November 1990 according to the ad.
Could someone tell me if it is possible to know where this boat was built and if there is any inherent weakness I need to be aware of when I look over the boat? Any other insider tip is welcome.
I am currently sailing a Laser and enjoying it a lot but I am looking at extending my sailing area to include the Glenan Islands, the closest of them being 6NM from my launching beach.
I have been reading a lot of the tips and information found on your website, all of them being very useful to survey a second-hand Sprint especially the articles regarding the trampoline and the aft beam locking tabs. I must say that I have never seen nor sailed on a Sprint. They seem to be few and far apart around here.
To present myself a bit more: I have been sailing on all sorts of crafts since I was 12, from the Optimist to a Total super tanker. I am now 62 and have been living in Brittany for the past 4 years. As a family we have been around a lot including a 5 years stint in Oxford, cruising for 5 years and living in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia for 15 years before returning to Europe. One of our sons lives near Aberdeen, Scotland.
Cheers, Thierry

[Liam]

Welcome to the forum. I hope the boat is what you are after.

Our price guide here: https://www.sprint15.com/buysell/dart15priceguide.php has the ages of the boats and that looks about right.

There's not much to look out for really. If it looks in good condition it probably is. Trampoline tracks from that age of boat have a tendency to rip off so look at all the rivets on the sides of the tramp. Look for cracks in the aluminium parts of the rudders - especially the elbow of the long shaft.

Don't worry about rigging. It is fairly cheap to replace and you should think about doing that regularly anyway.

[Thierry Msika]

Thanks for the good words of encouragement. I am a bit suspicious about the trampoline as it is new but made by a local sailmaker. Will see.

[Thierry Msika]

Hi all,

do you mind having a look at my prospective acquisition: https://photos.app.goo.gl/kNncDod5Hbhjdb9L7 and give me a few pointers? I am going to look at the boat on Monday.
Thanks, Thierry

[Liam]

I am sure it will be fine for cruising, which I believe is what you are after. It's been rigged up in a fairly idiosyncratic way but the rigging manual - https://www.sprint15.com/manuals/rigging_manual.php - should fix that. And we will try and help here. For instance, we use just the one jib sheet for both sides but with a 2:1 flying block.

The trampoline and white mainsail are not class legal but they won't stop you visiting islands.

Masts usually have a hook at the top to hold the sail up to get more halyard tension but using the bottom cleat is fine for cruising - although you need good rope as it will wear.

[Thierry Msika]

Thanks a lot Liam for the positive remarks.
After having read the article by George Stephen I am a bit worried about the trampoline built from a square of fabric instead of 2 triangles.
The seller said he would ask the sailmaker to sew the foot straps on and install the eyelets for them and the trapeze chock cord.
The ring shackle is missing at the head of the sail but the mast hook seems to be there. Hopefully the ring will pop up from the spare parts box.
For the jib sheet I guess it's a continuous one and the blocks are on strops instead of being shackled to the clew.
Cheers, Thierry

[Liam]

The foot straps should be tied to the beams at the front. You need eyelets in the tramp to allow this. They should slide in to the rear beams, you may need to take the hulls off to slide them in.

Don't worry too much about the tramp set up for cruising but you need to pull it very, very tight. Use a hammer handle or stick to lever the tramp strings.

Or a tree:

[edchris177]

That looks like a decently kept boat. I have one over here in Canada, same vintage, same sail colours.
I don’t know why anyone would use two jib sheets, instead of a continuous line. That only ensures the line will be dragging overboard when you want it. However, it’s a cheap fix.
You will like the adjustable trap lines. If the wind is not strong enough to require fully out in the wire, or in rougher seas, you can quickly set it to keep you at a 45 ish degree angle, keeping you out of the waves & spray. You can also hook on at either the bottom of the dog bone, or the top, giving more flexibility.
When going upwind with skeg hulls, you need to get the bows down a bit. (I have a Nacra 5.0 & 5.7, getting the bows deep allows pointing almost as good as my dagger boarded H18 or friends H17. We don’t worry about pitchpoling with bows down, the Nacras are far more resistant than say the H16).
Adjustable traps allow you to move fully between the beams, & still keep upward tension on the hook, which is very desirable. If upward tension comes off, the dog bone drops, & its easy to miss when quickly pushing out...resulting in going swimming.
The main blocks do not look like standard Dart 15 blocks, but if they work, they’re fine.
If you have the ring for the sailtop, I suggest using it, in conjunction with the hook at masthead. The mast is missing a small part at the base, which holds a fitting much like what you have on your adjustable traps, culminating in an “S” hook. After hoisting the sail, you drop the “S” hook into the sail cringle, pull tension, & secure in the V jam cleat.
It’s possible the previous owner removed this because they had trouble lowering the sail. My Cats stay mast up all season, on modified Seadoo lifts. If the boat is not pointed almost into the wind, it can be troublesome to drop the mainsail. The orientation of my docks & prevailing wind means I’m never “into the wind”.
The trick is to heave up on the main halyard, (which raises the ring up & clear of the hook). Then, while holding halyard tension, rotate the mast hard, (clockwise looking down from the top), this will move the hook out of the way. While still holding the mast rotated, pull hard enough to get the sail down just a bit, so it can’t re-engage the hook.
Enjoy the boat, it’s a blast in bigger wind & smooth water. For doing a 50km crossing on rougher water, I prefer the 19’ Nacra & my wife leans to the H18 with wings as we are at the age where 2-3 hours on the wire is not as enjoyable as it used to be.
But for smoother days & the sailing you describe it’s a great boat, plus when you do flip, it’s child’s play to right.

[Thierry Msika]

Thanks Edchris for taking interest.

I was going to go see the Dart on Monday but because of the forecast gale I went and bought it 2 days ago in sunshine.
The boat has been lightly used as can testify the original mainsail still in very good shape.
The price seemed OK, especially including a very good trailer with a big fiberglass box and launching trolley. I am going to resell the trailer to recoup some of the expense.
The trolley is a heavy galvanized steel one, very usable but that will add a lot of weight while pulling the boat alone up the beach and access ramp. I'll be looking for a lighter design. I already have some ideas, especially because I'd like to take it with me when cruising.
The second sail is a square top built locally and still almost new.
The downhaul is missing altogether including the small hardware piece at the mast bottom. The mast is damaged right there and I'll have to rig something else.
The main sheet is a 4 parts (double block) instead of 7 as per original (triple fiddle block with becket). Is a 7:1 purchase with the associated friction needed?
Apparently the seller did not use the toe straps but had them.
The ring shackle and the hook for the main halyard are also present.
I'll need to rebuild the the keel lines that are abraded and cracked. I wonder if I should use epoxy and a strip of glass to make them more abrasion resistant or just rebuild the thickness with gelcoat. Have some people glued a plastic strip (like PET black water pipe) on the keels to stop the fiberglass getting damaged when hard landing on sand?

Cheers, Thierry

[Liam]

Well done. I am sure you will enjoy your boat.

If you are strong then less purchase on the main is not a problem. It will wind out much easier if you need to depower. Not class legal, but you are not racing.

This is the part for the base of the mast: https://www.windsport.co.uk/product/mas ... -sp15-d20/

Some boats have a strip of aluminium in the skeg to protect them. Again not class legal. Most people just keep adding gel coat to the bottom each year. The best thing is to try and be careful landing.