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What is the optimum setting of the fairlead blocks on the Dart 15 in light-to-moderate wind conditions? Do class rules allow adjustment?
Also, my stern hatch covers and their through-hull mated fittings were badly damaged by UV, which, I thought, explained why I was getting a fair amount of water in the port hull. I replaced them on both sides, adding a bit of silicone under the rivets for extra insurance. However, I'm still getting appx. the same amount of seawater in the port hull, while starboard, as before, remains bone dry. That makes me think the water is coming from elsewhere, perhaps through the rudder gudgeons; I do see a few hair-line cracks in the hull emanating from the gudgeon fittings, can't tell if they penetrate the gelcote into the glass. Any ideas on whether this or something else is the likely culprit?
Many thanks,
Scott Neuman
Dart 15 - "Quintessence"
Discovery Bay, Hong Kong
See Dart 15 Chat page 9, Bob Carter's response of 3/6/2000, to someone in Hong Kong.....
The latest new Dart 15s have hull fittings for the tramp which are the same as for the Dart 18, but shorter (and you may find some Chat on this if you look through the list).
Basic advice on whether to move the jib-blocks forward or back according to wind conditions can be found in the paperback books on Cats - Phipps or Kim Furniss.
As regards water in hulls, make sure that the sealing rings round the O hatches are properly fitted, and you do fit the hatches exactly true in their housings.
But there are lots of potential places where water may enter. Over time the rivets holding the tramp tubes may start to "give" in the hulls, and allow water to enter. If you are surprised that so much water could enter the hulls, look at it this way - before you sail the hulls are likely to have got warnmer than the water, and the air inside will have heated up and found its way out through thr breather holes (in the rear beam housing) or any other gaps. When you put the cat in the water the hulls will cool down, cooling the air inside and causing a reduction in internal pressure. If the best available gap for correcting this happens to be under water, it will be water that gets sucked in.
So make sure that ALL the rivets are sealed - Laser Centre use little rubbery plastic fillers, but some of us have used a mastic-type sealer, eg as used in kitchen/bathrooms round basins and baths and available from DIY shops etc. When you check the rivets, if any appear suspect, when you replace them put a little of the mastic into the hole when you do - this may seal any residual gaps between rivet and hull.
One of my hulls is now almost leak free, but I still haven't chased down where there is still a little coming into the other.
Many thanks for your advice. I need to disassemble the boat to install a new righting line in the fore beam, so will look around for possible leaks while I'm at it.
You'll have to look very closely, and even then you may miss some holes. If the rivets holding the tramp tubes are starting to fail, you'll possibly not see the gaps as they'll be under the aluminium on the hull...
Don't stop looking just cos you've found one possible gap.
