Storm petrel

[Nick Ward]

I am currently preparing my newly acquired storm petrel, and notice the instructions state to make  sure the rudder clip is securing the long pivot pin. I do not appear to have a clip so was planning to drill a hole in the pivot pin to accept an R clip to stop the pin falling out n the event of capsize. Does anyone know how the original rudder clip was set up ?
Also my son pointed out that in the event of capsize the hull looks like it would become a bath! So is there any reason for not fitting self bailers as we used to have on our GP14 many years ago?

[Michael Rogers]

Hallo Nick

I think I can help with your two queries. I'm referring to my own Storm Petrel experience, which is receding a bit into the mists of time past, i.e. pre 2010.

1) The long pivot pin slides down through two sets of gudgeons on the stern post, and has a 'head' on it so that it doesn't go down too far. On my SP, the rudder retaining clip was simply a sliver of thin bronze (I think) sheet , screwed (two small screws) at its upper end onto the stern post, and with its free lower end just above the position of the pivot pin head when the rudder is in place. When shipping the rudder, the pivot pin slid down past the retaining clip which then sprang out a short distance above the head of the pivot pin to prevent the pivot pin working itself upwards. To unship the rudder, the retaining clip is simply bent in towards the rudder post with one hand, so that the pivot pin can be lifted upwards and out with a second hand. This releases the rudder (which can be caught, if I recall correctly, with your third hand!).
    I hope that's intelligible ?! The metal used for the clip can be anything (e.g. brass??) which doesn't corrode and has a bit (doesn't need to be a lot) of innate springiness in it. Your solution is fine, except you have to have your R-clip to hand: I suppose you could attach it to the rudder with a short lanyard.

2) Self bailers. I don't see why not. Here I have a prejudice based, I suppose on relative ignorance. My sailing CV (which goes back to the late 1940s) has never involved sailing any boat with SBs, except a brief spell crewing on a Scorpion dinghy. My recollection is that the SBs leaked; perhaps the modern ones don't, although they crop up as a problem on this forum from time to time. I have an instinctive disinclination to make holes in the bottom of a perfectly sound and non-leaking boat (apart from drain plugs on transoms, of course). Not a lot of help, sorry! - but I can't think of a peculiarly Storm Petrel reason not to fit them, I'm sure they'd work as well as they ever do.
    Amazingly (see below) my SP only capsized once. I like your son's description of the result. On that one occasion, I had a bucket aboard and could empty her of water quite quickly.

I hope you enjoy sailing your SP: I certainly did mine. Her main characteristic is tenderness - you will find her VERY tippy compared, I guess, with anything else you have sailed. If your son is agile, and not averse to barking his shins frequently on the dagger board case, I'm sure that won't be a problem. I usually sail(ed) on my own, and quite soon sorted out some water ballast, in squashy containers as used for camping etc and stowed either side of the DB case. A bit of a bind to fill and lug about, but worked very well.

Have fun!!

Michael R

[Nick Ward]

Hello there, many thanks for taking the time to reply again !
Your comments are really useful.
So far I have drilled a small hole to accept an R clip but we will see how that goes.
The push pull rudder seems like it might confuse but we will give it s try, and my try to strengthen it as I don't want it to fail whilst sailing!
I also need to repair the wooden ring to which I gather I attach a rubber Inner tube or similar to make the bow buoyancy chamber watertight.
We plan to try it out at dittisham or exmouth near us in Devon, with wet suits and survival plans!
We only capsized the GP14 once when racing when my son was about 12-he is 30 now but this boat is clearly a different beast! I never considered lasers a reliable means of transport and it may be petrel falls into the same category!
All the best
Nick

[Michael Rogers]

Nick, it sounds as if your hatch into the forward buoyancy has seen better days. Mine was circular (but big enough to put stuff through if I wanted) and a thoroughly workmanlike screw-in job. I recall that that particular bulkhead in the kit came with the hatch already installed, and I think Nick Newland (Matt's dad, who designed the SP and, bless him, nursemaided me through that first kit-build) may have been trying out something he had found from the canoe construction market. No inner tubes needed!

Let us know how you get on.

By the way, my absolutely brilliant junk sail came from Topsham (near you?), a sailmaker called Chris Scanes who has since retired.

Michael R

[Nick Ward]

Many thanks for your interest
The wooden part I am poorly describing is the sealing ring to which the instructions suggest I attach a rubber sleeve to seal the mast where it enters the king plank and would otherwise leave a gap.
Nick