sv FeNix Website

[mbd]

Here's an interesting website I ran across on another forum.

http://www.sbastro.com/FeNIX/mainFrameSet.htm

This guy is sailing around the world on his modified Cape Dory 28. He's done a couple of mods I thought some of you guys may be interested in. In particular, I like the way he tied his stanchion bases into his bulworks. His rudder mods (with homemade self steering) are pretty interesting too. He also raised the height of his coamings...
Ship Trak is kind of a neat product too. http://www.shiptrak.org/

[ebb]

Thanks Mike,
a very interesting and individual site.

Take a look at what he did with his rudder!!!

[mbd]

Yeah, it got me wondering if you could add an additional rudder post for a wind vane's trim-tab aft of the original, instead of hanging all that stuff off the stern. Although, it would complicate maintenance. And, I suppose the stern mount position does keep it out of the way.

I did read he acquired a used Aries windvane along the way, but that his homemade job was working fine.

I see he's also posting a log of his progress on the Cape Dory board.

http://capedory.org/board/viewtopic.php?t=22173

[ebb]

Don't these Dorys have two rear hatches where we have one?

To translate to the Ariel:
Not TOO big a deal to make our huge lid into a double and mount the vane shaft vertical thru the new divider at the back of the laz so that it exits below just forward of the transom tip.
In other words not exit the transom in any way.
Be very clean there.

Our single hatch, if not being used for an OB, would actually be more versatile if there were two separate hatches. For instance you could have access into the laz while standing/kneeling on the stern.... Looking for that anchor or series drogue.

The rudder:
Our medieval rudder is more protected than his new one is now - despite his pros-and-cons. I think he could have designed a slanted skeg to help shed seaweed, lobsterpot line, global garbage - AND made the naked rudder a lot stronger. I zipped thru his web pages very quick - he may have ended up with just that. Interesting he did not design a balanced rudder.


When I get to his voyage log I'll be looking for what the remodel has done to his tracking and steering!
Had I looked into an alteration like this - and certain that nobody knows the underwater lines of a vessel better than Alberg - I'd consider keeping most of the original rudder profile as an extension of the keelpost - as the articulating rudder certainly is. In other words, I might have faired the keel back at least a foot or so in a terminating foil.

I haven't yet digested his reasoning for not putting the rudder entirely on the transom where from a cruiser's point of view it is more accessible. Wouldn't it be easier to support a long rudder blade off the stern using the space available inside the transom to brace a long skeg? You know, like a root canal.
My first take on the conversion was that the new rudder is too short. And its area too small.
What do you think.....?

[later post: Have scanned his latest logs (using Mike's portal above). Not a single mention of the rudder or not keeping a rhumb-line. So he must have done it just right!]


His is cruising.

And THAT is far more real than theory