CAN 02 "Windfall" Refit

WINDFALL : REFITTING THE VICTORIA

Intro Overview The Refit Conclusions Terminology Drawings Materials

The Refit

Almost everyone who upgrades a Victoria class sailboat will modify the same components. I have borrowed heavily from the top sailors and experts in the class, and added my own twists and simplifications to the design.
Hull
The keel and rudder were attached as per the kit instructions and the keel trunk area was reinforced with a fillet of epoxy. The hatch opening was cut as per the plans. In place of the kit supplied hatch slides, a piece of flat styrene was glued in place using liquid adhesive. The kit hatch cover was discarded, and adhesive "Contac" paper is used in its place. The "Contac" paper is cheap, waterproof, and light, and is more convenient than taping the kit hatch in place. The transom, steering wheels, cleats, pulleys, and all other kit fittings were discarded.
Standing Rigging
The new mast step is fabricated out of aluminum and is screwed into mating holes in the servo mount below. I chose to replace the mast, boom and club with carbon fibre components. The top of the mast is slotted and fitted with an aluminum masthead crane. The bottom has been plugged with epoxy. A single spreader made of brass tube is located 37" above the deck. A brass eye is epoxied to the front face of the mast at the same height for the jib attachment point. A series of brass eyes are epoxied into holes along the aft edge of the mast to accept the mainsail's jackline.
Gooseneck Arrangement	The gooseneck consists of an aluminum fitting epoxied to the mast, and a swivel manufactured from aluminum rod. One end of the swivel allows the boom to swing, while the other is slotted to allow the boom to lift. An aluminum tube fastened between the gooseneck and vang attachments acts as the pivot pin. The entire assembly rotates easily, allowing 180 degrees of motion in both axes. The mainsail boom is fitted with a short section of aluminum rod drilled and filed to match the gooseneck. A screw is used to attach the boom to the slotted end of the swivel. A single fitting, fabricated from aluminum sheet, provides an attachment point for both the vang and the sheet. Outhaul adjustment for the mainsail is accomplished via a rubber grommet, sized to provide a tight fit.
The jib club has four attachment points. Two sections of aluminum rod were drilled and fitted to the ends of the tube. One fitting acts as an attachment point for the jib stay, while the other is used for the topping lift. The jib pivot and sheet attachment points were fabricated from aluminum sheet. Like the mainsail boom, a rubber grommet provides outhaul adjustment for the jib.
In place of chainplates, I have used Pekabe eyebolts with an aluminum washer for under deck support. In all, four eyebolts are used, two for the shrouds, one for the backstay, and one for the jib club pivot.
The shrouds and stays are braided nylon fishing line, with a snap swivel at each end, and a bowsie for adjustment.
Running Rigging
Running Rigging
The running rigging is set up as a single purchase jib/double purchase main. A custom fabricated aluminum sail arm provides the necessary travel. The jib sheet is attached to the jib club with a small snap swivel. The sheet then passes through a Pekabe fairlead, and to the starboard end of the sail arm. It passes through a hole in the end of the sail arm, through a bowsie, then down to the opposite end of the sail arm, and back to the bowsie. In this manner, the adjuster is supported, and will not cause drag on the jib in light airs.
The main sheet is attached to the boom with a snap swivel, and passes beneath the deck through a fairlead tower at the forward end of the cockpit. Inside the hull, the sheet travels from the fairlead to a pulley on the port end of the sail arm. From the pulley, the sheet is routed through a bowsie to an attachment point built into the fairlead tower, and back to the bowsie.
This arrangement minimizes the number of holes required in the hull, and keeps the added weight of adjusters off of the spars. Although access to the interior of the hull is required to adjust the sails, this doesn't present a problem thanks to the "Contac" paper hatch cover.
Radio Equipment
My radio is a 2 channel Futaba AM radio, with a Futaba S125 sail servo, and an Apollo mini servo for the rudder.
The arrangement of radio equipment is the most radical of the design features implemented. The sail servo and rudder servo are mounted separately on removable mounting boards.
Sail Servo	Rudder Servo
The sail servo mount is fabricated from 0.045" aluminum sheet. It has been formed into three "steps" The top step is drilled and tapped to accept the screws from the mast step. This fastens the board to the underside of the deck. The second step has been cut, drilled, and tapped to accept the sail servo. The lowest step holds the battery pack. The battery pack holds 4 AA alkaline batteries side by side, to keep the center of gravity as low as possible. The power switch, an LED indicator and receiver plug have been epoxied onto the pack, to eliminate additional wiring inside the hull.
The receiver is attached with velcro to the underside of the cockpit deck, behind the main sheet fairlead.
The rudder servo is mounted on a tray screwed to the underside of the cockpit deck. The rudder linkage runs directly from the servo arm to the rudder tiller arm. A rubber boot is installed where the control rod passes through the cockpit bulkhead.
The antenna is placed in a plastic tube epoxied to the underside of the deck. The tube is positioned on the starboard side just outboard of the hatch opening.
Sails
Sails	I have created three suits of sails. The firstsuit use 3/4oz rip stop nylon, and are stitched. They work great, but I found them a little heavy. The next two are cut to the maximum and minimum size allowed by the class rules. They are made from mylar I received from a local auto glass tinting shop for free. From a local sign shop, I purchased a roll of double sided tape and a sheet of 2mil vinyl cut with my sail numbers and graphics.
	In all cases the mainsail is attached to the mast using a 0.060" carbon fibre rod, fed down through the luff pocket of the sail and the brass eyes on the mast. It slides into the aluminum pivot tube at the gooseneck.
Finish
After painting the hull with Krylon for the first two seasons, I decided to use automotive enamel the third time out. The hull was stripped using brake fluid The entire hull was then painted with an automotive primer. Next came the white base coat. After the base coat had thoroughly dried, the Victoria was masked and the graphics and contrasting colors were applied. The paint job was allowed to set for a week, and then the hull was washed and painted with clear coat.

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Intro Overview The Refit Conclusions Terminology Drawings Materials