Sailing in Hunnebostrand west coast of Sweden in light winds

I am staying in Hunnebostrand with friends testing Exlex.

The natives are friendly.

Imam getting more and more used to handle her and the procedure to set and fold sails are getting quicker and quicker. To live in Exlex is very comfortable as there is plenty of space. She is very roomy. Exlex treats me very well and I am happy in her. I may stay a few weeks more here before bringing her back to my workshop on the east coast to do a list of modifications during winter. I May I intend to trail her to Dingle western Ireland then 1200 miles 25 days to Madeira then 5500 miles to Mar del Plata in Argentina 95 days, the 8000 miles to Albany Australia 150 days assuming 2,5 knots or 60 miles a day average. This is the plan a start. Reality may be very different. We will find out.

Regards Yrvind

SIX BEAMS LONG

ENKEL BÅT ENKELT LIV

SIX BEAMS LONG

The lengths and sail area of sail boats have been taxed by governments and punished by racing rules to such an extent that these boats are inefficient.
Cargo boats naturally have to be burdensome and racing boats naturally have to be built to racing rules. Cruising boats do not necessarily have to have these restrictions, but human beings are sheeplike when they see a racing boat winning a race they think its fast even when its restricted by racing rules.
Only a few boat types, like the Cornish pilot gigs, about 10 meter (32 feet)long with a beam of 1.5 meters (4 feet 10 inches) and the whale boats about 9 meters long and 1.5 meters beam are uninfluenced by rules.
Both use oars and sails for propulsion, Using oars in a sail race is of course strictly forbidden.
The Cornish pilot gigs was used as shore-based lifeboats that went to vessels in distress. When the whale had harpooned it would often pull the boat in a “Nantucket sleighride” trying to escape, sometimes against a rising gale. In both cases seaworthy boats were needed.
Sail area are restricted by racing rules. This has led to the Bermudan rig. Its based on the airplane wing theory. The airplane has two wings they cancel each others healing moment. Sailboats are different they use deep ballast keels to get stability. Lead is heavy. Much sail area is therefore needed to propel them. The lead keel is little use downwind and cruisers sail mostly downwind. Lenght of mast is more important than sail area to the cruising man. This week my Next Design is six beam long 6.96 meter with a 1.16 beam. Hopefully my economy gets on an even keel when I get to Australia enabling me to build her.
Regards Yrvind.

MORE SAILING IN HUNNEBOSTRAND

I have been out in Exlex more times. With crews. Problem is my eyes are now not the best or do they make the print in the charts smaller nowadays.Its a lot of rocks here and I have a daggerboard not a pivoting centerboard. I do not like to damage its so I am prudent.

Below two videos from today 19 August 2019.

Its friends that have helped me to put up this on youtube.  Its kind of to modern with music and stuff to my mind it is confusing but it has to do bucause the purpose is to show Exlex sailing so it has to do.

I will stay here in Hunnebo a bit longer. The natives are kind.

Regards Yrvind

HUNNEBO NEW LOCATION

Exlex is now on a new dock in Hunnebo. In the previus location I violated a rule saying I could not stay on a friends place while he was out in his boat.

Here is plenty fine so I am happy.

Exlex Visit Hunnebo Its the yellow boat to the right in the picture just below the red houses

Regards Yrvind

ON THE WEST COAST OF SWEDEN

I am now in Hunnebostrand. I hope to do some test sail.

Here is  a picture

Exlex is the yellow boat to the left in the picture

I have problems with the computer and its late so I have to come back later after asking a young person how to do

Regards Yrvind

ODD JOBS

Doing a few odd jobs.

Saterday I think it was. Håkan and me was out sailing. The wind was Beufort 3 maybee. The picture shows my AIS speed on Marine Traffic, 2.6 average 4.3 maximum. If Exlex can average 2.5 knots I be happy so this is a happy start
Here I am making a mosquito net. A light chain is sewn on to hold it down inside the hatch coaming.
Exlex sculling oar has excellent bollard power but when the boat is making speed through the water it kind of floats up. Only rapid mowement helps. I am a spokesman for slow sculling strokes so I am making a new oar. The picture shows me using my table saw. I have clamped on the shaft to a rolling table to keep the same angle when sawing the slot. The laminating blade is standing on the table. This is slow work because first I have to wait for the glue to set on the blade then next day I glue the blade to the shaft, the next day I reinforce one side of the oar with carbon next day the other side, next day I glue a stainless steel tube around the shaft to prevent wear, but I am getting there.
A friend told me that someone has said that I should have done the roll-over test with masts. It was not practical because the water was to shallow. However I do not worry becouse as you can see the mast floats, they have lots of positive boyancy. With masts standing Exlex will have even more rigthning power. True the sails will damp the motion but that only makes the person inside more comfortable. The rightning moment even without masts is very strong when the boat is upside down all the way to 180° of heel. And yes my visitors is my friends Lena and Beppe 

Soon the sculling oar is done and more sails will be done.

The plan is to trail Exlex to the West Coast for more sailing. The future looks bright.

To be continued…

Regards Yrvind

EXLEX SAILING IN VERY LIGHT WIND

Yesterday Exlex was out sailing in very light winds. Frinds with a small unmanned remote controlled helicopter did a video.

Today one year ago I started making a half modell then a modell 1:5 scale and finally a male mould. So the building time for this new Exlex is less than a year. And, she works just fine. Its a good boat. Its enough to be in her to make me happy.

To be continued…

Regards Yrvind

MORE TESTS

Today I have been sailing Exlex two times light winds on boath occasions.

She sails very well and comes about easily. She is very stedy. I am happy with her. There is however room for improvements here and there. Something for the coming winter.

There is some videos made of her sailing. A friend have promised to put them on my webbsite. I am an 80 year old dyslexic and have very pour knowledge about computers and such things. I leave it to freinds when they have time.

Below is a photo showing Exlex exelent stability click once or twice to enlarge.

To be continued…

Regards Yrvind

SHE FLOATS

Toaday Exlex was launched. A rollover test also was made. She has positive stability to 180 degrees.

Unfortunately the ventilation system did leek. Seawater entered the sleeping cabin. It can be fixed but will be difficult.

Soon sail test will be made.

Below are two videos.

To be continued…

Regards Yrvind

MY WAY OF ATTACHING SAIL TO BOOM AND YARD

This is a cheap and weight saving method. I use bits of Tufnol with holes drilled in them in it attached with carbon fiber rowing and NM-epoxy to the spars. In the holes I have Dymema strings and loopes. With the strings and loops I can knot the sail to the spars with kind of Truckers Hitch knots. The booms have three strings, the yards one string. The three strings is for reefing.

A video belov illustrates.

To be contiued…

Regards Yrvind.