Offshore Sailing

[Yara50]

The Investigator 563 is a fine little mini-yacht, but in it's standard form is not set up for blue water sailing. By blue water I mean offshore, where there is a possibility of being blown out to sea, rather than in enclosed bays and estuaries. An example would be outside the Heads in Sydney, where there is nothing between Sydney and New Zealand to land on.

Here is what I would look at improving on the I563 if I was keen to do short offshore hops. (Having done them in the past in keelboats, I wouldn't bother these days, as it is easier and quicker to drive to the destination, and after all, that is the point of a trailer sailer.)
Anyway:
• Add lower shrouds. These would be attached to an additional pair of U bolt chainplates. On most boats there is already a flat area aft of the existing chainplates which is used for boats which are set up without a backstay. However, keep the backstay. A long, tapered ply or similar reinforcement needs to be added under the deck to spread the chainplate loads.
• Secure cockpit lockers. Add sealing strips along the edges and ensure that the lids can be locked down.
• Improve cockpit drains. Some owners have added an additional drain by cutting through and glassing in one of the transom steps.
• Secure cabin stormboards. Reinforce if necessary, and add ties to keep in place. A saddle on each and a matching saddle on the cabin step, with shock cord clips, is one way of doing it.
• Strengthen fore hatch. This is a difficult one if you have an earlier version with only one hinge, especially if you also have the window in it. The best way would be with a strongback ( A bar inside which goes across to the opening sides and has some form of bolt pulling the centre of the hatch down to seal.)
• Lock down and seal Pop Top. Most boats have some form of screw down at the forward end, but you also need to have something at the aft ends to hold down. Yara has hasp and staples, but there are other options.
• Modify cabin hatch slides. On some boats only small pieces of fiberglass hold down the sliding hatch, and as the pop top ends spread, it cracks these “hook” ends. One solution is to make new lengthways strips which attach to the sliding part and hold the hatch down onto the rail.
• Check and strengthen rudder mounting pintles and gudgeons. Also check through bolts in hull, as these are classic corrosion points.

[Dr. Peter]

• Lock down and seal Pop Top. Most boats have some form of screw down at the forward end, but you also need to have something at the aft ends to hold down. Yara has hasp and staples, but there are other options.
• Modify cabin hatch slides. On some boats only small pieces of fiberglass hold down the sliding hatch, and as the pop top ends spread, it cracks these “hook” ends. One solution is to make new lengthways strips which attach to the sliding part and hold the hatch down onto the rail.

Given how wet our boat is I would like to explore some of these waterproofing ideas.
Peter