Build rudders, tillers, crossbar etc.
I didn’t have any plans to give dimensions for the rudders
(and the old rudders had disappeared) so I experimented
with cardboard cutouts, comparing them with the photo in
the Wharram catalogue, until I figured I had the shape right
and size in proportion. A query on themultihull.com resulted
in a reply with the correct thickness of ply to use. I laminated
the rudders out of 4 layers of 9mm meranti ply, shaped
them and then glassed them over. I didn’t bother carving the
blades into foils – I just rounded the edges off. They seem to
work fine. The tillers took a bit of head scratching. Originally
I intended to use hardwood, but the tillers are long and I felt
that they would be heavier than I would like, so in the end I
used rectangular alloy tube (75 x 40). I cut the bottom of the
extrusion away at a slight taper on my uncle’s band-saw.
The finished tillers slotted straight over the rudder heads and
are just bolted through. The crossbar is a 40mm alloy tube
attached by dinghy tiller-extension universals.
Extras
As the project started to edge towards completion I
tentatively considered a couple of extra items that I felt would
improve the boat. These were a sit in cockpit and/or adding
a dagger-board to one hull. In the end I built the cockpit and
The new look Owl sailing again
ran out of time to do the dagger board.
I felt the cockpit would be a great improvement on having
to sit on a flat platform. My boat has had the slatted decks
replaced with ply platforms from the 1st structural beam back
to the 2nd non-structural beam approximately .9m behind
the cabin. The rear-most platform had rot in it, so I decided
rather than just make a replacement I’d built a small cockpit
module to drop between the rear main and rear secondary
beams.
Obviously clearance was a concern. I decided the sole
could be a maximum of 100mm below the beam. To see
whether a workable arrangement could be evolved around
The new look Owl sailing again
that measurement I set to and mocked the cockpit up with
cardboard templates. I made the well 400mm deep and
I arranged the cockpit with a single sheet winch at the front.
the seats approx. 300mm wide, which has proven very
The sheets are lead to the winch through cam-cleats and
comfortable. The finalised design was then constructed in
are cleated off as the sheet is hauled in. Works well. The
12mm ply and glassed over. This influenced the design of the
mainsheet and traveller adjustment is lead to both sides at
outboard mount, which is a ply and timber sled that hinges of
the rear of the cockpit and of course the outboard is at the
the front of the cockpit well.
rear as well. Everything necessary to sail the boat is at hand
making single-handing really easy. It is extremely comfortable
to helm all day without any aches and pains. The only time it
slaps consistently is with 4 or more aboard in a chop. With
one or two up (how I usually sail) in 25 to 30 knots there is
only very occasional contact.
With the benefit of 18 months of fairly intensive use I would
have to say that the new cockpit and re-designed sail
controls have greatly improved the comfort and utility of the
boat. It is so easy for the helmsman to sail and handle the
sheets while tacking that experienced sailors sometimes
complain there is nothing for them to do! This does pay
dividends when one has non-sailors as passengers, and
as previously mentioned, single-handing is a breeze – pun
intended.
There is currently a short clip on You Tube of
the boat under sail. http://www.youtube.com/
Picture of the new look cockpit
watch?gl=GB&hl=en-GB&v=E2YYOzfAfNA
38  MULTIHULL REVIEW : JULY 2009
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