Wind Instrument Fixed & Sailing Dinghy

This weekend our local rigger Kim replaced the circuit board in our B&G mast head wind instrument.   This was the one thing that didn't work on the boat when we bought it. It now works great and accurately displays both the wind direction and speed. While up the mast, Kim also installed two foldaway mast steps about four feet from the top. These steps will allow someone to gain better access to the top of the mast.

We got a used sailing dinghy this weekend. It's a 7-1/2' long fiberglass sailing/rowing dinghy called Moby Dink from Hess Marine, in Long Beach, CA. This dinghy looks very similar to the popular Fatty Knees dinghy which was designed by Lyle Hess. Although I couldn't find any references to Moby Dink on the Internet, I suspect that it may be related to or a knock off of the Fatty Knees. Anyway, it's a blast to sail and has a robust traditional look like Juliet.

Cockpit Enclosure

This weekend we had a new cockpit enclosure installed. The enclosure is made of eight nylon mesh panels. The panels block about 90% of the UV rays, some of the wind, and most rain water. Although you can't really see in from the outside, the visibility is pretty good from inside the cockpit. They fit very nicely and are relatively easy to install and remove.

I think we will spend a lot more time in the cockpit with these enclosures. I'm sure that Bubba will like the shade and visibility outside. We should be able to use them while sailing if we roll up the middle side panel to access the headsail winches.

Whisker Pole

This past weekend we completed the new whisker pole installation. The whisker pole will be useful when sailing downwind for both local races and when cruising. It will allow us to set the headsail out to windward and prevent if from flopping.

We went with a Forespar 13-24' line control whisker pole mounted on the mast. The installation required a new 1-1/4" track, topping lift, control lines for the inboard end toggle, and chocks. Our rigger Kim did a great job on the installation and we look forward to using it.