We used the 20-year old head sails for a year
while we were getting to know our 1985 Tayana 37 cutter which helped us work with a sailmaker to
get exactly what we wanted when the time came for this item to rise to the top
of the list. It did in 2006 while we were in Annapolis, and after shopping
around, we selected the UK Halsey loft for the job, mainly because of our
respect for Scott Allan there. We were very pleased with the sails.
Other than minor repairs, we continue to use the
fully-battened main sail which came with the boat when we purchased it in
2005. The previous owner had it made at Jasper and Bailey in Newport Rhode
Island. After a careful inspection, the five-year old sail was
well-made and looked lightly used. Here are some photos of our sails:
Gyatso
under sail during our Atlantic Crossing (photo courtsey of Bobo) on
the leg from Antigua to Bermuda. Our only regret in terms of
preparing the sails for the voyage is that we didn't install a third reef
point in the main sail when we it was at the UK Halsey loft in Annapolis
for inspection and repairs. We made due, however, and always have
the option of sailing with the staysail alone which we did once while
heaving to and letting storm force conditions pass ahead of us to the
east.
Gyatso
enjoyed the sailing conditions in the Eastern Caribbean as much as we did.
Most days we would ask, "Should we put in one reef or
two?" During the month of January, we kept the first reef in
the main sail almost the entire time. With roller furling head
sails, we could respond quickly to changing conditions such as the
frequent afternoon squalls.
Our
new headsails were designed and made by UK Halsey in Annapolis,
Maryland. We were extremely pleased with their work and for the
brilliant advice of Scott Allan when he suggested we keep the high-cut
Yankee. We contemplated switching to a more traditional jib or genoa
but decided to stick with the original sail plan for the Tayana 37
cutter. The new Yankee is slightly larger than the old one.
Contrary
to the recommendations of several riggers who have inspected the boat, we
have kept the club-footed staysail arrangement for now (pictured here
while Gyatso is at anchor in the Tobago Cays).
Rigging
While we were in our homeport of Annapolis in 2006 preparing to sail offshore
from the Chesapeake Bay to the Caribbean with the Caribbean 1500 Rally, we
decided to replace all of the standing rigging and life lines.
This was a straight forward project that we contracted out to Madden Masts and
Rigging (MMR) in Annapolis, however, it didn't end-up that way.
After un-stepping the mast, we took a closer look at the chainplates
which are mounted to knees on the inside of the hull. We had been
concerned about the chainplates since the very first inspection of the boat when
we found signs of moisture in the cabinetry around them. We had hoped at
the time that it was simply the lack of properly maintaining and bedding the
deck plate covers where the chainplates pass through the deck. We had also
hoped that this had not caused damage to the chainplates or bolts holding them
in place. Unfortunately, we didn't like what we found. While
attempting to clean-up the chainplates for a closer inspection, David noticed
that in addition to very rusty bolts and chainplates, several of the bolts were
loose and could not be removed because the plate they were mounted to was
embedded in the fiberglass-covered knee. We considered this a serious flaw
in the chainplate design because there was no way to get at the hardware without
digging it out.
After conflicting advice from people at MMR, we consulted
other experts on the topic and reviewed how others dealt with this issue on the
very helpful Tayana Owner's Group website. In the end, we decided to
replace all of the chainplates, but it cost us dearly. Time was running
out, and we had already signed up for the rally. Despite our misgivings
with them, MMR was willing to work with other technicians at the Port Annapolis
Marina, promising to get the work done by our planned departure date from
Annapolis. It was a major undertaking as can be seen in the photos below.
Except for a few minor issues, we did not have any
particular problem with the work of the individual technicians or
sub-contractors on the job, most of whom did their jobs very well. Our problem
with the work was with how poorly the overall project was managed. Without
going into a lot of details, we regretted not using a company that would have
identified the additional problems (i.e. chainplates) upfront and had more
capabilities to complete the full job. We did make
it to the start of the rally on time, but not without some very tense moments,
creating bad feelings all around at the end of the project.
We did find a few small, but significant technical flaws
in their work, but luckily we discovered them before any problems
occurred. One was the use of a standard bolt to re-attach the roller
furler on the staysail to the deck fitting. Upon arrival in the BVIs after
1500 miles offshore, we found that the nut on the end of the bolt had come
loose. If the bolt had failed, the results could have been disastrous.
However, the problem was quickly fixed with the installation of a part specified
for this purpose by the Pro Furl manufacturer. Thousands of miles later,
including an Atlantic crossing, and we haven't had a problem since.
Another problem we encountered was the new halyard MMR
made for the staysail, the end of which jammed where the halyard is fed out the
mast. Had we needed to drop the sail for any reason while at sea, we
wouldn't have been able to without climbing the mast. Luckily, we
discovered this problem during our post-passage inspection in the BVI's.
We fixed it by cutting out the splice made by MMR and using a knot called a
"baby fist" instead. Here are some photos from the rigging
project:
We removed the
bow pulpit and anchor rollers so that both could be repaired. The
cranze ring was also removed which gave Lisa the opportunity to lay on
nine coats of varnish. David removed the windlass and worked with
cousin Will to overhaul it.
Chainplates:
At first, everything looked okay with the old chainplates as they emerged
from the deck even though improper maintenance of the chainplate covers
over the years had allowed water to seep below the deck surface.
Chainplates:
After the chainplates failed a more thorough inspection when we returned
from Michigan in September, we removed all seven to find that all had
signs of serious crevice corrosion and would need to be rebuilt.
Chainplates:
The aft chainplate was one of the easiest to remove, but it also showed
signs of corrosion.
Chainplates:
The most difficult aspect of the chainplate project was removing the
daughter plates to which they attach. When we removed the
chainplates, one of 35 bolts sheered off and two others were spinning in
place. We consulted the Tayana Owner's Group (TOG) website and
learned that the daughter plates were buried behind layers of plywood and
fiberglassed in. There was no way to inspect or service them without
just digging them out.
Chainplates:
Each chainplate was in a different condition, but the plywood in several
of the knees was completely water-logged and had structurally
failed. The photo at left shows the pulpy, decomposed nature of the
plywood filler found in
Chainplates:
Each daughter plate took at least a half a day to dig out of the
fiberglass over plywood knees on the inside of the hull. Once
removed, they looked exactly like the ones found on the TOG website.
Rather than replacing them using the same flawed design, we decided to
build on the lessons from other Tayana owners. Thomas Rich at Mount Ranier
Boatworks was brought on to oversee the reinstallation of new chainplates
which included a daughter plate on the exterior of the hull.
Chainplates:
Josh at Port Annapolis Marina removed the old chainplates with help from
David and then replaced the knees with new filler and fiberglass in
preparation for re-attachment of the new ones. The entire project
was complicated by the fact that the chainplates were located inside of
our beautiful cabinetry. Great care was taken to minimize removal or
damage to the cabinets.
Chainplates:
The new chain plates were exactly the same as the old chainplates except
they were slightly thicker so that we could use stock stainless
steel. Kado Marine fabricated the new chainplates as well as the
daughter plates to be mounted on the exterior of the hull. We kept
the 3/8" bolts but went with much longer carriage bolts to reach the
outside of the hull.
Chainplates:
Thomas drills a guide hole through the hull as the old chainplates are
removed. This hole will be used along with a jig to drill the holes
for the new chainplates.
Chainplates:
Thomas shows how the jig will be used once the old chainplates are
removed.
Chainplates:
Rather than burying the daughter plates in plywood and fiberglass on the
inside of the hull, we opted for a new design which required drilling 35
holes through the hull, mounting daughter plates on the exterior of the
hull, and attaching the new chainplates to the knees on the interior of
the hull.
Chainplates:
Two of the daughter plates on the starboard side after installation.
Chainplates:
The chainplates on the port side required working from the raft.
Rigging:
Thomas had to crawl into the chain locker, not an easy feat, while
removing and replacing the bobstay fitting at the water line. Lisa
assisted by sitting in the cockpit and recruiting people to join her in
order to keep the bow (and the two holes for the bolts) out of the water
during the procedure.
Rigging:
Riggers prepare the mast for
re-stepping after it had been in the cradle for over two months. All
of the standing rigging was replaced as well as having a new wind
instrument installed and several halyards replaced.
Rigging:
The crane at Port Annapolis Marina lifts the mast toward Gyatso.
Rigging:
MMR riggers re-step the mast.
Rigging:
A strong squall threatened as the mast was being re-stepped, but luckily
the stays were attached before it hit with gusts over 35 knots. It
was so windy that afternoon that we did not move the boat back to its slip
until the following morning. A bald eagle soared overhead as the
mast was being re-stepped which we took as a good omen.
Rigging:
The old lifelines were removed and replaced with new, uncoated ones.
Mainsail Boom
In 2010, we
refinished the mainsail boom while wintering-over in Marmaris, Turkey:
