Building ‘Sharpy’ Part 75

Arrangement of steering line pipes


I was very pleased today because I carried out the first stage of installing the
steering line pipes.


I also levelled the top edges of frame number four to make the hull ready for when I shall attach the aft decks. Doing those jobs plus filleting the bottoms of number three and number four frame took most of the day. I’m an incredibly slow woodworker, mainly due to checking measurements over and over again. I’d rather have the correct shapes before cutting them.

Close-up of how the pipes are attached to the transom

Getting the pipes in the exact positions matters, because if they are not, then undue friction caused by the steering lines rubbing against the openings and closings of the pipes will cause the lines to wear and make the feel of the rudder less sensitive. Being able to ‘feel’ weather helm is helpful when it comes to efficiently sailing a boat. Weather helm causes drag and slows a boat down. If she can be made to balance as a windsurfer balances his board without a rudder, she will sail to her maximum potential.