Building ‘Sharpy’ Part 131

Bungee attached. Will it be powerful enough to hold the rudder down?

A good sunny, almost windless day helped me to move forward by painting the final coating of paint on the bottom of the boat, varnishing the keel weights, fixing the rudder bungee and attaching the sail to the spars.

Sail fitted to spars

I tested ‘Sharpy’s’ reefing system which consists of one reef that can be lashed to the boom. I’ll have to experiment when on the water to discover the easiest way of reefing the sail. At the moment I have a continuous reefing line, but it may be better to have two or three, or even have individual ties through each cringle. There is no facility for reefing the sail on the original boat; therefore the plans do not show how it can be done. Consequently, I have to experiment to discover the most efficient method.

Sail reefed.

The bungee that will hold the rudder down in the water may not be powerful enough to keep the blade totally submerged, especially when the boat is at full pelt. The only way to find out is to try it on the water. If it should fail, I can fit a thicker and more powerful bungee.


If the paint on the bottom of the boat has fully hardened by tomorrow, I’ll be able to set up her rig properly and attach cleats for the mast retaining line and one for the halyard. I may have to devise a fairlead for the main halyard where it passes over the port hand coaming. In practice it may be better to run the halyard through a hole in the coaming. On the prototype the halyard runs through a slot beside the keel wire pulley. I did not incorporate a gap at that position, but no doubt I’ll come up with a satisfactory solution.


I only have to paint the deck once more for her to be nearly finished. I must find a place for the paddle and perhaps add short lengths of brass strips to the foot of the stem post and the skeg. These strips will minimize damage when the boat comes into contact with a beach or slipway.