Improving ‘Talitha’

Plugging handle holes with small plastic tubes that snugly fit around the rope

Handle in place

When I first sailed ‘Talitha’ I was amazed how much water came through the holes for her handles in the side decks – not that there were gallons - only a couple of cupfuls, but if the boat were sailing to windward in rough conditions for hours at a time, there would be a significant accumulation of water in her bilges.


Sometimes the boat heeled until water lapped the bottom edge of the leeward coaming, and it was then that it forced its way through the holes to the interior. I believe the solution is to insert small, snug-fitting plastic pipes into the holes, which in turn are within larger ones, with the rope handles passing through both of them. Well, I think that will do the job; I’ll know when ‘Talitha’ next sails through a rough patch to windward.

GPS held in place with a bungee

So that I can clearly see my GPS, I have decided to fix it to the aft end of the keel box with a bungee. There I can conveniently operate the gizmo. Unfortunately, if I’m wearing my cape spray deck, I cannot see it unless I pass it through one of the two openings with Velcro flaps at the front. Obviously, I can’t hold the GPS for ever in that position, but I can keep it there for quite a while, as I only need one hand for holding the sheet.

The cape spray deck should keep me dry when it rains - note that the boat is controlled from below deck, because she has foot steering and her sheet is led through a pipe to a pulley forward of the keel box

The cape spray deck will not be much use when I am paddling the boat with her one-bladed, Canadian style paddle, but it will keep my head and shoulders dry when it rains.