[JimSumberg]

I wanted a way to control Helene’s  whipstaff while I was otherwise occupied, and thought about the peg-board and belaying pin system I had seen on a Maurice Griffith Golden Hind. After a few iterations I had a working model, using 11mm doweling. The only problem was that if I leaned against the dowels they broke. I then though about using heavy-duty Velcro, and it works a treat.

I was also interested to see if I could use an 18v portable electric drill to lower and raise the keels. A local engineering shop used the hand crank to make a bit from mild steel. It takes about 20 seconds from fully up to fully down. You just have to keep a good hold of the drill!

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[Jonathan Stearn]

I like the idea of using a portable drill for raising and lowering the keels. Much simpler than converting to hydraulics!

[Mike Dixon]

I like both these ideas – very neat Jim!

Mike

[David Walworth]

Very cool with the drill.  I helped to deliver a 63 foot sailing cat from St. Thomas to New York City .  The boat had a generator.  I was woken up on the day of departure to the sound of the generator running ant this big Milwaukee right angle drill with an attachment that fit a winch on it .  The captain was raising the main sail with it.  Worked great.

We mounted cleats on the forward face of the aft cabin bulkhead and used lines to tie the tiller as needed.  For long passages we added shock cord in place of the lines to dampen the wind vane when it was fitted.

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