Walker Bay 10

[Doc Hoy]

I used 1 1/4 PVC pipe for the mast and boom and a 1 inch aluminum square tube stock for the bowsprit. I bought an old mast from a 14 foot Hobie monohull but the mast was too large in diameter. I salvaged all of the hardware, standing rigging and lines. I lined the PVC with a length of aluminum tube stock and this has given me all of the stiffness I need for a mast and boom that only weighs about 15 pounds. I am going to make the sails from cloth I bought from Sailrite. I'll build the rudder and daggerboard myself. I am thinking I might try a smaller daggerboard and give up some skid for better sailing qualities. I will only do this after I make a board according to WB specs. and prove that it does not work. (which I hope does not happen).

[Doc Hoy]

Update on the sailing package project. The mast is in place with all standing rigging. The mast is of 1 1/4 PVC with an aluminum tube stock liner for stiffness. The boom is also 1 1/4 PVC but only a small wooden liner to take screws. The pipe alone appears to be stiff enough to carry the sail. I added a bowsprit or jib boom if you like. To allow the jib to be a bit larger. I will have a total of 52 square feet of sail area and I think that CE will not be more than about eight inches forward of the CLR.

[Doc Hoy]

I designed the rig such that it can be easily and quickly rigged or removed. Loosen the turnbuckle for the martingale, that is the only fastening of the bowsprit to the boat hull. Pull the clevis pins that secure the back stays, Unclip the block for the boom vang. Pull the whole mess out of the mast step.

[Doc Hoy]

The boom was made using PVC pipe but for the fittings connecting it to the mast, I salvaged parts from the junk Hobie 14 mast I purchased here in Naples. I turned the end fitting down on a lathe so that it would fit inside the pipe union shown in the photo. This connection is surprisingly strong. I capped the end of the boom with a 1 1/4 pipe cap glued in place. The screws for the clewline tack are turned through the skirt of the pipe cap, through the pipe and into a dowel. The upper block for the boom vand is also backed up by that dowel.

[Doc Hoy]

There is still a lot of tidying up to do on this installation. I need to make a better fitting for the swivel that connects the boom to the mast. I am thinking of a better way to mount the fore stay and back stays at the mast truck. I have some cam cleats for the downhall for the main and jib and I am not certain of the location of the clewlines for jib and boom vang. These are things which have a way of working themselves out.



I have the sail cloth for the sails.


I have most of the materials for the daggerboard and rudder.


More later.

[Doc Hoy]

Made the part to fix the boom connection today. I had cobbled together a small space trying to use the original salvaged from the old Hobie mast. It was a quick fix but it looked like it. Had a small piece of one in aluminum bar stock to start the piece.


Machined the part into a smaller rectangular shape.

[Doc Hoy]

A little cutting, drilling and smoothing.The pat works a lot better than the fitting I have previously.


Next, I am working on a mast truck which has the blocks for the mail and jib downhall installed.

[Doc Hoy]

After a setback, I am back at it.



As you could tell from the photos, the mast and rigging were complete. We finished making the main sail. When I hoisted the main, I realized that the mast was not stiff enough.



I went back to the drawing board and made a mast from poplar. I laminated poplar 1 x 3 and 1 x 2 to form a square cross section of 3 inches.



Then ran the fourteen foot mast through a planer to get it down to two inches in square cross section. Next I made a jig to hold the mast at a 45 degree angle as it passed through the planer. I planed the mast down on all fur corners to give it an octagon cross section.



A little varnish and it was ready for the fittings. I redesigned the truck revising the main and jib halyard sheaves. All of the other fittings transferred directly.


I got lucky with my measurements for the length of the mast because I did not have to change the length of the stays at all.



We made the sail from material obtained from Sailrite. Those are some nice people to deal with. Seams are triple stitched as are the edge bindings. The luff leech and foot are backed with 3/4 twill tape which is double wrapped in some stainless steel rings from Home Depot to form the tacks. Jib will be red.

[Doc Hoy]

Dagger board is 5/8 pine butt jointed with glue. I strengthened the top with a handle/keeper and also strengthened the bottom with a sole plate of aluminum.



Rudder is 3/4 plywood with numerous coats of varnish. My original rudder was too short so I lengthened it by five inches. I painted over the scarf joint in the rudder to hide my mistake.



The pintels and gudgeons are of aluminum. It is designed to be pulled out of the transom slide exactly like the Walker Bay equivalent.

[Doc Hoy]

When I had the boat out for the shake down, I took along the rowing oars that came with the boat. These things take up an awful lot of space in the boat and I can't recall an instant that they were no in the way.



So I made a short paddle that will help be get around when the breeze is not cooperating.

[Doc Hoy]

The shake down was in a breeze that was light and puffy. I had been told that these boats don't sail well close to the wind.


I got good performance from the rig at about three points off the wind. I have not tried to push it because I am getting use to it.



Did I mention that the lake is the home of some alligators?

[Tphipps]

I just came across this post. I have a Walker Bay 10' which came with main and jib as well as a bowsprit. If you would like some more info regarding length of the bowsprit, how it attaches, etc. Let me know. I can say that the factory attachment of the bowsprit could use some improvement in that it just drops into a bracket on the mast. Nothing holds it in, so I have had to tie it down in place.