by breakwater » Sat Jun 02, 2012 2:12 am
Thanks Rick.
In terms of this boat being competitive on any level above my local club, I don't have a single delusion of grandeur. I know, without a shadow of a doubt that this boat is considered obsolete in terms of competition to the upper levels of the EC-12 class. I have absolutley positively zero intention to try and compete with this boat against any form of "serious" EC-12 racing.
So, Why did I bother with it?
Well, there is nothing at all wrong with this boat at club level, and would be plenty competitive at club-level in the right hands.
Heck, right now we have another Heritage Dumas, with single panel dacron sails and a wood mast. The skipper is very, very good, and is actually somewhat competitive with a very, very bad boat.
My club has begun sailing EC-12s this season. This boat was bought with the intention to be used as a loaner to other members, (We would be best advised to not turn anyone away because their boat is less-than brand-new) or for me to fool around with in the ocean, without caring about corrosion. (I can see the ocean from where I currently sit) I picked this boat up, and have enough spare parts, and already built rigs that I can put this boat on the water for under $250 out-of pocket (Including the price of purchasing the boat). That is complete & ready to sail with a "Obsolete" Version 1 RMG 280 winch, Jib Twitcher and a quality rig.
I'm not looking to re-fit this boat to make it competitive. I'm only looking to stick a rudder on it, stick a rig on it, and set it loose. I bet it will win a few races if I do that.. and that's all I want out of it. If I was looking for a competitive boat, I'd go spend $2,500 and order a brand new set-up from Ramos. But, to do that and offer it as a loaner to my club would be a (costly) mistake.
I am trying to promote the EC-12, both locally within my club to get it going, and through other things like photos, and videos online so people can look & see what the EC-12 is all about. Why? In my very short time sailing this boat, I love it's properties. It is a polar-opposite to the Marblehead class. As you know the M is all about Aspect ratio. The 12 is a totally different, and equally as enjoyable sail.
Anyways, In terms of putting a rudder on this boat.
In contacting Dumas, they found the mould, and offered to build me a rudder for $25 plus $7 S&H, That's $32 out of pocket.
I would MUCH rather purchase a rudder than build one, if possible. both on time building & convinence. If I can plug in a rudder for $32 I can move onto other projects (installing my Jib-twitcher)
But, the mould presented by Dumas appears to me to be wrong, and off by 2/8ths of an inch..... A large ammount. So I ask for assistance prior to building one myself. If their offering is off by that ammount, it starts the gears in my head that my boat could be something other than advertised. I havent seen alot of Dumas' but I havent' seen any off by that ammount.
Sure, if the time spent posting and searching was time spent building, I could have a home-made rudder on the boat by now.
But, the times I go searching and poisting are times that I wouldn't be building. I.E. it's late on the East-Coast now. I just got home from a night out.. thought I'd take 10 minutes to unwind and continue the conversation before calling it a night.. Not an opportunity to pick up the sandpaper.
The time invested to find out if Dumas had the rudder mould took 1 phone call, and a week to wait for them to call-back and confirm they had it. I asked them to email photos so I could confirm that the shape looked right before making the order, but it appears wrong to me.
Maybe it is I that is wrong, and that Dumas rudder does infact fit the hull I have. I'd like nothing more than to be wrong on the situation.
In that case, I'd love to spend $32 and order a rudder, and move-on.
12-1975
M-2333 M-2377 M-3741 M-3933