Sailing Worm

Iain Oughtred's plans for the Mouse Pram include an optional centreboard case and gunter rig. Worm is primarily our tender and wasting luggage space for an occasional sail would have been silly. Iain also provides a plan for a leeboard so I built that, the rudder, tiller and spars. Alison made a polytarp sail for the gunter rig. It didn't work well. The polytarp was too flimsy and the yard would never sit right.

One year at Woodbridge John Banton (Tabnab) had a small lug sail for sale and I bought it. I didn't know if the gunter mast would be long enough. I would need to build a longer mast to use the sail as a standing lug but the old one is OK in a balanced lug configuration. I built a new boom and yard. We tried it out at Woodbridge and it is much nicer.  We carry the rig often but never use it. I had a lot of problems making the tiller but now I have a nice larch one. I set the rig up in Stromness and replaced the bits we had forgotten or lost but it was too cold to tempt me out. Today was perfect.

We rigged the boat moored to Robinetta. It is quite easy. Setting off upwind she went well.

Tacking with the leeboard takes some getting used to and I needed to find a good sitting position. I started sitting across the centre thwart which is good for balancing the boat but difficult to move. After a while I sat forward on the thwart which is much easier. If there is enough way on you put the tiller over and when she tacks you lift the leeboard across behind you onto the new leeward side. The leeboard is heavy. It is made of very buoyant plywood and we added a lot of lead to make it neutral I think I need to make a lighter one out of denser wood. It is too easy to let go of the tiller and it has a tendency to swing around parallel to the transom. I will try a rope arrangement to keep it within 50 degrees of the centre line. I thought for a while that the sheet needed arranging differently to avoid getting tangled with the leeboard but as I got used to it that problem disappeared. When going slowly the rudder doesn't do much. A deeper one might be needed, possibly a lifting one.

The leeboard is held on by a line to a small cleat on the thwart. This kept coming loose. I need to improve it.

After a while it was clear that the next obvious manoeuvre was to gybe. I got the leeboard on board and went for it. It worked like a dream, easier than going about. The wind dropped for a while and then came back and I tacked back to Robinetta.

I came head to wind alongside and Alison caught the painter and tied me on. All the time I was out Worm felt really steady and truly in her element. A few adjustments to the rudder, tiller and leeboard fixing will make a lovely little sailing machine.