Hi James, and thanks for your comments. Always good to hear from you.
It will take me a while to digest all that you had to say, but I certainly appreciate your insights and suggestions, especially about the centerboard and centerboard case system. Of all the items on the Hadron, this one worries me the most --and precisely for the reason you mention. Mush indeed! I think it needs a lot more thought and design work to avoid serious damage over the long haul.
I will definitely visit the site you suggested from the Moth Association. If anybody has good design ideas about centerboard and rudder hardware, these guys would.
You’re very observant, but not to worry about the transom pad. That little half-moon thingy was kind of done on impulse after I glued up the keel band and hog. I didn’t like the way it just butted into the transom without further support. Knowing what I now know, I regret installing it. But I will definitely beef this up with a full pad of some kind before installing the rudder.
Thanks again for your generous sharing. Helps me a lot, as I am kind of insecure about all this, being my first boat and all. In my mind, it doesn’t matter that thousands of boats have been built with thin plywood and epoxy; mine will be the first one to completely dissolve five minutes after I launch it!
I think that is the optional shin cracker. As you move around in the boat, you have the option to smash your shin and release expletives in rapid succession.
Lol. Come on guys! It’s the charcuterie and cheeseboard.
Steve - It seems to appear on some H1s and on H2. I suppose it can be used to sit on downwind, add more strength to hull on the beam, or for the cam cleats. It could be a better place to put the cam cleats to allow crew to sit further forward in light wind. Also, if you have a strong boom you can mount the mainsheet forward in this area.
I wouldn’t call the H1 hull flimsy, but, at nearly two meters wide, there’s an awful lot of leverage working against 6 mm plywood when the sailor is hiked out. I’ll bet the hull has a bit of wobble to it underway. Any kind of athwartship structure would dampen that and be most welcomed, especially with the mounting options you mentioned. I’ll give all this some serious consideration.
Hey, thanks for doing a bit of research. The photo of the H2 is much appreciated. I never really noticed the cockpit arrangement in an H2 until this came up.
Finally, some photos. Been sailing the H1 about the Great South Bay in Long Island. I added a false bottom because frankly I found the old system unsafe and awfully cumbersome. After a capsize the stern sat below the water and emptying the boat on a reach was too slow.
So with the false bottom it empties instantaneously. All water flows out the back. Capsizing has to be fun and easy.
Overall, I like the boat a lot. It is good in heavy weather – the rig de-powers nicely. I am still getting used to aspects.
My biggest issue right now is the weight, I feel this could be a lot lighter…so I may return to the hull with a simpler design. Less mahogany and more composites. Obviously it won’t look as nice. We’ll see.
Very nice! I see you left the hatch in the deck for the bag of charcoal…! Lol. I grew up in Babylon and used to know every inch of great south bay. Haven’t been back in years.
