Discoverer 18, missing some parts

[amckenzie4]

Greetings, all!

I've just run across this community, and hopefully someone here can help me out.

Last fall, through a somewhat odd set of circumstances, I had the opportunity to take ownership of an American Fiberglass Corp Discoverer 18 for free. I'd sailed it once, and new it was missing some pieces, but hey... it was a free boat. Why complain? It floats, it's in reasonable condition, and it looked like a good way to get back into sailing after too many years not having time or resources.

I know that it needs a new jib, and I'll look for a local dealer to work with on that (if anyone knows a good store near Boston, MA, I'd love to have recommendations), but there's one piece I don't even know how to start on.

It's clear from the photo here that there should be some sort of mechanism to attach either the boom or the main sheet to some brackets to either side of the tiller. The problem is that the brackets are missing, and I don't know what the rigging should look like.

Now, I could find some stainless D-rings, plates, and rope or aircraft cable and hack something together, but I'd really rather do it right. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks,
Andy

[David M]

Welcome to CruisersForum Andy!

The triangular shaped thing going from each side of the tiller up to the after end of the boom is the mainsheet. All it is is a line. It is nothing rigid. The mainsail supports the boom while sailing. Rigging up your mainsheet this way does two things, it distributes the mainsheets downwards pull along the boom and it gives you a mechanical advantage by creating a purchase. In the case of your boat it would be a 3:1 purchase, which is perfect for your type of boat.

You could add your own topping lift to support the boom when you let the main down. It would be a thin stainless steel wire running from the after end of the masthead to the after upper part of the boom.

Or you could make yourself a boom crutch which is a piece of wood that sits down in the cockpit or along the gunwale in a bracket and extends upwards to support the boom. The top of the boom crutch would be a U-shape that the boom rests in. You probably don't need either though for a 17 foot boat. Both might be something that ends up getting in the way.

Other than it not having a fixed keel, your boat reminds me of a Rhodes 19.

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by amckenzie4

Greetings, all!

I've just run across this community, and hopefully someone here can help me out.

Last fall, through a somewhat odd set of circumstances, I had the opportunity to take ownership of an American Fiberglass Corp Discoverer 18 for free. I'd sailed it once, and new it was missing some pieces, but hey... it was a free boat. Why complain? It floats, it's in reasonable condition, and it looked like a good way to get back into sailing after too many years not having time or resources.

I know that it needs a new jib, and I'll look for a local dealer to work with on that (if anyone knows a good store near Boston, MA, I'd love to have recommendations), but there's one piece I don't even know how to start on.

It's clear from the photo here that there should be some sort of mechanism to attach either the boom or the main sheet to some brackets to either side of the tiller. The problem is that the brackets are missing, and I don't know what the rigging should look like.

Now, I could find some stainless D-rings, plates, and rope or aircraft cable and hack something together, but I'd really rather do it right. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks,
Andy

I have a"boat load" of new old stock for small sailboats ,what is it you need?

[amckenzie4]

Well, initially information. If you look at the photo of the D18, there's a set of brackets on either side of the tiller. There's something -- rope, cable, something else? -- forming a triangle between those brackets and the end of the boom. Those are missing on the boat I have. I'm not even sure what the right name for the piece is -- it's not a traveler, at least not as I've seen them -- but I need to replace that. If you can tell me what parts I need and want to sell them, we can talk. 8-)

Once that's done, I'll need to know how to re-run the main sheet, since the previous owner seems to have made some adjustments to compensate for the lack.

As I said, it's been a long time since I sailed regularly -- probably 15 years -- and my memory for terminology has pretty much vanished. The only boat I've had a chance to sail with any degree of regularity since then has been... well, let's say it's been creatively repaired over the years, and I'm not willing to trust it as an example of how things should be done.

[David M]

It might be a boom crutch.....

[amckenzie4]

That has the look of something that gets removed before sailing to me... is that right?

The photo is here:

DISCOVERER 18 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

That looks like something very different to me.

[Barney Post]

The setup shown in the sailboatdata photo is sometimes called a 'crosby rig' mainsheet system.
It is simply 2 blocks mounted on the after deck on either side of the tiller. Part of the main sheet purchase goes under the tiller. It's a less than desirable setup for sailing upwind in light air, because you can't keep the boom centered.
You'd be better off installing a bridle arrangement, similar to the one shown in the boom crutch photo above. Just use some low stretch line or wire for the bridle itself.

[amckenzie4]

Ah-hah! Thank you, Randy. Those were the two terms I needed, and I agree, the bridle is more what I thought I wanted, and, from what I remember of the end of the boom, the boat had already been set up that way at some point.

So it looks like I really just need some way to fasten the line to the deck, and a single block to fasten to that line. Everything else I need should already be there. Of course, the boat is currently stored in Maine, so I can't get to it right now, but at least now I know what I need, and what it's called.