Launching an Evelyn 26

[paul]

Looking for ideas on launching an Evelyn 26. I have access to 4 ton hoist, would really like to launch like a J24 with a sling around a bracket/angle iron attached to keel bolts. This would be ideal as club has a tall gin pole and I would like to step mast prior to launch. Launch is seasonal, in late spring/out early fall. Dipping trailer out of question as ramps are shallow slope.

Questions are (same as other post)

1) Anyone launch this way including E32'S? Wondering if keel bolts strong enough, I can calculate necessary angle strength and size.
2) Already have a hole in deck above keel bilge but can relocate/patch if not near balance point. Does anyone know balance point on an E26, within a foot or less?
3) Any idea on mast weight and does anyone have exp with a gin pole on an E26 (how tall, where to locate)?


Thanks,

Paul

[Pterobyte]

All I can do is share my experience with the E32, outboard version.

I lift the 32 directly from the keel boats with a dyneema bridle. I run the lift point through a chrome/brass water Perko flush water fill fitting I put in the cabin top. The balance point is about 6-7" forward of the hatch. There is a lot of forward pressure on the bridle as the lift point is quit a bit aft of the access port in the cabin. To help take the load aft I ran two dyneema bridles back to the aft bulk head.

Be VERY careful not to shift the boat load to the aft bridle, it Will rip out of the bulk head an drop the boat. The aft bridle is just to keep the load bridle from ripping a gash in the cabin top. Of course you know why I know this, right? My boat is supposed to weight about 5k#, every element of the bridle system is rated at 15k#. The keel bolts on the #32 are 3/4 inch j bolts cast in the lead, they are not coming out.

I use a gin pole on the 32, it's 20' tall. I put it just forward of the mast and it works great when I don't have a yard gin pole like down at Hampton VA. I lift my mast by the first spreader with three feet of lead, this leaves it a little top heavy but very manageable. We dry sail our boat so we take it out after every outing.

I hope this helps. The trick is finding the balance point, my first attempt was from the companion way, too bow heavy. Then I put an inspection port in about 7 inches aft of the keel boat, too stern heavy. I divided the distance in two and it was 'just right'.

[paul]

Pterobyte:

Thanks for the info. It really helps, as chief concern is whether anyone put a load on keel bolts. You've answered that. 2nd issue was the gin pole, club has an auxillary pole on a building which should do the trick. I thought about a gin pole on deck but E26 cabin trunk is sloped and that concerned me. I'm new to the boat but suppose if I look around on deck I can figure it out. Currently race a Merit and I can move that mast around by myself, plus it's tabernacle mount. We also race a J24 and use an 18 ft pole, surprised you can do the 32 with only 20 ft (but know why - that's max length for continuous tubing unless you find a damaged mast). What size tubing (wall th or schedule) do you use for gin pole? How heavy is E32 mast, how tall?

Believe it or not, for Gin Pole on J24 we use a piece of aluminum irrigation tubing (0.032 wall), very light but easy to set up. J24 mast is much lighter and I checked calc for deflection, about 1.9 safety factor.

I don't know what the dyneema bridle is but can find it. Was planning to bolt a piece of 1/2" angle onto keel bolts and use a commercial lifting sling and HD shackle or perhaps properly sized steel wire. Then run 2 leads aft from hoist hook to stern cleats to pick up stern and tilt mast 5-10 degrees away from hoist. Most of the load this way is directly on keel bolts, perhaps 1 or 2 hundred on the stern cleats. We pick the J this way for dry sailing, the Evelyn would go on a mooring for season. As long as the shackle is fixed on balance point and secured against slipping I think OK.

I'll check the other posts for your email and maybe shoot you a sketch.

Pterobyte????-- Merit is named Pterodactyl and plan to call E26 Pterodactyl 2. Seems you know a bit on E32 history, got a couple of stories you may know about...
1) Up here is Mass about 10-12 yr ago, somebody purchased an E32 and was hauling to Ohio area. Trailer got squirrly on highway in Danvers/Peabody area, spilled boat across 2 lanes. Don't know if totalled or not but would have been pricey restoration.
2) Had a friend who was on an E32 campaign TX/OK area. I think they sailed primarily on a lake in OK, don't know where. E32 was called Endorphin, supposedly the hit 20KN on a spin reach and jib up.

Best regards,
Paul Smith

[Pterobyte]

surprised you can do the 32 with only 20 ft (but know why - that's max length for continuous tubing unless you find a damaged mast). What size tubing (wall th or schedule) do you use for gin pole? How heavy is E32 mast, how tall?

I think our pole is longer then 20. I'll have to check, it is an old mast section off something really big. It's a D section about 7" and was used on a J29 as a gin pole until that owner traded up to a broken section of his J29. E32 mast must not be more then 200#, one man can shoulder lift it off the saw horses. The I 38' plus the keel section, about 42' total.

I don't know what the dyneema bridle is but can find it.

I made the dyneema bridle out of Amsteal from West Marine. It will most defiantly take the load and is easy to splice.

Pterobyte????-- Merit is named Pterodactyl and plan to call E26 Pterodactyl 2.

An E42 syndicate I was a member of for a few years was named Pterodactyl. The E32, being smaller, I made it Pterobyte. We refer to them as PteroD and PteroB. You might be interested in http://pterobyte.us/about-2/

1) Up here is Mass about 10-12 yr ago, somebody purchased an E32 and was hauling to Ohio area. Trailer got squirrly on highway in Danvers/Peabody area, spilled boat across 2 lanes. Don't know if totalled or not but would have been pricey restoration.

OMG! I have NOT heard that story. I bought my boat out of OH, August '08, from a sail maker that worked at the Doyle/Ullman loft in Cleveland. It could very well be my boat. When we tore into the boat this winter we found a few scares that we thought were racing conflicts on the water or it had been dropped off the hard during a storm or something. We cleaned out, reinforced and stiffened any old repairs. I am confident we found everything as we had the entire boat stripped down to or below original gel coat. I think we made the boat stiffer then new as a consequence. I don't think we added any weight either.

Aside from that, the sail number is 32132, the same number that appears on the original brochure. I was told, and we believe, it is hull number 1. Everybody I talk to seems to agree.

Evelyn 32-2 Brochure

If anybody has anymore info on this story, I'd be glad to hear it.

[paul]

I can look into the E32 accident story, know a few guys that may know about it. It made the local newspaper Salem Evening News complete with picture as accident was on the upper section of (now infamous) Route 128 and stopped traffic for a bit. Recall bits of story, new owner lamenting how far he came as there were only a few E32's (50-60) made. Thought it happened 1996-1998 timeframe

[Pterobyte]

Jim:

Couple of questions:

1) Saw an old post you we to take toe rail off and rebed hull w/5200. Did you do the job? Prior owner told me if you took full rail off, the hull sprung and it's difficult to get back on, hull may distort. I did a job like this a while back on a Ranger 26, lifting hull/deck in 6-8 ft segments. Wasn't that bad, but a different construction boat.

2) My rudder has a soft spot about 1 ft2 between gudgeons, above wetted surface (E26 rudder like a J29). I feel I could repair this myself, but I think the E26 rudder is foam core without much inside frame or support. I've got an idea or 2 about repair, do one side at a time, add some support, but won't know till I cut open one side. Plan to fixture it during surgery to eliminate any distortion. At this point cannot see spending 2K on new foil. Any ideas, Anyone?

yes I took the toe rail off. The deck and hull did not seperate. The rails sprung back straight though. Putting it back on was tricky but not too hard.

I worked on an E 26 rudder with Eddie. It is heavy. There is some sort of core, glass and ribs used in its construction. It was pretty stiff and held its share when we repaired it's gudgeon holes.

[paul]

Thanks for input on the rudder. It is heavy, maybe 2X weight of a J24 rudder but perhaps only 25% bigger in size. Was worried it may have soaked up water so drilled 2 x 1/4" holes on bottom, nothing drained. Good to know there's some structure inside, was thinking it might be like a surfboard. Will be making a jig/fixture to hold it straight while cutting and glassing.

I think I'll put off toe rail this yr. Did you run bead of 5200 or glass fill the seam?

Thanks,
Paul

[paul]

Forgot to add this comment - E26

When we did the core repair, rear of keel close to hull was looked at, found some cracks and a void space similar but not as severe to pictures shown in one of the 32-2 buildups. Somebody definitely was not paying attention to their job when these were built.

[Pterobyte]

I think I'll put off toe rail this yr. Did you run bead of 5200 or glass fill the seam?

Thanks,
Paul

With the rail off we glassed over the seam. Then we receded the rail with 5200