Thx for sharing. My Father has a Mirror but he suffered a stroke last year and can’t sail anymore. He loves watching your videos, it brings a huge smile to us all.
Hi David, this is what you wrote six months ago: "I'm planning to do a lot of mirror sailing in two weeks on my summer break." Hope all is well and we can enjoy more videos of "Mirror Cruising" this year... ?
Nice Video! Looking forward to sailing my mirror again... Just needs a little repair this winter as the summer ended with a fresh crack /hole in the hull!
thank you for (again!) great video ! You are my main source of inspiration when it comes to Mirror sailing. My sail number is #14309 (Canada built). Right now my dinghy sits in my barn in Croatia waiting for some long needed repairs. I am planning to incorporate most of modifs you did, as I would like o take some longer cruising trips with it, when it is not practical to use my "big" boat (Vivacity 20). Keep well & stay safe,. Z.
@@SCCFORUM HI Paul. I have a dry suit from Ravenspring and I wear a yachtsmen's jacket over that if it turns cold. I use dinghy boots over the rubber socks of the dry suit. It is a bit cumbersome but after a few minutes you get to like it. D
Well done for getting as far as the camber, I can confirm it was jolly windy! Thanks for including the footage of us two chancers! Great to see. I also have posted a video of the day if anyone is interested.... Do have a watch. Thanks again for your help on the hard David :)
I really must patch the damage on my mirror and get back out there. It's only a 3x4" square which needs to be cut out and replaced but the poor girl has sat on her side in the garage for 9 years waiting for the work to be done! Inspiring stuff - thanks for uploading.
Hi Dan Get out there and do it. Measure accurately, kill any rot with blue antifreeze for 24 hours, dry and warm the wood thoroughly with a heat gun. Use a filler in the resin. Get Get afloat again. Good sailing, David
Smashing David as always. Maybe the camera angle but with the reefed main it looked like you were having to counter a bit of Lee helm when beating? Sadly I no longer have my mirror, but now have a Drascombe Scaffie for day sailing and a Coaster for overnighting. See you on the Solent at some point no doubt.
H Andrew, thanks for the comments. There was excessive lee helm and I think I might have damaged the cente board. I think I need to remove it and replac with a longer board anyway.
Glad to see other people out and making the best of the weather. Sadly I can’t be sailing as my sails are at home crying for attention, but I’ve been out rowing quite a bit. What’s a Mirror like to row?
Hi William. They row quite well. The standard oars are a bit short, but I can go as fast as a kayak for a short time. Longer oars may be a problem to stow. D
Hello there! I've been inspired to build a cruising dinghy by your videos and also those of Roger Barnes. I enjoyed your mods videos and am wondering if your centreboard is a NACA foil similar to the rudder? Thanks for making lockdown more enjoyable. Damian
Hi Damien Thank you for your comment. No, the centre board is not a NACA foil. The C/B typically runs at a small angle to the water, just a couple of degrees. This angle is the leeway. At such small angles a flat board is good enough. It would be difficult to have a thick board as the centre cae has to accommodate it. Give the board a round leading edge and a sharp trailing edge. On the other hand, the rudder may be required to operate at a large angle to the water - when tacking, for instance, so a flat board is unsatisfactory here as it is likely to stall and act as a brake. D
@@msf60khz That is so helpful thanks! I I have nearly finished the hull of a Selway Fisher Stornoway 14 (Gunter rig) which has an 18mm flat centreboard to be finished as you suggest. The rudder drawn is a 12mm flat plate but I intend to modify this to a 30mm thick NACA foil. I hope to join the DCA so maybe we will meet on a rally in future. All the best, Damian
Very intrepid. I'm not sure I'd be going out in these temperatures. I really look forward to your videos. It must be handy to have your rolled up tarp under the boom in windy conditions. Helps avoid concussion. 😁. I'm surprised more Gaff mmainsails are not made as standard options. I wonder if Optimist sails , although sprit, could be modified. ? Thanks again David. .
Aye. I thought the oppy sail was tiny too . Then I looked up the specs. Your Trident Marine gaffsail was luff 66 inch foot 81 inch , leech 116 inch and gaff head 56 inch . The figures for the Oppy. Are very slightly less. Luff 68 inches , foot 78 inches , leech 110 inches , head 49 inches. A second hand Oppy spritsail is probably easier to get hold of than a mirror gaff sail. Just a thought 😁
Thanks for sharing your video. It's inspired me to Subscribe. I've downsized to a Miracle from and Enterprise as apart from the odd bit of teaching I'm single-handed most of the time. Let's hope that the inland clubs have a better season than this one. A happy new year and stay safe.
Thank you for your videos. As a novice small dinghy sailor it is always nice to see what can be done safely when a boat is managed well by experienced hands.
No, he doesn’t. He writes what the rest of us think. You said recently that we might think your videos have become boring. They haven’t. As long as you don’t get bored with sailing we won’t get bored watching you.
you have answered a few of my comments which I appreciate, but after completing my level one this weekend, I was then subject to a capsize, having the wrong size jacket and suit provided for me by the club, I am 61 and 17 stone not exactly in my prime, so I ended up with the jacket riding up my face, my legs folded under the boat and the back of the jacket caught on the lanyard, to say the instructor was a way with the fairy's would be an understatement, I am a confident swimmer, but I quickly realised a was in trouble, I managed to free myself and right the boat, but by then I was shattered, I couldn't reach the toe strap to pull myself on the pifco, a young chap jumped in who was learning with me, he then gave me a peg up, now having experienced that, I realise if that was to happen on my own, there is no way I could get back in the boat, so having bought a mirror myself, I am now thinking of putting a mast float on it, I also would like to know if there would be anything else I could fit or make so I could get back aboard, thank you. hope this makes sense.
I have a Secumar auto mast float, but it is very expensive and there are several other types of float available. It does not require very much to stop inversion except if you have an engine. I have a deeper rudder than normal and I have put a protruding step on each side as a foot hold. This works very well, as I found out when I fell in the water in Scotland. I use a foam lifejacket of 100N. The Crewsaver Spiral. I have added a attachment D-ring to it. Sorry about your mishap and hope you are not put off sailing. I am much older than you by the way. D
Hello Billy, thank you. Yes I am very much on the water, and i sail both my Mirror and a 16 foot Winkle Brig. I have not made videos recently as I feel I have shown my audience most of the information, but may do another video this summer.
wonderful to hear you are still at it, my early years were spent on the east coast, mersea island, brightlingsea, thames estuary in general, maldon, clacton, either a mirror dinghy and occasionally a merlin rocket, and a small shel of a boat with a 4plus seagul engine, lol, good times, i'm sure any video you put out would still be interesting and entertaining, especially for us ancient mariners, kind regards, bill.@@msf60khz
A very nice wee video. Just bought a 1971 mirror and after some repairs I'm ready to launch. Can you tell me if I can use the boyancy tanks as storage with the proper hatches? Want to do a camping trip but storage is limited. Many thanks. Mark
Yes I have hatches in the bow and the stern tanks. But hatch covers need to be good ones and tend to be a problem. I also have two storage boxes, as you might be able to see. I have found that dry bags are a good solution for carrying clothes and sleeping bag.
Thank you Pete. I dropped my camera into the sea last year and still have not replaced it. I am planning to do lots of Mirror sailing during my summer break starting in 2 weeks time.
@@msf60khz I’m glad to hear your still having your sailing adventures, sad we’re not coming with you but, I also understand, even with a new camera, it must feel a bit like work when you have to film everything and edit what you film. But from a selfish point of view, I still watch your old vids, and would like some more, Many thanks for replying and hope to see you on the water some day. Happy sailing.
Can I ask what the benefits of the gaff rig is? Is it just less heel in high wind? I love your videos and what you’ve done with your beautiful Curlew. Thank you
I originally tried the gaff rig for interest and to learn the ropes. It sails very much like the ordinary gunter rig but is generally thought to be more powerful off the wind but not so close-winded. The gaff is light to raise and lower and the sail comes down quickly in an emergency. As my gaff mainsail is a cut-down gunter sail my sail area is less. However, a topsail is a useful addition because it is only deployed in light weather. Thank you for your nice comments. david
That’s interesting! Seems to work for you and is certainly a bit different and fun. Thanks for the insight! Yes, I saw your top sail. All very clever! By the way, what is the little metal ball thing on your port stays? It’s been puzzling me for a while now!
dear sir, i hope your well and still sailing, i haven't been on for some time as you can see, but i also notice you haven't made any more vlogs, have you retired, i hope your ok and still sailing, yours kevin.
Hello Kevin I am very moved to receive your kind message. Yes, I am well and still sailing, both in my Mirror and also in a Winkle Brig trailer sailor. I have not been making more videos as I feel they could be repetitive and I have already given viewers many Mirror Cruising videos. I am now 80 years old and still working half time - and sailing most weekends. With best wishes to you and to all my viewers. David
I'm not able to reach you on your blog. I have just bought a Mirror dinghy, 70,6??. So new I haven't memorized my number yet. Is your boom warped with fiber glass? I have very few fittings on my boom and am wanting to put reefing, vang, and possibly mid boom sheeting. I'm thinking at least a wrap around fiber glass where all fittings will go along with over sized holes filled with epoxy for screws and or bolts. I know this post his a year old. Just getting familiar with what's available. Thank you.
Hi Kim Most fittings are just wood-screwed into the wood and there is no fibreglass reinforcement. The goose neck boom fixing is bolted through. The mainsheet is now attached by tying a loop round the boom, but if using a metal fitting I recommend through bolting. David
Thx for sharing. My Father has a Mirror but he suffered a stroke last year and can’t sail anymore. He loves watching your videos, it brings a huge smile to us all.
Thank you Claus, very good to know your father enjoys the videos.
That was a wild ride!
Hi David, this is what you wrote six months ago: "I'm planning to do a lot of mirror sailing in two weeks on my summer break." Hope all is well and we can enjoy more videos of "Mirror Cruising" this year... ?
Great video. As always! Thank you from coastal NH in the states.
Thank you, longboarder.
Great video as always!!!
Thank you longboarder.
Just bought a Wayfarer and love your vids, lots of ideas ( I presume tent on boom) and bravery with skill and experience. Many thanks.
Thank you Barry!
Skilfully done - Great to watch - Thanks
Thanks once again Kevin.
Nice Video! Looking forward to sailing my mirror again... Just needs a little repair this winter as the summer ended with a fresh crack /hole in the hull!
Better hurry up Simon and get afloat again. Good sailing days in Winter!
Super 💕❤️ Thrilling...
Thank you Jojo.
Hello from Connecticut! Great to see you healthy and out on the water again - stay safe!
Thank you Briggs.
thank you for (again!) great video ! You are my main source of inspiration when it comes to Mirror sailing. My sail number is #14309 (Canada built). Right now my dinghy sits in my barn in Croatia waiting for some long needed repairs. I am planning to incorporate most of modifs you did, as I would like o take some longer cruising trips with it, when it is not practical to use my "big" boat (Vivacity 20). Keep well & stay safe,. Z.
Thanks for the nice comment. I hope you can get your boat in the water soon. D
Good stuff. My Mirror is currently being re glassed and painted. But I’m looking forward to some more adventures down south in NZ
MIke, glad to know Mirrors sailing in NZ. fair winds.
Viejo lobo de mar!Me da una sana envidia como sale a encontrarse con el mar en un día frío y destemplado...Felicitaciones MARINO!
Muchas gracias por tus agradables comentarios. Desde el lobo de mar.
Great to see you back out in the Mirror.👏🏻⛵️
Thank you for that; hope to sail all Winter. D
@@msf60khz What clothing and footwear do you use for winter? I need to get some warmer gear.
Thanks,
Paul.
@@SCCFORUM HI Paul. I have a dry suit from Ravenspring and I wear a yachtsmen's jacket over that if it turns cold. I use dinghy boots over the rubber socks of the dry suit. It is a bit cumbersome but after a few minutes you get to like it. D
@@msf60khz Hi David,
Thank you for the fast reply. I will look up the Ravenspring. You certainly looked very comfy.
Cheers, Paul.
Well done for getting as far as the camber, I can confirm it was jolly windy! Thanks for including the footage of us two chancers! Great to see. I also have posted a video of the day if anyone is interested.... Do have a watch. Thanks again for your help on the hard David :)
Thanks Tom. What is the location of your video? D
You should be able to get to it by clicking on my username/profile pic?
@@backtothebarky Thank you Tom, found it. Very interesting, especially your escapade at Bosham! A bit windy. D
I really must patch the damage on my mirror and get back out there. It's only a 3x4" square which needs to be cut out and replaced but the poor girl has sat on her side in the garage for 9 years waiting for the work to be done! Inspiring stuff - thanks for uploading.
Hi Dan
Get out there and do it. Measure accurately, kill any rot with blue antifreeze for 24 hours, dry and warm the wood thoroughly with a heat gun. Use a filler in the resin. Get Get afloat again. Good sailing, David
@@msf60khz Thanks David for the tip - I've never heard of the antifreeze method. I will refer to your video of a few years ago when I'm patching.
Smashing David as always. Maybe the camera angle but with the reefed main it looked like you were having to counter a bit of Lee helm when beating?
Sadly I no longer have my mirror, but now have a Drascombe Scaffie for day sailing and a Coaster for overnighting. See you on the Solent at some point no doubt.
H Andrew, thanks for the comments. There was excessive lee helm and I think I might have damaged the cente board. I think I need to remove it and replac with a longer board anyway.
Glad to see other people out and making the best of the weather. Sadly I can’t be sailing as my sails are at home crying for attention, but I’ve been out rowing quite a bit. What’s a Mirror like to row?
Hi William. They row quite well. The standard oars are a bit short, but I can go as fast as a kayak for a short time. Longer oars may be a problem to stow. D
Hope to enjoy more videos from you soon - i hope you are doing well.
Thank you David for your kind words. Still sailing as ever.
"Still sailing as ever.", ... nice to read, @@msf60khz, but ... still no vids anymore ?
Hello there!
I've been inspired to build a cruising dinghy by your videos and also those of Roger Barnes. I enjoyed your mods videos and am wondering if your centreboard is a NACA foil similar to the rudder? Thanks for making lockdown more enjoyable. Damian
Hi Damien
Thank you for your comment. No, the centre board is not a NACA foil. The C/B typically runs at a small angle to the water, just a couple of degrees. This angle is the leeway. At such small angles a flat board is good enough. It would be difficult to have a thick board as the centre cae has to accommodate it. Give the board a round leading edge and a sharp trailing edge.
On the other hand, the rudder may be required to operate at a large angle to the water - when tacking, for instance, so a flat board is unsatisfactory here as it is likely to stall and act as a brake. D
@@msf60khz That is so helpful thanks! I I have nearly finished the hull of a Selway Fisher Stornoway 14 (Gunter rig) which has an 18mm flat centreboard to be finished as you suggest. The rudder drawn is a 12mm flat plate but I intend to modify this to a 30mm thick NACA foil. I hope to join the DCA so maybe we will meet on a rally in future. All the best, Damian
Very intrepid. I'm not sure I'd be going out in these temperatures. I really look forward to your videos. It must be handy to have your rolled up tarp under the boom in windy conditions. Helps avoid concussion. 😁. I'm surprised more Gaff mmainsails are not made as standard options. I wonder if Optimist sails , although sprit, could be modified. ? Thanks again David. .
Thank you, Peter. The sprit sail of the Optimist seems pretty efficient to me - pity they don't make a big boys Optimist!
Aye. I thought the oppy sail was tiny too . Then I looked up the specs. Your Trident Marine gaffsail was luff 66 inch foot 81 inch , leech 116 inch and gaff head 56 inch . The figures for the Oppy. Are very slightly less. Luff 68 inches , foot 78 inches , leech 110 inches , head 49 inches. A second hand Oppy spritsail is probably easier to get hold of than a mirror gaff sail. Just a thought 😁
@@peterdavid371 That is a very interesting set of nmbers about the Oppy. Thank you Peter.
Thanks for sharing your video. It's inspired me to Subscribe. I've downsized to a Miracle from and Enterprise as apart from the odd bit of teaching I'm single-handed most of the time. Let's hope that the inland clubs have a better season than this one. A happy new year and stay safe.
Thank you Charles.Good sailing for 2021.
Thank you for your videos. As a novice small dinghy sailor it is always nice to see what can be done safely when a boat is managed well by experienced hands.
Thank you Rob, you flatter me!
No, he doesn’t.
He writes what the rest of us think.
You said recently that we might think your videos have become boring.
They haven’t.
As long as you don’t get bored with sailing we won’t get bored watching you.
@@johnstarkie9948 Thank you, John. Still sailing!
you have answered a few of my comments which I appreciate, but after completing my level one this weekend, I was then subject to a capsize, having the wrong size jacket and suit provided for me by the club, I am 61 and 17 stone not exactly in my prime, so I ended up with the jacket riding up my face, my legs folded under the boat and the back of the jacket caught on the lanyard, to say the instructor was a way with the fairy's would be an understatement, I am a confident swimmer, but I quickly realised a was in trouble, I managed to free myself and right the boat, but by then I was shattered, I couldn't reach the toe strap to pull myself on the pifco, a young chap jumped in who was learning with me, he then gave me a peg up, now having experienced that, I realise if that was to happen on my own, there is no way I could get back in the boat, so having bought a mirror myself, I am now thinking of putting a mast float on it, I also would like to know if there would be anything else I could fit or make so I could get back aboard, thank you. hope this makes sense.
I have a Secumar auto mast float, but it is very expensive and there are several other types of float available. It does not require very much to stop inversion except if you have an engine.
I have a deeper rudder than normal and I have put a protruding step on each side as a foot hold. This works very well, as I found out when I fell in the water in Scotland.
I use a foam lifejacket of 100N. The Crewsaver Spiral. I have added a attachment D-ring to it.
Sorry about your mishap and hope you are not put off sailing. I am much older than you by the way. D
@@msf60khz thanks for the reply and the info, I will look into these measurement's of safety.
great and informative videos, are you still on the water sir?
Hello Billy, thank you. Yes I am very much on the water, and i sail both my Mirror and a 16 foot Winkle Brig. I have not made videos recently as I feel I have shown my audience most of the information, but may do another video this summer.
wonderful to hear you are still at it, my early years were spent on the east coast, mersea island, brightlingsea, thames estuary in general, maldon, clacton, either a mirror dinghy and occasionally a merlin rocket, and a small shel of a boat with a 4plus seagul engine, lol, good times, i'm sure any video you put out would still be interesting and entertaining, especially for us ancient mariners, kind regards, bill.@@msf60khz
A very nice wee video. Just bought a 1971 mirror and after some repairs I'm ready to launch. Can you tell me if I can use the boyancy tanks as storage with the proper hatches? Want to do a camping trip but storage is limited. Many thanks. Mark
Yes I have hatches in the bow and the stern tanks. But hatch covers need to be good ones and tend to be a problem. I also have two storage boxes, as you might be able to see. I have found that dry bags are a good solution for carrying clothes and sleeping bag.
Hi dave, I’m missing your video’s mate, any plans for any more? Hope everything’s ok.
Thank you Pete. I dropped my camera into the sea last year and still have not replaced it. I am planning to do lots of Mirror sailing during my summer break starting in 2 weeks time.
@@msf60khz I’m glad to hear your still having your sailing adventures, sad we’re not coming with you but, I also understand, even with a new camera, it must feel a bit like work when you have to film everything and edit what you film. But from a selfish point of view, I still watch your old vids, and would like some more,
Many thanks for replying and hope to see you on the water some day.
Happy sailing.
Can I ask what the benefits of the gaff rig is?
Is it just less heel in high wind?
I love your videos and what you’ve done with your beautiful Curlew. Thank you
I originally tried the gaff rig for interest and to learn the ropes. It sails very much like the ordinary gunter rig but is generally thought to be more powerful off the wind but not so close-winded. The gaff is light to raise and lower and the sail comes down quickly in an emergency. As my gaff mainsail is a cut-down gunter sail my sail area is less. However, a topsail is a useful addition because it is only deployed in light weather. Thank you for your nice comments. david
That’s interesting! Seems to work for you and is certainly a bit different and fun.
Thanks for the insight!
Yes, I saw your top sail. All very clever!
By the way, what is the little metal ball thing on your port stays? It’s been puzzling me for a while now!
@@chasingwind114 Hi Brendan, it is a radar reflector.
dear sir, i hope your well and still sailing, i haven't been on for some time as you can see, but i also notice you haven't made any more vlogs, have you retired, i hope your ok and still sailing, yours kevin.
Hello Kevin
I am very moved to receive your kind message. Yes, I am well and still sailing, both in my Mirror and also in a Winkle Brig trailer sailor. I have not been making more videos as I feel they could be repetitive and I have already given viewers many Mirror Cruising videos. I am now 80 years old and still working half time - and sailing most weekends. With best wishes to you and to all my viewers. David
I'm not able to reach you on your blog. I have just bought a Mirror dinghy, 70,6??. So new I haven't memorized my number yet. Is your boom warped with fiber glass? I have very few fittings on my boom and am wanting to put reefing, vang, and possibly mid boom sheeting. I'm thinking at least a wrap around fiber glass where all fittings will go along with over sized holes filled with epoxy for screws and or bolts. I know this post his a year old. Just getting familiar with what's available. Thank you.
Hi Kim
Most fittings are just wood-screwed into the wood and there is no fibreglass reinforcement. The goose neck boom fixing is bolted through. The mainsheet is now attached by tying a loop round the boom, but if using a metal fitting I recommend through bolting. David