Otter 412

Discussion forum for the Otter class of sailing dinghy

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Mark.Blinkhorn
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2009 3:58 am

Otter 412

Post by Mark.Blinkhorn »

Proud owner of Otter 412.
Bermudan rig, Proctor aluminium spars.
I guess she was built about 1977 - anyone any other ideas?

Some woodwork shot. The rear of the centreboard cover exploded the first time I raised the centreboard! I'm thinking of patching it with polycarbonate sheet - I'll post to let you know how I get on...

I've had to 'invent' the aft rigging - I'll take some pictures the next time I have her rigged and have a camera to hand.

I'm fermenting a centremain conversion for next season - I'll keep posting...

:D

ss007
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 7:27 am

Re: Otter 412

Post by ss007 »

Mark

I have only been sailing for a couple of years in a Wayfarer. When I bought the Otter this year it was a rear main but I changed my boat to centre main after a couple of months and its just great, its so much easier to handle and it wasn't difficult to do.

Steven

Mark.Blinkhorn
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2009 3:58 am

Re: Otter 412

Post by Mark.Blinkhorn »

Well I'm back after my winter refit.

The patching of the centre board cover with an old number plate had kept me going to the end of the season last year but it didn't look pretty and could not take the pounding of the centre board being raised either. I was lucky enough to come across a piece of 9mm marine ply offcut that was big enough for the job so I've abandoned the polycarbonate idea - wood looks so much nicer anyway. I stripped off all of the other bits of wood and spent a happy winter in the shed with pots of varnish and now she'll dazzle the sight of your eyes! (pity about the gel-coat though...)

Had a great week just after Easter pottering about on the Solway so I've still not got round to the centre main conversion, but that does look to be pretty straightforward.

Still playing around with mast rake. The way I have it at the moment she falls off the wind in really light winds but improves as the wind picks up so I guess I'm not a million miles off at that; maybe I ought to try moving my weight around a bit.

Mark.Blinkhorn
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2009 3:58 am

Re: Otter 412

Post by Mark.Blinkhorn »

The centre-main conversion in action on 24 Oct 2010
Image

And some details of how I did it.
Image Image

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