New Otter owner - looking for a bermudan rig

Discussion forum for the Otter class of sailing dinghy

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PapaSierra
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2022 8:57 am

New Otter owner - looking for a bermudan rig

Post by PapaSierra »

Hello All,
Am pleased to say that we have just acquired Otter no. 1130 (Chris Clarance Marine) & are very pleased with it. She has a gunter rig, but we are interested in converting her in to a bermudan rig. She has a fordeck step & we wonder whetherf there any downsides to doung the conversion & how easy it might be? Also, does anyone have bermudan rig available that we could buy - or swap for our gunter rig? Also, it would be great to get in contact with any other Otter owners in the Hampshire or Dorset area - we'd welcome their insights & wisdom about our lovely little dinghy. Thanks for any help. Paul B., Christchurch, Dorset

cweed
Posts: 44
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:18 pm

Re: New Otter owner - looking for a bermudan rig

Post by cweed »

Hello.
Hope you enjoy the boat.
Why do you want to convert to Bermudan? if the class were a rcer, there might be a reason, but it's a bit of an old nail of a boat. Mine's gunter and in keeping with the rest of it, varnished wood trimmings, etc..
If you do go for bermudan, and have spare sails, I could be interested, thanks.
I am based near Hayling Island SC,
The forum seems to be pretty comatose!

PapaSierra
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2022 8:57 am

Re: New Otter owner - looking for a bermudan rig

Post by PapaSierra »

Hello cweed, Thanks for your contact.

Overall we are keen on a bermudan (b) rig, principally for the following reasons:

• we are much more familiar with bermudan rigs & a little wary of the relative slackness of a gunter (g) rig(?). This is because my adult daughter (a dinghy instructor), who will be the main user of the Otter, is more inclined to want to sail "at pace" (aka as fast a possible, while trying to avoid capsize etc...!?) & therefore want to tune the rig to be relatively taught;
• the dinghy will probably live in a dinghy park & remain rigged – metal rigging is more weather tolerant than wooden rigging etc.;
• metal rigging is generally easier to maintain than wooden rigging(?);

If I do manage to get hold of a b rig, then I will look to sell the g rig in-toto. However, the woodwork is in very good order & if someone wants to keep their own g sails, then I will offer my g sails if they become "spare".

Best, PS

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aptanet
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Re: New Otter owner - looking for a bermudan rig

Post by aptanet »

Hi cweed,

Yes, things are pretty quiet for some reason. I guess not so many Otters around anymore - I may be hogging a decent percentage with two :wink: I had no idea you were Hayling based. I'm not far away in Widley. Do you sail in Langstone or Chichester? I'm guessing Chichester unless you are at Langstone SC on the bridge or trail. I'm Langstone based.
Paul Tansom
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cweed
Posts: 44
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:18 pm

Re: New Otter owner - looking for a bermudan rig

Post by cweed »

Hello..

Yep, I sail around Chich.Harbour. Used to be at Thorney, now kept near HISC. The Otter is great for sociable sailing, even in F3 you don't get much spray / wet! My other boats were / are always needing a wetsuit, the Otter is pretty much sail as is. It's easy to sail one up also.

It would be interesting to have on this site a register of boats, sail number, location, type of rig, etc of boats still being sailed /owned actively? It might encourage more chat on the site?

I don't think a Nationals has ben held since the late 1980's? Many people don't know of the class.

Getting back to your possible rig conversion, my particular boat, although Ok by me, is not possible to tighten the rig. The boat flexes when the shrouds and forestay have to cope with the main sheeted hard, and I think this stems from the boat generally not being stiff overall, as the floor flexes in a chop. However, for pottering it is quite OK. I also found that the boat can more or less hold its own with, say, Enterprises in modest breezes, even with my gunter rig.

Good luck!

PapaSierra
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2022 8:57 am

Re: New Otter owner - looking for a bermudan rig

Post by PapaSierra »

Hello Gents,

Thanks for your comments/advice/insights, they do help us to edge up the gentle learning curve.

Am interested to see your respective locations as I am from the Portsmouth area originally & so familiar with Langstone etc. & once we get settled, we might plan a trip over in the hope of a meet up & an Otter banyan? I have also been pleasantly surprised to find that there are a few other Otters in the Solent area - I have come across 3 other Otters near Lymington, & hope that a few more come out of the woodwork in due course.

We are hoping to try the gunter rig this week & will use the guidance on the forum re setting up the rigging - I suspect it will be an amount of suck & see ?

All the Best, PS

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