Category Archives: Putting the Boat Away

Transporting Your IOM !! How Do You Pack the Car?

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For 2023, I moved my IOM from house to club by padding the car boot floor with old towels – then laying the boat on its port side, nose to the front along the left hand side of the boot. Got the picture?? One day, under sharp braking I almost got an IOM in the left ear… so I learned put a tool box in front of the leading edge of the fin, basically locking the boat in position. It works OK, but we shall all just pack our car boots in whatever way suits us!!

By the way, if you use the method above…. don’t pack the boat in rudder to the front – the rudder would be very exposed to damage with a dab on the brakes.

I became quite interested in the idea of removing the fin and bulb for travel, when I saw a rather super bag system from, I think…. Catsails. They declined to make me another though, and I don’t think it is currently listed on their website. You need their fin bag as well !! Looks great though!

Then two things happened –

Recounting the “IOM in the ear story” to the friend who had loaned me an IOM, he recommended a Potter “Onesie” that protects the whole boat and fin, with great carrying handles and everything. You do need to develop the knack of sliding the boat in and out of the bag safely, but actually it does inspire confidence in the car boot.

I was still slightly hankering to try a “keel off” type padded bag arrangement that I had seen from Catsails. However, when my new IOM arrived from SailboatRC they specifically said “don’t keep taking the fin on and off for each weekend!!”

They want the fins left ON…. Upon reflection I guess it makes sense and I’m going to be a Onesie-Fan.

By the way, Nigel Barrow has made his boat a protective hull box which is rather fetching. Maybe that’s my 2025 project.

https://www.nigelbarrow.co.uk/boat-box-rig-box-and-stand

I might say that with the Marbleheads, I think we all take the fin off each and every weekend !! I’ll do an article soon on the rather luxurious, German made, hull bag that we have for that. It’s a nice idea too.

Drying Out the Inside of Your Boat After Sailing

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After a pretty wet day’s sailing, I pulled the bung off the F6 Marblehead and let the water out, as you do. This prompted a couple of discussions with Clubmates, LT and GH. It seems that when they get home, they pump dry air through their boats to keep the electrics dry. Good thinking.

As an aside, my IOM has a massive wide pot aperture, so I thinking airing the hull and electric is less of an issue with that. You can almost put your hand in, it’s that big. If you have a 60mm pot in your IOM, you might think about this though.

We had a great discussion in the bar about whether it is best to push dry air in, or pull damp air out. I decided on the latter for me.

Prompted by LH, I ordered the bits from Amazon : 40mm USB powered computer fan with 3 speed switch, a hygrometer to measure progress, (total less than £20 I think) and for my spare room, a 2m USB extension cable. The pot in the F6 is the ubiquitous Sailsetc 60mm pot, so I ordered an extra pot and lid for £2.50 plus postage. Although you can get a pot lid separately and save £1, I reckon you need the whole thing so that when you drill a hole in the lid to suck the air out, you can hold the whole affair by the pot as you drill.

This is what it looks like with the fan in situ. Note I have glued it on the lid for now, but I suspect in the longer term I’ll bolt it on using M3 bolts. There is a 3 speed switch on the fan and in initial tests I ran it on the lower speed. You need the bung out obviously so that dry air gets in to displace the damp air coming out. The hole in the lid exactly matches the fan diameter.

LT also suggested a hygrometer to place in the airflow to monitor progress. Amazingly it costs about the same as London coffee.

This is what it looks like, when it’s running. Fingers crossed it works fine.

This was the fan we used from amazon:-

ELUTENG Mini 40mm 5V USB Fan Desk PC Fans with L/M/H 3 Adjustable Speed Portable USB Computer Fan USB Case Box Electronic Cooling Fan 5300 RPM with Metal Grill for Laptop/TV Box/AV Cabinet/PS4/Router

This was the hygrometer:-

Goabroa Mini Hygrometer Thermometer Digital Indoor Humidity Gauge Monitor with Temperature Meter Sensor Fahrenheit (℉)

Vague Feeling Rudder ?? Plus Storing Your Rudder Ready for Travel !!

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I was chatting to a fellow member the other day who felt his steering and rudder did not feel quite “right”. Upon close examination, it was just that the clamping screw where the shaft goes in to the steering arm was not gripping well. Have you looked at yours?

It may be perfectly cylindrical and nice and shiny – bad for clamp screws!!

Ideally the shaft should have a little flat bit where the clamp screw bites. Can you see it in this photo above? If you don’t have a ‘flat’, possibly a little patience with a flat file would fix it.

This subject introduced me to the whole topic of “do you take the rudder off to travel?” I must admit, in the boot of the car I don’t bother. However, any more ambitious travel and you might want to take both the fins out. I attach a great (short) video below of how this works on a K2 IOM, how to get your fingers in, what angle is best to held the boat when you do it etc. They use a little retainer spring in there too – clever.