Sailing the Santana 21

4-27

Turns out this is the opening day of sailing season here in the Bay Area (I'm writing this 2 days later). We took the Santana out for its third sail since I brought it back from Reno. I've spent much of the winter taking care of minor and not so minor issues. The Lido has helped prepare me for some of this, but some of these things you just have to learn through experience.

After the mast came down on the Lido due to rotted chainplate screws, I am more than a little sensitive to the crucial systems of the boat. So, I didn't like the look of the chainplates on the S21, they were steel, but they were just too thin. Everything I've read says the material over the top of the pin should be at least half as thick. It definitely wasn't. The "Stock" chaiplates had to go, along with the old rigging. I upgraded everything and made new double chainplates out of 304 stainless. Instead of 1/8" I used 3/16" and made the whole shape larger. I would have liked to use 316 stainless, but it is harder to work with. For $10 in steel (for 4 feet by 2 1/2 x 3/16) I was able to make some very robust plates.

I have scoured the web for info on this boat and have found few resources. http://www.scottcarle.com is one as is Trailersailor.com. They offer some of the best info on this boat.

When I installed the new chainplates, I had to enlarge the thrudeck holes and found some rot in the deck laminate. I did the usual fix of removing a the rotted wood with a bent nail in my drill and then filling with epoxy and microspheres (My first fiberglass work).

The boat also had a strange spreader. It hung lower than the other and when removed, the end was bent. I didn't understand how this happened until I managed to fetch the boat up against a pier (please don't ask, I'll tell later). The force of the pier dragging on the shroud bends the base of the spreader.

Before doing any interior work, I wanted to address the leaks in the hull deck joint. Again, my inexperience shows. When I bought the boat, I didn't know what would be involved. After looking at one of the Casey books on fiberglass repair, I discovered what i would have to do. I would reseal the joint and glass over. After grinding off all 144 aluminum rivets binding the joint, it was fairly simple to pry the joint apart, clean and inject 3m 5200. I then used stainless screws and bolts to rejoin the deck to the hull and have put off the glassing as the seal is water tight now. I can always glass later.

So, after that and making a new rudder (the old one is suspect) the boat is serviceable. The last thing i want is a driveway ornament, so sailing is the priority.

Sunday was a great day. Lots of boats out and the wind was lite early in the day. We put up a 150% jib and ghosted around on a bay that I've rarely seen so calm. The wreck of the USS Thompson was plainly visible and we would have made a closer pass, but I had forgotten my chart and could not remember the depth near it, knowing only that it is shallow. I'm not quite ready to run the boat aground. We watched several others getting out of the shallows around Redwood City Harbor. It is a rare day indeed when I don't see somebody stuck. We offered a new Montgomery 17 a hand, but they were managing on their own.

It wasn't too long before the wind picked up and we started to have some fun rides. I still need to get the rig tuned better, it is unnerving to see the leeward shrouds hanging slack. I know up to a point this is normal, but still some tuning is required. The mast is also very flexible and tends to have a back bend when the fore and back stays are tight. Tried it a little looser than previous runs. Regardless, we had a great time and had to get our foul weather gear on once the wind came. Amazing, flat water with no chop and then, within 1/2 an hour, the tide is coming in in earnest and the wind picks up and you have 3 to 4 foot waves. What a blast!

Soon enough I will name this boat, unbelievable, a boat almost 40 years old with no name.