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Alto Refurb

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Poll Question: Should I
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iiiiitick View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote iiiiitick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Alto Refurb
    Posted: 01 Jun 15 at 5:30pm
I like the idea of raising the floor a bit, why not? will it matter if your knees are 2" closer to your chin? Someone made a flat floor open transom Graduate once but the Grad rocker is big for a 12' boat so it was sailed with knees higher than ears. married couple as I recall.......wonder if boat or relationship went first...?

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Alto-Tim View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Alto-Tim Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jun 15 at 6:03pm

Me as one of those five fingered banjo playing hillbillies based on the Medway Riviera, our little bit concerned of what's going on with one of our flock.

The boat was always designed for freedom of movement, comfort ,controllability and ease-of-use.

 Putting a self draining or anything thereof would breach one of the fundamental design features, as I understand when Mike was designing the boat he looked at the milk crate test which as I understand the 59 was built on that principle but with consideration and trying one decided to go for comfort. I myself having a 59 for five years on the Medway do know about how comfortable and Alto is compared to the self draining options laser 4000, iso, buzz, which I can say myself is, back hurting knee jarring, bruised ankle , and the odd trickle of blood down the leg as you yet again geld yourself on something, but it's all part of that wonderful class which the people enjoy; it comes with that  particular boat!, it's a good job are all individuals and have choice.

I like to think that 99% of the time the boat is sailed in an upper right fashion giving comfort and ease of use where 1% of the time losing the water is a small price to pay , rather than 99% of the time wishing you was in something comfortable but  O look the water runs away.

We have just done a deal with and Alto sailor has traded in his boat and brought 122 new and is at Whitstable yacht club.

We have two new boat in stock and always carry spares for our customers quick attention and prompt service. Any major modification would require dispensation from the Alto class Association before it could go ahead with dispensation to try, please put it on the agenda for next years AGM to be discussed then. I myself can't see much hope.

The Alto has mikes swinging pole system which gives the boat a different   dimention to all the others where we can run dead downwind, this requires a bit more mechanics at the front of the boat but again considering the features and the benefits outweigh any slight speed improvement.

Medway hillbilly.

Tim.



Edited by Alto-Tim - 01 Jun 15 at 6:04pm
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iiiiitick View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote iiiiitick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jun 15 at 6:32pm
....goodness me felamelad....do not use logigc with ole' Woodbuggerer.....!
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Woodburner Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jun 15 at 8:25pm
Er five fingers? That's not fair, they mostly have six over there, one eyed man in the kingdom of the blind eh, no wonder the yardstick is dropping by the minute.

As it happens, Mike did consider raising the floor we talked about it ages ago, but at the time he was busy being jerked around by the various manufacturers and dealers so had other things on his mind.

It's probably not going to happen but to do it, the only bit that has to be raised is the mid section where the crew operates and if you think about it, it just needs raising to the floor level at the stern so the height would be uniform and you'd get a bit of buoyancy from the foam as well as water displacement, which would be welcome given when we do get swamped, it's like a bloody cold bath tub and it lasts at least the length of a beat.
Anyway I've just got a mail from Jo with loads on it to consider, so it's getting more unlikely by the hour...


Edited by Woodburner - 01 Jun 15 at 8:26pm
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JimC View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote JimC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jun 15 at 8:30pm
Not quite as simple as that. You need a positive slope from front to back at the most extreme bow down trim you will ever use, otherwise you end up with a puddle at the front in light airs and if you're going to do without a transom you need enough buoyancy aft to support helm weight while putting the rudder on.
Self draining boats that don't quite self drain are spectacularly irritating to sail.
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Rupert View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Rupert Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jun 15 at 8:30pm
Major mods would only need permission if the boat is to race as an Alto. Otherwise, it is really up to an owner what he wants to do with a boat.

Of course, the downside is that you end up with a boat which could well be worthless, and you have no one to race against as a class, but in this case I'm not sure the owner cares.

Personally, I'd try and make the boat the best sorted Alto out there if she were mine, but if I've learned anything about our multi personality grf/WB is that experimenting is in the genes, so will feel stifled by rules!
Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Woodburner Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jun 15 at 9:52pm
The problem is, the boat was a prototype to start with, to make it 'class legal' whatever that currently is, would need a different mast, boom, and main sail since they have all changed in the years and manufacturer changes, it went back to Rondar once for the 1st set of changes and after all the gel coat fell off the bottom, but it still has a superstars mast which is now proctor or selden and the main is smaller than mine.
I've sailed and enjoyed it for what it is, a super fun, fast yet easy to handle with a variety of crews racing dinghy, it has given us great times over the years, but it was just getting too heavy to haul up and down the beach, the flushers are shot and so are all the ropes and wires, as are the rags, so it badly needed a makeover which is what it is going to get. The only time it goes anywhere is occasionally to round the isle of sheppey but i doubt I shall do that now they've screwed the yardstick below the 505 another example of blundering incompetence by you know who.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Woodburner Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jun 15 at 9:59pm
Originally posted by JimC

Not quite as simple as that. You need a positive slope from front to back at the most extreme bow down trim you will ever use, otherwise you end up with a puddle at the front in light airs and if you're going to do without a transom you need enough buoyancy aft to support helm weight while putting the rudder on.
Self draining boats that don't quite self drain are spectacularly irritating to sail.

Boats with pathetic self balers and flaps that leak are even more irritating i can assure you, this has a bulkhead and tanks at the mast base so the water collecting area is limited to the region around the CB case, so it could be done and it could be a retro fit if done professionally which they should consider, everything Bootscooter found in his review is spot on, and he sailed at Oxford, it's a lot worse in cross chop.

This boat is also a sieve it's had that many holes drilled in it, I swear it even took on water towing it from the club to the man cave.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Bootscooter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jun 15 at 10:17pm
I loved the Alto, and would have it off you Grumph, but I'm sure you couldn't afford to sell it for what I could afford to pay (2 Finns to support )
I don't know whether you boat has "grandfather" rights (in terms of class legal), but it'd be a brilliant "sh*ts'n'giggles" boat for windy days for someone.

Edited by Bootscooter - 01 Jun 15 at 10:18pm
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ASok View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote ASok Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jun 15 at 12:17pm
Originally posted by Woodburner


This boat is also a sieve it's had that many holes drilled in it, I swear it even took on water towing it from the club to the man cave.


I assume this detail will be left off the classified ad if you come to sell it?
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