505 rope carpet

The most complex additional bit in 505s for me is the centreboard controls - to move the pivot forward/back and up/down, not something I've seen to such a degree elsewhere (although did see a FD with some kind of pivot point adjustment once allowign the board 'bolt' to travel front/back - I think!.

Other than that, to me at least, all the rest in a 505 looks like you see elsewhere; raking rig, adjustable forestay, lowers, pole launchers, pole height, kicker, cunno, outhaul, jib cars etc... is there something else lurking in there somewhere I'm missing?

Someone once told me that all that complication was just controlled by two strings....so if it is set up right it is simple.

are they any more complicated than the cats cradle that is a modern merlin rocket?

I do it every year, check out the five oh, see how much I understand, I'm getting quite good now, but it's been nearly ten years, so I'm feeling quite chuffed with myself, then I come across this black bitch of a Merlin stringfest.. straight back in the corner sporting the cone hat with the D on it.

I looked at a brand new Merlin on Saturday... I reckon there was more metreage (is that a word? footage if you prefer) of rope than of fibre in the hull!! The only adjustable bits I could see, that couldn't be adjusted on the water, were the spreader angle adjuster screws... Perhaps I should shut up and stop giving them ideas...