harrier dinghy

I think Greg Gregory was the pioneer of really wide Merlins, but he then went super wide and his next generation was not a great sucess. Morrison and Callaghan designs then took over, with Morrison dominating because of his relationship with Spud Rowsell.

Design Query:

Originally posted by Medway Maniac Design Query:Jim C and Rupert, both of you have said (Rupert on the Hadron thread) that Harrier in effect too easily scooped water over the gunwale when heeled.

I don't think I've meant to say that, my feeling was that it was't a problem unless you sailed it badly (at least once I had a sensible rudder on so it didn't broach at a 10 degree heel angle), and if you sailed it badly it served you right. I haven't sailed Merlins enough to comment on whether they are any better or worse. Obviously the more freeboard you have and the wider the sidedecks the greater the heel angle before water ingress.

What I was trying to say was that the internal buoyancy arrangements, a small short bow tank and two short tanks at the stern, meant there was a bare minimum of tank actually displacing water when you got it upright whether post capsize or just after excessive heeling. It was effectively a built in version of the common contemporary layout of two bags at the stern and one at the bow, and just as inadequate.

Still plenty you could do with an old ebay banger, provided you had a bits box with some spreaders in it, or could get those and other parts cheap, or perhaps find an old mast with spreaders already on. Lowers are easy to fit. The buoyancy is another matter, but I'm sure could be worked on. Chances are the stern tanks would be cracked anyway, so you'd need to do something, anyway!

The Harrier luff length is a bit longer than the Solo, but as I recall when I laid two sails on top of each other the feet were the same length and even the leech profile much the same until the Harrier top batten. Over fifteen years ago now tho, memory might be at fault.

Edited by JimC - 18 Oct 13 at 2:35pm