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How to support O'Day Tempest

2K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  CT_Tempest 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello All:
I recently bought a 1969 O'Day Tempest with motor and mooring for $1,000.

But of course a number of problems: keel is heavily rusted, one stringer is rotted away, and a few others.

My immediate problem is that the bottom plank of the trailer that the keel would sit on has rusted away and the boat was placed on the trailer such that too much of the weight is on the square supports, especally the two rear ones. The hull is depressed where the rear stands meet the hull. (I'm sorry I don't know the appropriate terms yet)

A person in the yard said the first thing I needed to do was get the weight redistributed. He suggested having it lifted off the trailer and onto a set of supports with the keel resting on a block of wood. I could do that but my budget is limited, the lift is expensive (hundreds) in my area and I'd like to save my money for repairing the keel, putting in a new stringer and others.

Is there an option I could do myself to rebalance the weight?
- Could I put a block of wood where the stand has rusted away and then lower the rear stand heights and rest the keel onto the block?
- I've read about a Catalina 22 owner being advised to lower the front of the trailer and put a cradle on the back of the boat, and then raise the front of the trailer and put a support under the front. Is something like that an option here? I know the Tempest is a heavier boat (3000 lbs w/ 1250 lbs keel). Could I build some supports or a cradle from 4x4s?
-Any other ideas?

I've included some pictures which shows the basic setup.

Thanks for any help.

Alan
 
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#2 ·
Congrats, the Tempest is a great boat. IMHO, a really underrated design that was ahead of its time. As with all keel boats, the boats are designed to be supported on their keels while out of the water; the poppits (stands) are there to make sure the boat doesn't tip over, not to bear the weight of the boat. If your boat is deforming over the stands, then they are clearly carrying too heavy a load. Your idea of supporting the stringer under the keel sounds like a good one; maybe you can put some jacks under the stringer and lift it bit by bit while you put enough wood underneath it to fully support the load. But your pickle is that unlike yard stands which you can move around as you see fit, the stands on your trailer can't be moved. They are always going to be hitting the boat where they do now, so unless you can adjust them enough so that they are not supporting the boat at all (and you provide alternate support from separate stands that you rent or borrow that hit the hull in a different location), you are never going to be able to find out if those dents are going to flex back out. I don't think the only question is "can I figure out a way to support the boat on its keel without removing it from the trailer?", but also "is there a way get the rear supports away from the hull so those dents can rebound without removing the boat from the trailer?".

Again, I think the Tempest is a fine sailing boat that presaged the current "classic daysailer" genre by 50 years; classic, CCA looking topsides with a modern split underbody. Most designs of that era were examples of full keel/attached rudder boats. Noice!

Best of luck.
 
#3 ·
How about launching the boat, put it on its mooring, fix the trailer, and then haul it?

Jacking the keel with bottle jacks is also on option. You will of course need to move the pads up as you do so. Should give you enough space to perform the trailer repairs and then you can lower the boat back down, supporting the weight on the keel.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Sometimes the keel support gets bent down over time from the trailing bouncing down the highway and more load is placed on the hull supports. make new temporary supports and weld or bolt them to the trailer in a different location further back. could be wood or steel. then you can repair the boat and the existing supports.
 
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#5 ·
mstern,
Thank you for your suggestions. And yes, I've read a lot of positive reviews of the Tempest, hopefully I can get her seaworthy. I think I am going to try to get a block of wood topped by a 2x4 up under the keel since there is an opening where the trailer has rusted away and see if that will release some of the pressure on the rear stands. There are extra stands around the yard that the Dockmaster said I can borrow so if i can fit them in that may help.
Thanks again,
Alan
 
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