Soling questions....

[mtrhed]

Good day,
I'm posting this message in the racing forum in hopes of reaching the demographic that will have the answers I need.
I'm considering trading up to a Soling that needs a little work. My plans for the boat are to use it as a spirited daysailer and maybe some beer can races once I'm comfortable with the boat. My questions at this point are:

Does anyone have info for a lifting bridle and attachment points? I'm hoping to dry sail the boat.

I'd like to add an electric outboard to Help me get out of the marina. One of these should be easy to stow one I'm clear of the dock and have some clear air in the sails. Has anyone fitted a Soling with one of these? How about some recomendations for a mount.

I'd like to raise the mast on the boat once I have it home so I can work at replacing some of the lines and figuring out what goes where. Has any one used a gin pole setup for raising the mast on one if these?

Any advise would be appreciated.
Thanks!

[Gary M]

Generally Soling are lifted via a single point attachment on one of the keel bolts I believe, or at least a lifting point located there. I have seen may of them lifted that way but never actually did it myself so not positive what they hooked up to.

Because Soling do not have lifelines they may not meet the safety requirements for your local race program. I would check first.

[sailingdog]

A lot of places race solings as a one-design IIRC...and the one design rules do not require lifelines on them AFAIK.

As for the outboard, it would probably need a lifting bracket mounted to the transom, and the transom probably would require a backing board for the mount. Might want to inquire whether the addition of the outboard and bracket makes the boat in violation of local class racing rules before making any modifications.

As for a gin pole setup... should be fairly doable with three people aboard. Less so with two. If you use an A-frame setup, you might be able to do it single-handed.

[svHyLyte]

You might get better information at ::United States Soling Association :: .

We spent quite a bit of time sailing a Soling out of Road Town, Tortola, in the mid-1970's. Great boats. Fast. Easily handled. But can be a bit of a handful for a beginning sailor although at the point at which one tries to make the boat do something it doesn't want to--short of running it up on the beach--it will just refuse to respond.

I have seen a couple of these boats powered with a trolling motor. One fellow at our old club mounted his on a 2x4 rigged transversely on edge across the comings at the rear of the cockpit and held in place with two pins through the board, and then through row-lock like fittings on either combing. The trolling motor was fitted to this adjacent to the hull where it was easily reached and powered with a Group 24 size deep cycle battery. The boat moves very easily and he could easily motor the boat back to the yacht club if necessay although 99.9% of the time he was able to sail.

FWIW...

[mtrhed]

Thanks for all the advise guys,
The lake where I'm considering putting this boat is big enough for some good racing and day sailing but not big enough for cruising in. I think I could make good use of a Soling as just a day sailer once I figure out a few of these issues. I realize that this boat will never be a national class champion but I think the boat is still worth getting and putting in shape to sail again.
Hanging a motor off the side sounds ineresting. These boats are good looking and hanging a standard motor mount off the back would be like looking at Miss Universe with a missing front tooth. It just wouldn't look right. Having the motor on the side might make it easier to mount and remove as well. The stern on the Solings look to be a good bit behind the cockpit.
The Soling USA site might be a good source for info but many of the tech articles seemed to be blocked unless you're a member. The price to join seems a little steep and much of the content is pretty hard core for what I want too do.
Thanks for keeping the good ideas coming!

[Mark1948]

Use an electric trolling motor and get a solar panel to charge the battery. Motor easy to stow in the rather limited dog house and will have enough juice to move you in and out of a marina.

[paulk]

Our Soling was an Abbott (built in Sarnia, btw), which we raced for about a dozen years. The lifting bridle was shackled to two metal straps that went between keelbolts in the bilge. You will probably have openings in the cockpit floor to access them, unless you have a really old boat (like ours was) that doesn't have the raised selfdraining cockpit. Our bridle was made from hefty nylon line, eyespliced to an equally hefty ring at the top and two nice sized shackles at the bottom (which connected to the two straps). The ring should be several inches above deck level when hoisted. Other people paid more for fancier wire bridles with doubled nicopress sleeves. The ring gets tied off with lines to the snubbing winches P&S to keep the boat from possibly heeling while hoisted.

Stepping the mast takes two people; three is better. One holds the foot of the mast down with both hands while he crouches in the cockpit. He could try holding it down with his foot, from in front, but he might end up garroted that way. The second crew takes up on the line that leads to the bow ring and then up to where it has been tied to the CLEATED jib or spinnaker halyard. A snubbing winch and cam cleat are good ideas. The third guy (generally the biggest & tallest) lifts the mast at the aft end of the cockpit, and while the other two do their things, walks the mast up. Make sure the backstay is attached! The shrouds on one side should be attached too, to provide some control, and you'll probably have to straddle the cockpit as you walk it up. Once up, the other shrouds attached, adjusted, and you're ready to go. Solings are FUN! Planed for 8 miles in one once. Wild! Hiking is a lot of work if the wind picks up, but tacking at 30 degrees off the wind is pretty cool.