Maintenance
With even boats over 30 years old often still very competitive, it is unsurprising that the revival of the Europe class in the UK has seen plenty of maintenance and refurbishment, often carried out by sailors themselves. The majority of repairs to a Europe are fairly simple (unlike the full rebuild seen in the photo above!) and several sailors have documented and shared their methods for many common fixes!
George Cormack has documented the work he has carried out on various older Europes to create a Europe Repair Guide, sharing his knowledge and experience on how to tackle issues commonly seen in 1970s & '80s Europes.
Soft Side Deck RepairBy Malcolm Morley
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Soft side decks are common issue in many slightly older fibreglass Europes, with the fibreglass cracking at the point where you sit. With some fibreglass and resin accompanied with some knowledge of boat repairs, this is a fairly simple fix.
Watch out, some boats have ribs under the tanks and this technique may not be suitable. A long stick is good for feeling for ribs and fetching the strings through. |
Mast Deck Ring ReinforcementBy Olly & Ben Harris
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One common issue, particularly with older Winner Europes, is that the plywood around the mast deck ring begins to rot, which can cause structural failure if not repaired. In this case, the wood was still sound, other than around the bolt holes and edge (which had also elongated), so needed to be reinforced rather than fully replaced:
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Mast Deck Ring ReplacementBy Malcolm Morley
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If the wood has rotted more extensively it may be necessary to fully replace the plywood around the mast ring:
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Slot Gasket ReplacementBy Jon Tweedle
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Foil RepairsBy Jon Tweedle
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Carbon Fibre Rudder StockBy George Cormack
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Main Halyard Dyneema Locking LineBy Ben Harris
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If you need any help with this, or are looking to get a new main halyard system for your boat, get in touch with me at benharrisboatworks@gmail.com! |
Looking After Your RopeBy Marlow / RYA Dinghy Racing Channel
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