Am now looking at a Matilda 20. My brother has one and I have a line on one that's been in storage for 10 years. Does anyone have any experiences with this boat? I'd be interested to here about your experiences with it.
Thankyou, Merci.

Well, I did it. I bought the boat.
www.sites.google.com/site/sailingwinded.
It'll take some work to get her going but I think it will be worth it.
Come on Summer!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/2011 01:24PM by Ralph.

Well congratulation !

Yves

Congratuations, this is a bold move.

I did consider such purchase two years ago, but I ended up buying a Sandpiper 565 mainly because of the higher weight of the Matilda and because of known maintenance issues with the cast iron keel, sliding on oak rails and suspended with a cable system and manual winch. The main interest of a Matilda in my opinion is the far better cabin space than what I have on a Sandpiper.

There has been numerous incidents Matilda's keels that dropped because the hardware hoolding the keel failed in one way or another. Such failure often causes extensive damages. Rebuilding the keel oak sliders is well documented on [www.matildaowners.com] website (major job). I noticed you are already a member, great idea. Once you are confident keel lifting hardware is top shape, I'm certain this is a great first Sailboat.

You've done your homework. Only one suggestion: make sure you have brakes on the trailer with such weight behind you, unless you have a very big truck.

Martin, Sandpiper 565 #925

Thanks Martin. Yes I have done the homework and all these things have been considered. When I was looking I didn't come across any sandpipers to consider. My second choice would have been one of the MacGregor venture models that were a bit more money than this one.

Ralph

So now the boat is home and have started with getting it ready for sailing.
Check out my website.
[www.sites.google.com]

Hi Ralph,
I just checked your blog... very promising boat.

I'm glad you found a good outboard too. Mine is probably identical to yours: It is a 1985 Evinrude Yatchwin 8HP long shaft and it is still very healthy. I like it very much. It is designed and geared for sailboats. Unfortunately, OEM size Propellers for that engine are no longer available (9.25" diam. 7" pitch size). The closest I found on Ebay is a Michigan Wheel prop Model number is 012031, 8.5"diam x 7" pitch I now keep as a spare prop with a spare prop nut and pin. Pitch size is what matters the most with a heavy boat. . If I damage the OEM, I will use the spare and get the OEM repaired. Very few props are available for older engines without exhaust trough. One last thing I found about this engine is that the crank has a safety that prevents the crank to start the engine with the gear engaged. This part broke on mine and I ended up only with the emergency rope on the flywheel. The part was backorder and I was advised not to reinstall it, because it is too likely to accidentally break again. A sailboat will not fly away under your feet like a little dinghy if you did start in gear by mistake.

Last advise: be careful with old gas tanks and fuel lines. It is not a good idea to try using the steel original gas tank. I learned the hard way that anything built before 1992 must be replaced because it is not designed for ethanol and quickly degrades, causing rust and rubber particles and ... carb problems. New automotive fuel formulas are also degrading much faster than before. It is essential to use the best fuel stabilizer you can find. I use the new Stabil Marine with premium gas and Shell Nautilus 2 strokes oil. Stay away from cheap oil and regular gasoline (because ethanol content will absorb water vapor into gas).

Fair winds !

Martin, Sandpiper 565 #925



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/17/2011 04:23PM by lamimartin.

Thanks for the heads up regarding the motor, Martin. It came with a new plastic tank the same size as the old metal one and a newer fuel line.

Ralph
Matilda 20, hull #761

Great ! New fuel tank and fuel lines will considerably decrease your chances of problems in the future.

Which lakes are your planning to explore with your Matilda 20 ?

This is big enough for serious sailing !

Martin, Sandpiper 565 #925

The few lakes that I've thought of so far are Lake Ontario, Lake Rosseau, and Georgian Bay. We're celebrating our 10th anniversary this summer so I thought I'd take my wife out to the Thousand Islands and sail around there for a couple of days. My brother has the same boat and lives at Muskoka Woods Sports resort just out of Rosseau so I plan to spend some time there sailing with him. Perhaps a brotherly race with identical boats. Another friend of mine has in-laws with a cottage up near Tobermory so I might get up there sometime too. I'm a teacher so this summer I sail.

Ralph
Matilda 20, hull #761

Quote:

Ralph
"I'm a teacher so this summer I sail"

This is quite an interesting program for this summer and the next few years !

I must say, I'm a Registred Nurse, so ... my wife and I WORK this summer except for a couple of weeks and week-ends. I'm a little envious !

We also consider a tour in 1000 Islands area, but probably not this year. Time restrictions are shrinking the distance radius we can consider from Montreal area. This is a long term commitment. Retirement is not that far away in our case.

By the way, I noticed your boat trailer does not appear to be equipped with brakes. The combined weight of the Matilda 20, trailer, outboard and gear is well above 2000 lbs. In Quebec, trailers heavier than 50% of tractor vehicle weight must have their own brakes and Ontario requires brakes on trailers that weigh 1360 kg (3000 lb). In many US states, twin axles require brakes on all four wheels, not just two. I suggest you inquire about your insurance company to make sure you are properly covered on the road, especially in US. Personnaly, I have a sinle axle trailer with 7" drum hydraulic brakes.

I suggest you have a look at this link:[blog.huntsvillemarine.com]

Fair winds !

Martin, Sandpiper 565 #925



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/17/2011 09:18PM by lamimartin.

Yes Martin, I've also considered the brake issue. I have a tandem axle flat deck trailer that I'm in the process of selling. That money is going into putting bakes on the trailer. I'll probably put on single 3500 lb. flex axles with brakes to put it lower to the ground. I towed it home this way and the van did a great job towing it. I would feel safer though if it had brakes so I will be putting them on.

Thanks

Hi Ralph,

I fully agree with your choice for suspension and single axle in that weight range.

A few tips:
It is sufficient to install 10" hydraulic drum brakes with FREE BACKING option.

I prefer the Atwood hydraulic brake actuator (http://www.easternmarine.com/ATWOOD-6k-Drum-Brake-Actuator-84132/) which is more rugged and reliable. This actuator has a manual brake lock-out option if your cylinders do not have the free backing option (like my 7"drums). The galvanized version is best, but not essential for freshwater operation.

If you plan for saltwater operation, even the best drum brakes will take a beating. It is much better to go for disk brakes. If you do, the Atwood has a provision for adding brake lock-out solenoid for free backing up.

If you change your axles and hubs, have a look at the newer axle lubrication systems such as Dexter EZ-Lube (http://dexteraxle.com/i/u/1080235/f/product_flyers/E-Z_Lube_3-09.pdf), Cost is not much more but it can reduce your maintenance considerably. For a boat trailer, that's the way to go.

Martin, Sandpiper 565 #925

Quote:

Ralph
I'll probably put on single 3500 lb. flex axles with brakes to put it lower to the ground. I towed it home this way and the van did a great job towing it. I would feel safer though if it had brakes so I will be putting them on.
Thanks

Hi Ralph,
I've experienced towing a similar load (Sandpiper) with a front wheel drive vehicle. No problem from point A to point B on rather flat land, but on boat ramps, a front wheel drive IS a problem in most cases. Unless you find a ramp in good shape, with the IDEAL slope to quickly make the boat float, you will have to consider a third wheel on the front and a winch or (much better) a pole extension. Otherwise both the boat trailer and tractor will need a towing to get out.

I had planned for pulling my trailer out of the water with a winch and a third wheel Third wheel axle Third wheel axle. I made this 35$ setup soldering an axle on a steel plate. All I have to do is to temporarely relocate the spare tire on that front axle to recover the boat when I can't safely use a low ground clearance front wheel car ( shallow waters, slippery condition, rough ramp, etc). As you can guess, this is meant as a last resource solution.

Unfortunately, I found out the hard way this is NOT practical to launch the boat in less than ideal ramps. You are stuck with anything that stops your trailer to roll down the ramp, because you can't push with a cable. You need a pôle extension to do that. Example of pole extension. This pole extension would spare damages on my car and greatly increases the chances of getting in and out even with a front wheel drive car like yours.

The ultimate solution is, indeed ... a 4 wheel drive tractor with a towing capacity of at least 3000 lbs AND brakes on the trailer. You may be surprised to read the user's manual to find out brakes on the trailer are RECOMMENDED for towing anything heavier than 1000 lbs. You can also RENT a pick-up truck and forget about the need for independent brakes because it is designed for such heavy towing.

I had to replace my 11 years old V6 Oldsmobile, which was too low to be safe anyway, so I got a Suzuki Grand Vitara V6. I've got and my brother had a Dodge Caravan in the past and found out it has the power for towing but it remains very low and transmission is the weak point, even with a towing package.

Good luck and fair winds !



You get the idea.

Martin, Sandpiper 565 #925

Fortunately, my trailer tongue is extendable 8'. Two grade 8 bolts hold it in place and making the tongue extend is as easy as undoing the two bolts sliding the tongue out and replacing the bolts further back. At least the person who built this trailer thought that one through.