Coypu (dinghy)

Last updated
Coypu
Coypu.jpg
Boat
Crew 2
Hull
Type Monohull
Construction Fiberglass
LOH 3.510 metres (11 ft 6.2 in)
Beam 1.520 metres (4 ft 11.8 in)
Hull appendages
Keel/board type Centreboard
Sails
Upwind sail area 8 square metres (86 sq ft)

The Coypu is a class of small sailing dinghy. It is a highly stable boat, suitable for beginners, and is normally sailed by two people, although three can be accommodated comfortably.

Dinghy sailing

Dinghy sailing is the activity of sailing small boats by using five essential controls:

Contents

Design

The variants in the design of the coypu depend on the builder. The hull is normally glass-reinforced plastic construction, with buoyancy tanks on front, sides, and rear. The centreboard is metal, and the rudder is removable, either fixed (i.e. does not have a downhaul) or with a moveable blade.

Centreboard ship element

A centreboard or centerboard (US) is a retractable keel which pivots out of a slot in the hull of a sailboat, known as a centreboard trunk (UK) or centerboard case (US). The retractability allows the centreboard to be raised to operate in shallow waters, to move the centre of lateral resistance, to reduce drag when the full area of the centreboard is not needed, or when removing the boat from the water, as when trailering. A centreboard which consists of just a pivoting metal plate is called a centerplate. A daggerboard is similar but slides vertically rather than pivoting.

Rudder device to steer a vehicle

A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other conveyance that moves through a fluid medium. On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw and p-factor and is not the primary control used to turn the airplane. A rudder operates by redirecting the fluid past the hull (watercraft) or fuselage, thus imparting a turning or yawing motion to the craft. In basic form, a rudder is a flat plane or sheet of material attached with hinges to the craft's stern, tail, or after end. Often rudders are shaped so as to minimize hydrodynamic or aerodynamic drag. On simple watercraft, a tiller—essentially, a stick or pole acting as a lever arm—may be attached to the top of the rudder to allow it to be turned by a helmsman. In larger vessels, cables, pushrods, or hydraulics may be used to link rudders to steering wheels. In typical aircraft, the rudder is operated by pedals via mechanical linkages or hydraulics.

Downhaul

The downhaul is a line which is part of the rigging on a sailboat; it applies downward force on a spar or sail. The most common downhaul on a modern sailboat is attached to the spinnaker pole, though this may be referred to as the foreguy in some rigging nomenclature. The term is also commonly applied to the cunningham on the mainsail.

Most Coypu mainsails are normally raised by feeding the luff into the track on the mast, although some variants have gunter rig sails. The mainsheet is fixed to the stern of the boat. A jib is used for normal use and only one size is available.

Mainsail

A mainsail is a sail rigged on the main mast of a sailing vessel.

Gunter wire utilized in sailing

In sailing, a gunter is used for two main configurations of rig:

Stern back or aft-most part of a ship or boat

The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite of the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Originally, the term only referred to the aft port section of the ship, but eventually came to refer to the entire back of a vessel. The stern end of a ship is indicated with a white navigation light at night.

The boat is heavy in comparison with other dinghies, so traditionally they have proved popular at training centres where removing the boat from the water on a regular basis is not necessary. However, the design provides a stable boat in all weather, which is ideal for beginners, especially juniors.

Also, a "sea scout" version of the coypu dinghy is available. [1]

History

The Coypu is a rather old design of boat. It is possible to get replacement spares. The design of the boat meant that small boatyards and centres could build their own fleet easily, with assistance from a mould. The design also meant that they were easy to repair, and as a result, they have long service lives.

Previous centres known to have built Coypu hulls include:

Bury Lake Young Mariners has been operating since 1983 at Bury Lake in Rickmansworth Aquadrome, Hertfordshire, England. The charity has more than 100 boats and each year enables around 7,500 mostly young people to go sailing.

Rickmansworth town in South-West Hertfordshire, England

Rickmansworth is a small town in southwest Hertfordshire, England, approximately 17 miles (27 km) northwest of central London and inside the perimeter of the M25 motorway. The town is mainly to the north of the Grand Union Canal and the River Colne. The nearest large town is Watford, approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) to the east. Rickmansworth is the administrative seat of the Three Rivers District Council. The confluence of the Chess and the Gade with the Colne in Rickmansworth inspired the district's name. The enlarged Colne flows south to form a major tributary of the River Thames. The town is served by the Metropolitan line of the London Underground and Chiltern Railways from London Marylebone to Aylesbury.

Hertfordshire County of England

Hertfordshire is one of the home counties in England. It is bordered by Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For government statistical purposes, it is placed in the East of England region.

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