DRAGONFLY Trimarans User Forum

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OLD DRAGONFLY TRIMARANS USER FORUM 2001-2006


DF920 Swing Wing

These are archived postings from the first Dragonfly User Forum from 2001-2006. Lots of useful information to be found here!

Here you will find all the information about the Dragonfly 920’s Swing Wing.

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Assembly | Cable & Line | Lubrication

Re: Wire specifications for DF920 water stays
[from: Malcolm Ratcliffe, United Kingdom, 12 Apr 2005]
They are 10mm Dyform. I have just bought a set from Quornings via Multihull Promotions (UK) @ £344 plus VAT the set. Previous owner had bought one stay, and said that Quornings price was cheaper than a local riggers? I didn’t check carefully, but a quick look at fitting prices for 10mm in a riggers catalogue led me to believe that he may be right!
Wire specifications for DF920 water stays ?
[from: John Blaiklock, United Kingdom, 8 Apr 2005]
Can someone give me the specification for the wire used to make the 920’s water stays.
Thanks.
Re: Changing water stays with boat in the water
[from: Malcolm Ratcliffe, United Kingdom, 22 Mar 2005]
I’ve adjusted tension of waterstays whilst boat in the water, with access from inflatable dinghy. So mechanically possible, but don’t know how you would then get right tension in the new stays?
Changing water stays with boat in the water ?
[from: John Blaiklock, United Kingdom, 22 Mar 2005]
It’s water stay replacement time. Can these be replaced safely and easily with the boat floating in the water, using a dinghy for access? Has anyone tried this?
[John, please read my lines below about the waterstay’s tension, it might answer your question. Bo]
Re: DF920 Stiff Swing Wing system
[from: John Blaiklock, United Kingdom, 3 Sep 2004]
Your experience sounds similar to my 920, easy to winch out most of the way, but tightens up for the last part. I expect this is because the water stays are becoming tight. I would not want any slack in them though.

There is an easy solution to this though that I saw being done on a DF800 which works well on a 920 too…

Winch out the floats normally until they become tight (a few cm gap still to go in the beam hinges).

Walk out onto the nearly tight trampolines and bounce up and down gently (make sure the float outhaul line is locked in the winch self-tailer or cleat, otherwise you might get wet feet). As your weight comes on the trampolines, you will see the beam hinges close up the remaining amount.

You should be able to insert the beam lock pin now, and retighten the float outhaul line to take up the remaining slack.

A quick and easy procedure that saves some hard winching.
Re: DF920 Stiff Swing Wing system
[from: Bo Wetzel, 3 Sept 2004]
Waterstay tension: To check the correct tension of the waterstays the boat needs to be out of the water.

1) Push the floats fully forward

2) pull them back by exactly 30cm (1ft)

3) the waterstays should now be just tight, i.e. no slack in them. it’s important you find this exaxt point of ‘no slack’. Don’t overtighten them!

Adjusting the waterstays is done by unfastening the waterstay at the main hull, then turn them clockwise for tighten them and anti-clockwise for loosen them. Note: One half turn makes a great difference!

Winching the floats out: Before trying to winch the flots out that last little bit, tighten the back stays (after both floats are out). This will help to pull the floats forward and makes it easier to tighten the trampolins with the winch, i.e. getting that last centimetre.
Stiff Swing Wing system
[from: Malcolm Ratcliffe, United Kingdom, 2 Sep 2004]
My floats were quite stiff to winch out. I have lubricated all sheaves and blocks in the system, made sure lines inside the back beam are not twisted, lubricated the plastic bearing surfaces, and things are getting better;- I can push the floats out easily with my feet quite a way, and everything runs quite smoothly. However, the last few inches before the pin can be put in the back tube are still very hard work. I suspected that the waterstays were too tight, and have backed them off one turn. However, the last bit of winching is still very hard work. Is this normal, or am I missing something?

ASSEMBLY:
Armas assembly, transport, dis-assembly
[from: Simon Currey, UK, 5 Jan 2002, simoncurrey@ntlworld.com]
When using the custom trailer how easy is this? How long does it take? How many helpers are needed? Can it be done single handed? With delicate gel coats how much potential is there for damage due to chafe? I notice in the photos shown the armas are shrink wrapped this is impractical for the typical user but clearly does provide good protection.

I am interested in purchasing a 920 but for me this is a critical when comparing with the Corsair F-31, which seems a less attractive product except in the critical area of ease of arma assembly for road transport.
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Cable and Line:
CHECK Swing Wing cable and line!
[from: Bo Wetzel, France, 14 July 2002]
If there are any single wires broken on the cable or the rope shows signs of wear then replace them! The later handbook from Quorning Boats for the DF920 suggest one should replace the Swing Wing line and cable every 3 years or when it starts to be worn!

What you need: (for each side) 15m of 10mm Spectra (or equivalent) line (only 12m if you have an older 920 without the pully on the floats and the double inhaul-line); s/s cable 6mm 7×19 1,8m (length without fittings) press-on eye-terminal for one end (for type see your existing setup) and 1 swageless (Norseman) eye terminal (this is the one you can fit yourself to the other end of the cable), 3m of thin line.

How to do it: (time: approx. 1.5 hrs; you can do this on your own! – Well, I’ve done it.)

1) Make sure the beams are folded completely and securing rods & pins are in place.

2) Open the 10cm inspection cover of the beam (located where the lines go in and out of the beam, near the joint between boat and beam). I had to unscrew mine, as it didn’t want to open – anyway it gives you more space that way.

3) Undo the Easylocks for the swing wing lines and disconnect the cable from the trampoline.

4) Cut the cable next to the eye-terminal and attach the thin line to the free cable end.

5) Gently ease the line/cable out of the inspection hole till you have the pully (which is attached to the inner cable end) free .

6) Detach the old line from the pully by taking the pin out and cut off the old knot.

7) Attach now the new line to this end of the old one (best stitched on and taped) and slowly pull the new line through each section of its run. Don’t try to pull it all the way trough to the float in one go!

8) Attach the new line (which has now replaced the old one) at one end to the pully from the beam and the other end of course to the fixing on top of the float.

9) Now take off the pully from the old cable and fix it to your new cable (the end with the press-on eye-terminal)

10) Pull out the old cable trough the inspection hole and detach your thin line from the end and fix it to the free end of the new cable.

11) Gently pull the thin line out of the far end of the beam (you can feed the new cable into the beam beforehand nearly all the way)

12) Make sure nothing gets twisted or turned inside the beam or entangled with the solar panel cable!(If they are in the beams.)

13) When the free end of the cable is out through the far end of the beam fix the swagless terminal to it as per instructions which come with the terminal. Don’t forget to add pleanty of woolfat/lanolin to the cable end and inside the terminal to stop rust stains

14) Attach the swagless terminal to the trampoline. If this is not easy, fit a line to the end of the trampoline and through a pully on the far end of the beam and pull it gently with the winch.

15) Now pull the “endless end” of the swing wing line in the cockpit tight and lock the Easylocks again.

Voila! That’s it!

Next time your open the swing wing system push out the floats first without putting the “out”-line on the winch. If everything runs freely then use the winch.

Good luck! And remember: The safty of your boats depends on this – so do take care and check everything twice!

P.S. I put a bit of tape around the cable next to the swagless terminal to check the cable is not being pulled out of the terminal.
Heavy going Swing Wing System due to twisted lines inside the beam!
[from: Bo Wetzel, France, 14 July 2002]
If your Swing Wing System doesn’t work as easy as you think it should do and the surface of the large teflon tracks between beam and float are clean and the nut of that joint is not to tight then:

Check the lines are not twisted or turned around each other inside the beam! (I think it happens slowly due to the twist in the line when using the winches for the swing wing system.)

When the beams are folded open the inspection cover on the beam (next to the joint between boat and beam) and have a look.

If the the lines are twisted around each other then disconnect the cable from the trampoline and turn it counterwise to untwist the lines and reconnect the cable to the trampoline.
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