[frers-list]Frers 38

[Mark Dixon]

Hi Courtney. To chime in with what others have stated, I wouldn't alter 
the rig in any way (dimensionally or structurally). The rig is not an 
overpowering rig to begin with, and the area of positive stability bears 
this out at @ 112 degrees (a stiff boat is @125* where a tender boat 
will be @ 100*). Change down sail size when you constantly carry more 
than 18 degrees of heel.  Furthermore, the boat wasn't designed to have 
the chain plates farther out than they are now. Becaus doing so could 
place loads from the rig out to places where the hull was not designed 
to take them (remember, all loads in a sailboat are designed to be 
transmitted to the hull in a specific fashion. Without proper 
engineering it may cause a failure in some area you didn't expect.) 
Also, unless the rod rigging shows obvious signs of corrosion, don't 
change it. In general, rod rigging tends to suffer less from corrosion 
than wire rigging because there are fewer places for salt to accumulate 
and cracks to hide.
I don't believe the Frers 33 ever had a factory option for a wing keel 
(there is no evidence of this in over 6500 boat dimensions cataloged for 
any of the racing databases past or present or in any factory info.)
If there was a wing, it was an after market version that was installed. 
It would be relatively easy to get keel offsets to have a replacement 
made up.
Regarding the rudder, it has enough authority to handle the boat in 
almost any situation except a spinnaker  oscillation broach (but then 
most boats won't handle that either). Any handling question will have 
more to do with the hull's canoe body (a quasi IMS design (read a 
slightly pinched stern). It does not carry the hips as far aft as post 
IMS designs but it's way better than any boat with the old IOR pinched 
stern.
In short, don't re-invent the wheel. Just put air in the tire and let it 
do what it was designed to do.
Regards, Mark