tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34626693209713034202024-03-18T22:42:40.808-07:00Cruising Boat Designs A blog about boats, books, voyages we've made, and yacht design.
If you are a designer or builder and would like to have your boat reviewed, send drawings, photos and details to yatdesign@aol.comUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger190125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-26353338237606802852023-10-03T10:59:00.000-07:002023-10-03T10:59:08.999-07:00<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIJFfJ0UKesIAlhzktaWucDzrLNP10MuN0ELZ-r1Aj3tPWHsRUaD8ZBlSwmMqIBwIpyFw6pEeRZAwAGQGzto7QoXzlwbWtQrl7TwPXKQUWuSpH6UVYf0Tbm7ZhN3qU5VQwSpZdNegs_6DNeCjD9pC3A5hfDGtWMenSuAgrMeZbs0-PylmfehyHLCeDm-7/s2550/Men%20of%20Mystery%20Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="2550" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIJFfJ0UKesIAlhzktaWucDzrLNP10MuN0ELZ-r1Aj3tPWHsRUaD8ZBlSwmMqIBwIpyFw6pEeRZAwAGQGzto7QoXzlwbWtQrl7TwPXKQUWuSpH6UVYf0Tbm7ZhN3qU5VQwSpZdNegs_6DNeCjD9pC3A5hfDGtWMenSuAgrMeZbs0-PylmfehyHLCeDm-7/w659-h161/Men%20of%20Mystery%20Logo.jpg" width="659" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>MEN OF MYSTERY </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>LITERARY EVENT</b></span></p><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;">I will be one of the featured authors at the 23rd Annual Men of Mystery literary event. This award-winning gathering of authors, agents, publishers and, most importantly, literary fans of all types, will be held on Saturday, November 4th at The Grand in Long Beach, CA. The morning session will be headlined by Matthew Quirk, author of The Night Agent, which is now a hit series on Netflix. The afternoon session features Joe Ide, author of the acclaimed IQ series of mystery novels as well as The Goodbye Coast, a Philip Marlowe novel. I will be there promoting my last book, Voyage To Crusoe, and offering a preview of my upcoming novel, Valparaiso.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;">If you would like to attend the event, here are some details:</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>The Grand</b> event venue is located at 4101 E. Willow St, Long Beach, CA 90815</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;">Ticket price is $80.00. For tickets and event details visit www.</span><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg" href="http://menofmystery.org/?fbclid=IwAR1aX8BpPAVpwnsBRGmQzmvXwcjfEvBjia2O-5tPVWITkbgPxLqJhSnq598" rel="nofollow noreferrer" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: times; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">Menofmystery.org</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-80194106317367199752023-02-26T12:15:00.002-08:002023-09-13T13:31:30.406-07:00CINNAMON GIRL IS FOR SALE<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvaedVuxMoNEYAOOzGZUW0n_gx9OQSNa76DWJmq-2LMeK6usVX6yP-2LBlRzgaxR3oaUUIrA3UB4rSabtjo2XP79YCbapunYIZIc4vub97lVwEZfwL3dYBpqdF5gguMnQJXuN6YFjbQnzyBjpYXJ42WquYCC6m8isQiyHaJxurnmCnnAjdsKrcL4rW3A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvaedVuxMoNEYAOOzGZUW0n_gx9OQSNa76DWJmq-2LMeK6usVX6yP-2LBlRzgaxR3oaUUIrA3UB4rSabtjo2XP79YCbapunYIZIc4vub97lVwEZfwL3dYBpqdF5gguMnQJXuN6YFjbQnzyBjpYXJ42WquYCC6m8isQiyHaJxurnmCnnAjdsKrcL4rW3A=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hR-mBZPmY6OexYdfBorgXD81y1J_UrcbXtag5YX-p22Z7Uw2bA3yVv2Vs5PqjcJNttdL_jmAQd8DzTmQzB37DsUfa4wCr-3JzGps7RJTJGVJRzzDDtGOu-0Ivc3zZg6aijAPRV2a-YXcF6s2QGR7dl4rhVA42lKiQyLPbjjVvz6U1VoXFIEV_doX7Q/s640/C-girl%20sales%20photo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hR-mBZPmY6OexYdfBorgXD81y1J_UrcbXtag5YX-p22Z7Uw2bA3yVv2Vs5PqjcJNttdL_jmAQd8DzTmQzB37DsUfa4wCr-3JzGps7RJTJGVJRzzDDtGOu-0Ivc3zZg6aijAPRV2a-YXcF6s2QGR7dl4rhVA42lKiQyLPbjjVvz6U1VoXFIEV_doX7Q/w640-h480/C-girl%20sales%20photo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Cinnamon Girl is one of my early designs. <span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white;">Above the waterline, </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;">this beautiful cold molded 'pocket cruiser' has the graceful overhangs and sheer reminiscent of a bygone era. But below the waterline she sports a modern fin keel and spade rudder, making her much faster and more weatherly than her classic looks would suggest. Cinnamon Girl is a perfect blend of sailing performance, classic looks, and superb craftsmanship.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: white;">Launched in 1979 and built of cold-molded mahogany and fir using West System epoxy, she has been meticulously maintained since a complete restoration by the designer in 2003. </span><span style="background-color: white;"> She is located in the San Francisco Bay area. For more information contact Chris Winnard at Engel & Volkers Yachting. Tel: </span></span><span face="Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-size: 16px;"> </span><a class="contact-phone" href="tel:619.987.7331" style="background-color: white; font-family: Lato, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">619.987.7331</a> </p><p>Here is the link to the Yachtworld listing: https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/1978-custom-picnic-cruiser-custom-sloop-8652791/</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-35229049749983440972022-09-23T11:54:00.000-07:002022-09-23T11:54:03.678-07:002022 MEN OF MYSTERY<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEge19B_wD5AVVschIHir-nmobxLbEl8hg4kWAr-BoWg9UF1Cd4IQ9MMbeQQnMW9iK9R9x7f2BVdZuKYOaCaytxi84fxojt7jydVworreyp_58Ar8l3cHSZuOVojWBeddTQIGgXPmSSI27dIsK2O2ajR7eZqzXVj4VrxZUKTl2wzR-Wr73eY0bHLnDjzPA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="910" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEge19B_wD5AVVschIHir-nmobxLbEl8hg4kWAr-BoWg9UF1Cd4IQ9MMbeQQnMW9iK9R9x7f2BVdZuKYOaCaytxi84fxojt7jydVworreyp_58Ar8l3cHSZuOVojWBeddTQIGgXPmSSI27dIsK2O2ajR7eZqzXVj4VrxZUKTl2wzR-Wr73eY0bHLnDjzPA" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I will be one of 25 featured authors at the 2022 Men of Mystery Conference. November 5, 2022</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.menofmystery.org/home">Click for More Information</a><br /></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-40424184735249988472020-03-27T11:42:00.006-07:002022-07-09T09:39:14.289-07:00VOYAGE TO CRUSOE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DZD3PMxxb3M/YDGrKqAoXcI/AAAAAAAADbk/GROoRvg0hbwIVFBkGFExygQ697e2kgr4ACNcBGAsYHQ/s1500/Voyage%2BTo%2BCrusoe%2B-%2B3D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DZD3PMxxb3M/YDGrKqAoXcI/AAAAAAAADbk/GROoRvg0hbwIVFBkGFExygQ697e2kgr4ACNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/Voyage%2BTo%2BCrusoe%2B-%2B3D.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;"><b>Voyage To Crusoe </b></span><span style="background-color: white;">is now available from Amazon in both ebook and paperback formats. To find it, go to my website: <a href="http://LeifBeiley.com">LeifBeiley.com</a> and click on the Amazon button.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: white;">Voyage to Crusoe is set in 1987 and is the story of Cliff Demont, an architect from central California. At 38 he is on the conventional middle class treadmill. His career has stalled and his marriage is deteriorating. Exasperated with his latest assignment to design another ugly concrete tilt-up building, he impulsively quits his job. That fateful decision leads him to strange and dangerous adventures on the high seas. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This fictional 64' sloop plays a starring role in<br />
VOYAGE TO CRUSOE.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-62670751699091691712019-05-10T09:03:00.000-07:002019-05-10T15:33:42.177-07:00Albin 28 Solar Panel Installation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Compadre at the public dock in Long Beach</td></tr>
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Like most Albin 28's, Compadre is fitted with a Group 31 starting battery and a single 8D house battery. This is enough reserve power most of the time, but there are occasions when we need a bit more, like when we're on the hook for three days or four days at a time. As a staunch "Keep-it-simple" kind of guy, I don't have a generator aboard so that means we've had to run the diesel to top up the batteries whenever we're anchored out for more than a couple of days. To help solve that issue I decided to install a solar panel.<br />
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I chose a 50 watt kit from GoPower. The kit includes a flexible panel, controller, wiring and fasteners.<br />
A panel this size won't meet all of our power needs but I'm interested only in augmenting our battery power, not replacing it and this is an economical starting point that I can expand by adding another 50 watt panel if necessary.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cost of the GoPower 50 watt kit was just under $400</td></tr>
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The installation was straightforward. The first step was to determine the best place to locate the panel. I chose the area aft of the radar arch because it's pretty much out of harm's way there, and it would be easy to route the wiring from there to the battery. Once that decision was made I did the wiring, running the wires down the starboard cabin-side to the engine compartment, across the boat and up to the the DC panel above the galley where the controller would be located. Then came the fun part.<br />
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I wanted to fabricate a box that would accommodate the controller along with a USB charging port and a 12 volt outlet as well. We always seem to need more charging ports for phones, Pads, etc.<br />
I edge-glued strips of 1" x 3/16" teak to make an 8"x 16" panel. The reason for this is because the controller and some of the other components could not accommodate a thicker panel. I then glued together a teak box and assembled the panel to it. The edge-glued surface made for an interesting grain pattern.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laminated panel front.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rear of the panel reinforced with 1/4" plywood</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Box is assembled and ready for varnish. <br />
The depth of the box accommodates the various components. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CQOL_4QAkOM/XNWQ7Nq6SII/AAAAAAAADR8/PE3sMYpTPGcf-jEGmOTpE-Sj301m62dBwCLcBGAs/s1600/Box%2B5%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1008" data-original-width="1582" height="253" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CQOL_4QAkOM/XNWQ7Nq6SII/AAAAAAAADR8/PE3sMYpTPGcf-jEGmOTpE-Sj301m62dBwCLcBGAs/s400/Box%2B5%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First coat of varnish applied. The box would receive a total of seven <br />
coats of Epifanes high gloss.</td></tr>
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While the varnish work was going on I finished the installation of the solar panel. For safety I mounted it on 1/4" spacers. It can be a fire hazard to mount the panel directly to the cabin top. Feeding the wires through the cabin top required a custom feed-through block, which I made from Starboard.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j9ILDp-WJt4/XNWZ1EDsUkI/AAAAAAAADSI/Z8MQtNv-FNUVhbDv2XZYbnp3fC4NJYVagCLcBGAs/s1600/Solar%2BPanel%2B3%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="1600" height="336" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j9ILDp-WJt4/XNWZ1EDsUkI/AAAAAAAADSI/Z8MQtNv-FNUVhbDv2XZYbnp3fC4NJYVagCLcBGAs/s640/Solar%2BPanel%2B3%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Solar panel is 45" long and fits nicely aft of the radar arch.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rIN6uFa2qPo/XNWaQ5HjmfI/AAAAAAAADSU/ZboFcRd8MdIpRttVLr3C-AJUXQzqTBvwQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Solar%2BPanel%2B1%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rIN6uFa2qPo/XNWaQ5HjmfI/AAAAAAAADSU/ZboFcRd8MdIpRttVLr3C-AJUXQzqTBvwQCEwYBhgL/s400/Solar%2BPanel%2B1%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feed-through block accommodates heavily insulated wires and butt<br />
connections to #10awg Ancor wiring. I drilled a 9/16" hole through<br />
the cabin top and installed plastic races leading to the support pillar<br />
to conceal the wires on the underside of the cabin top.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wire race on the underside of the cabin top. <br />The wires feed through the top at the upper left end of the race.<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wires enter the cabin side here.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Installation complete.<br />The rocker switch on the right energizes the USB and 12v ports.<br />The toggle switch on the left connects the solar panel to the charge controller.<br /></td></tr>
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For a clean installation, I epoxied a pair of #10-24 threaded rods into the rear of the box and bolted it to the bulkhead from the inside. I removed the DC panel to gain access to this area. One interesting glitch in the installation is that the bulkhead where I wanted to mount the box is not flat. It's warped about 3/8" from corner to corner. Other than that, it was a fairly easy project to complete. We're headed over to the island soon and will find out if the 50 watt panel adds enough power for our needs.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-35223507149018304302018-11-11T23:12:00.001-08:002018-11-11T23:31:03.038-08:00Albin 28 Upgrades<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We've had Compadre for a bit over a year and have been enjoying our Island Commuter quite a lot. During this time I've made some additions to the boat that make it more suitable for our purposes and I thought it would be good to share them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HANE4f4_42M/W-kR_eOwSrI/AAAAAAAADMs/EgTAqSQRnVc0Cb9a8Ozd9Raui1NW1PyagCLcBGAs/s1600/Compadre%2Bcatalina.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="1600" height="342" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HANE4f4_42M/W-kR_eOwSrI/AAAAAAAADMs/EgTAqSQRnVc0Cb9a8Ozd9Raui1NW1PyagCLcBGAs/s640/Compadre%2Bcatalina.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Compadre at her home port of Two Harbors</td></tr>
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Last spring we hauled the boat at Sunset Aquatic Shipyard and applied a new, still experimental paint called Awlgrip HT. With really great support from our Awlgrip rep, Stan Susman, the boat turned out beautiful. While it was on the hard I had the prop tuned up and repaired the exhaust thru hull, which had small leak in it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d9x9JrTosX0/W-kVVo7nE_I/AAAAAAAADM4/ol8KcubmUOYxTowMKkOhwBeVvzMx6i37QCLcBGAs/s1600/Compadre%2Bprop%2B1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1168" data-original-width="1600" height="291" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d9x9JrTosX0/W-kVVo7nE_I/AAAAAAAADM4/ol8KcubmUOYxTowMKkOhwBeVvzMx6i37QCLcBGAs/s400/Compadre%2Bprop%2B1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freshly tuned prop.</td></tr>
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We wanted a really good tender for the boat, one that would plane. The problem is that a dinghy and motor of that size is difficult to fit on a 28 footer. The solution was an 8'-6" RIB with a 6hp outboard. When we're not using it, the dinghy rides on the swimstep and the motor lives on a custom-made bracket. To make life easier, I also built a hoist so we could store the motor in the cockpit and then swing it out over the dinghy. But I didn't want some clunky-looking crane permanently mounted on the transom so I made it collapsible, so it would stow in the cockpit when not in use.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-78J8Iv1NwuE/W-kY0oggWxI/AAAAAAAADNE/KDczaizL0pQUrsiDdXiK2R2WyCBR0-PKgCLcBGAs/s1600/Dinghy%2Bon%2Btransom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1165" data-original-width="1600" height="290" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-78J8Iv1NwuE/W-kY0oggWxI/AAAAAAAADNE/KDczaizL0pQUrsiDdXiK2R2WyCBR0-PKgCLcBGAs/s400/Dinghy%2Bon%2Btransom.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dinghy rests on the swimstep when we're underway. It's light enough that I can<br />
pull it up on the step without any assistance.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XiQXBsLwy0w/W-kZk-nczeI/AAAAAAAADNM/awdA9TsDyX8MkpOv_N_FfGqAisFtVuXrgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Outbd%2Bon%2Bbrkt%2B1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1475" data-original-width="1600" height="588" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XiQXBsLwy0w/W-kZk-nczeI/AAAAAAAADNM/awdA9TsDyX8MkpOv_N_FfGqAisFtVuXrgCEwYBhgL/s640/Outbd%2Bon%2Bbrkt%2B1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bracket is designed and located so nothing interferes with the bait tank, mooring cleat or fuel fill. The dinghy planes easily with two aboard the dinghy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KMyyW0bmjjQ/W-kaNjtkUeI/AAAAAAAADNU/vXj-ixrri2krv_9L0xu1BdBrJjjgHt1hwCLcBGAs/s1600/Outbd%2B%2Bbrkt%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1551" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KMyyW0bmjjQ/W-kaNjtkUeI/AAAAAAAADNU/vXj-ixrri2krv_9L0xu1BdBrJjjgHt1hwCLcBGAs/s400/Outbd%2B%2Bbrkt%2B2.JPG" width="387" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The frame is welded 7/8" stainless tubing and the wood part is made of varnished teak.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yuYbyJiMciE/W-ka31vkHKI/AAAAAAAADNg/LqKL4ZK7rAEQT6R3PIerkNwCdZEBYcbCACLcBGAs/s1600/Outbd%2Bbrkt%2B5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yuYbyJiMciE/W-ka31vkHKI/AAAAAAAADNg/LqKL4ZK7rAEQT6R3PIerkNwCdZEBYcbCACLcBGAs/s400/Outbd%2Bbrkt%2B5.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I added 1/4" StarBoard to protect the varnish.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Nxx6IzYSFo/W-kbTKE5ZvI/AAAAAAAADNo/kX6cdc7nKvU09mB-Y6aq83-4cdTcpm0egCLcBGAs/s1600/Outbd%2Bhoist%2Bstowed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1123" data-original-width="1600" height="280" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Nxx6IzYSFo/W-kbTKE5ZvI/AAAAAAAADNo/kX6cdc7nKvU09mB-Y6aq83-4cdTcpm0egCLcBGAs/s400/Outbd%2Bhoist%2Bstowed.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When not in use, the hoist stows neatly on a rod holder.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uGXlJzi7Cxo/W-kbzxtLXVI/AAAAAAAADN0/jVfjVp2FYb0zu3wmc89gQGk250dUF2spACLcBGAs/s1600/Outb%2527d%2Bhoist%2Bbrkts.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1487" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uGXlJzi7Cxo/W-kbzxtLXVI/AAAAAAAADN0/jVfjVp2FYb0zu3wmc89gQGk250dUF2spACLcBGAs/s400/Outb%2527d%2Bhoist%2Bbrkts.JPG" width="371" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I fabricated the upper and lower mounting brackets from fiberglass. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--Uz201Ry_jc/W-kcNAnOtJI/AAAAAAAADN8/n7crnGt_bAEHYdtsdqlWmI3AsjfGiFTKgCLcBGAs/s1600/Outbd%2Bhoist%2B4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1197" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--Uz201Ry_jc/W-kcNAnOtJI/AAAAAAAADN8/n7crnGt_bAEHYdtsdqlWmI3AsjfGiFTKgCLcBGAs/s400/Outbd%2Bhoist%2B4.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The vertical part of the hoist slides through the upper bracket and fits into the<br />
lower bracket.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0eUuWqodTeI/W-kcoz7r2zI/AAAAAAAADOE/LdkQe92Aak8r3-dLpY7at3JzlL-nQvMWgCLcBGAs/s1600/Outbd%2Bhoist%2B3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1471" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0eUuWqodTeI/W-kcoz7r2zI/AAAAAAAADOE/LdkQe92Aak8r3-dLpY7at3JzlL-nQvMWgCLcBGAs/s640/Outbd%2Bhoist%2B3.JPG" width="588" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After I set the upright part into the brackets, the arm pivots up to about 30 degrees above horizontal and is secured to<br />
the top of the upright. To make it easy to raise and lower the motor I added Harken blocks to make 4:1 purchase. One of the blocks is a ratchet block for security.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XQ809D8EfSk/W-kd2ijR2PI/AAAAAAAADOQ/QzQdy5IzgBwAWJWesmSzTcgTlE_vy-24wCLcBGAs/s1600/Outbd%2Bhoist%2B7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1479" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XQ809D8EfSk/W-kd2ijR2PI/AAAAAAAADOQ/QzQdy5IzgBwAWJWesmSzTcgTlE_vy-24wCLcBGAs/s400/Outbd%2Bhoist%2B7.JPG" width="368" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The block and tackle. The rope is led to a cam cleat on the upright.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5kZNzM4iV_M/W-keL-0MyTI/AAAAAAAADOY/vBcrYtSh6_4AH8Sqi4Kgdbxd49XX3x71QCLcBGAs/s1600/Outbd%2Bhoist%2B6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1582" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5kZNzM4iV_M/W-keL-0MyTI/AAAAAAAADOY/vBcrYtSh6_4AH8Sqi4Kgdbxd49XX3x71QCLcBGAs/s640/Outbd%2Bhoist%2B6.JPG" width="632" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When the dinghy is in the water, the motor swings out far enough that it lowers almost directly onto the dinghy's motor mount. The geometry is such that it works if the dinghy is situated at the stern of the boat or alongside. Very convenient.</td></tr>
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It takes two of us about ten minutes to deploy the dinghy, set up the hoist, drop the motor into position, and connect the fuel line, and we're ready to go.<br />
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Another fun project was making a nice looking footrest for the helmsman. I glued a couple of pieces of teak together, cut it to the proper shape and mounted it with a couple of hinges. I added a second aluminum footrest because when we're socializing, we often turn the seat around to face the cockpit and it's nice to have a footrest facing that way too.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ggJOkz-qW4c/W-kg-l_NmgI/AAAAAAAADOk/775RRaQhszAgFqLW-oL1WxJqBvAqeSeigCLcBGAs/s1600/Footrest%2B1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ggJOkz-qW4c/W-kg-l_NmgI/AAAAAAAADOk/775RRaQhszAgFqLW-oL1WxJqBvAqeSeigCLcBGAs/s400/Footrest%2B1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The footrest hinges up out of the way when servicing the engine.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PmBwXW32CRk/W-khSHXkL9I/AAAAAAAADOs/zwcTWGZKZ8AC1oBwiqBpQwWmldaEXOykgCLcBGAs/s1600/Footrest%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PmBwXW32CRk/W-khSHXkL9I/AAAAAAAADOs/zwcTWGZKZ8AC1oBwiqBpQwWmldaEXOykgCLcBGAs/s400/Footrest%2B2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The nonskid adds a bit of security when it's rough.</td></tr>
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We are often at anchor or on a mooring five or six days at a time and found that fresh water can run low, especially since our boat is set up with freshwater flush for the toilet. So now we use tank water for washing dishes, freshwater rinse after swimming and, of course, flushing. For drinking water, I build a shelf in the galley that fits the 2.5 gallon water containers from the grocery store.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VCI-gEQqDGQ/W-kjIZawsmI/AAAAAAAADO4/dr7heULkb1Enb8CwF5KkCQNY8MT2GUS7wCLcBGAs/s1600/Water%2Bshelf%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1181" data-original-width="1600" height="295" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VCI-gEQqDGQ/W-kjIZawsmI/AAAAAAAADO4/dr7heULkb1Enb8CwF5KkCQNY8MT2GUS7wCLcBGAs/s400/Water%2Bshelf%2B2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shelf is mounted high enough that we can fill a tall glass of water from the spout.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D4Cwjt3MCtw/W-kjjXMN7kI/AAAAAAAADPA/q3wCMIWQ5FgynYHImGt9oCGlojhwVHZtgCLcBGAs/s1600/Water%2Bshelf%2B1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D4Cwjt3MCtw/W-kjjXMN7kI/AAAAAAAADPA/q3wCMIWQ5FgynYHImGt9oCGlojhwVHZtgCLcBGAs/s640/Water%2Bshelf%2B1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I discovered the hard way that a bit of nonskid under the container prevents it from falling out of its perch when it's rough.</td></tr>
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When we got the boat, the rubber coating on the steering wheel was a bit gummy and I couldn't find anything that would fix that. So I found a leather wheel cover kit online. Problem solved.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NkvAi6K_sVU/W-klIqSYqVI/AAAAAAAADPM/VGcsamWviLQqZ8krHHDQlYdY7m4JR1dHACLcBGAs/s1600/leathered%2Bwheel%2B1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1594" data-original-width="1600" height="636" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NkvAi6K_sVU/W-klIqSYqVI/AAAAAAAADPM/VGcsamWviLQqZ8krHHDQlYdY7m4JR1dHACLcBGAs/s640/leathered%2Bwheel%2B1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The supple leather cover feels great and shows no signs of wear after a year of use.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U1MwewuXw-c/W-kligXA2jI/AAAAAAAADPU/iUzRhvYaeJofsbFakgIxLLQX7sFVMvXhACLcBGAs/s1600/Leathered%2Bwheel%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U1MwewuXw-c/W-kligXA2jI/AAAAAAAADPU/iUzRhvYaeJofsbFakgIxLLQX7sFVMvXhACLcBGAs/s400/Leathered%2Bwheel%2B2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a bit of a chore to get the stitching right, but well worth the effort.</td></tr>
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My next project is to add a pair of solar panels on the cabin top. After three or four days at anchor, I have to run the engine to recharge the batteries. The solar panels will make Compadre electrically independent.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-10996436686979899732018-01-17T23:42:00.000-08:002018-01-17T23:42:14.828-08:00Alerion 41 Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hCsK3gBkZkc/Wlm2htq1_dI/AAAAAAAADJ4/vcKX6prj6SUWu8Uff5kCuYyiiUkj29s7wCEwYBhgL/s1600/Alerion%2B10.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hCsK3gBkZkc/Wlm2htq1_dI/AAAAAAAADJ4/vcKX6prj6SUWu8Uff5kCuYyiiUkj29s7wCEwYBhgL/s640/Alerion%2B10.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alerion 41 - Classic Elegance</td></tr>
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The Alerion line of sailboats has long been one of my favorites, the first of which is the beautiful Nathaniel Herreshoff inspired Alerion Express 28, which was designed by Carl Schumacher. Sadly, Carl passed away in 2002, but the company has persevered and the Alerion 41 is the latest and largest of the line. The concept behind the 41 is a boat with classic lines above the waterline combined with a modern hullform below. Nowadays there are many boats of this type to choose from but few, very few, have come as close to that ineffably perfect balance of aesthetics, performance and comfort as the Alerion 41 does.<br />
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It all begins with the hull. The literature I received did not state who drew the lines for this boat so I will tip my hat to the entire Alerion design team. In designing a boat of this type, we usually start with the sheer. The designer will put a lot of effort into getting the sheerline just right. Once that's done, he or she will work on the stem and stern overhangs to achieve balanced proportions. Get these basics right and the rest of the hull design follows naturally. Freeboard on the A41 is rather low and the fairbody line is shallower than we would expect in a boat of this type. These design features make for lively performance at the expense of cruising accommodations. I think this is an excellent trade-off in view of the fact that the A41 is intended as a daysailer and coastal cruiser, and not an offshore passagemaker.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9OcAuckeZh4/Wlrsf0IErFI/AAAAAAAADKM/n_c_gQYpxEw_4eHqmkq0psYXl3oW-uR8QCLcBGAs/s1600/Alerion%2Bprofile%2B%25283%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="757" height="252" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9OcAuckeZh4/Wlrsf0IErFI/AAAAAAAADKM/n_c_gQYpxEw_4eHqmkq0psYXl3oW-uR8QCLcBGAs/s640/Alerion%2Bprofile%2B%25283%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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As I studied the drawings of this boat I began to see interesting similarities not with Herreshoff's designs but with Bill Lapworth's iconic Cal 40. Here are some numbers:<br />
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<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 396px;">
<colgroup><col style="width: 48pt;" width="64"></col>
<col style="mso-width-alt: 6875; mso-width-source: userset; width: 141pt;" width="188"></col>
<col style="mso-width-alt: 5266; mso-width-source: userset; width: 108pt;" width="144"></col>
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<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td class="xl66" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt; width: 48pt;" width="64"></td>
<td class="xl70" style="border-left: none; width: 141pt;" width="188"><b>Alerion 41</b></td>
<td class="xl70" style="border-left: none; width: 108pt;" width="144"><b>Cal 40</b></td>
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<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td class="xl67" height="20" style="border-top: none; height: 15.0pt;">LOA</td>
<td class="xl67" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">40.50'</td>
<td class="xl67" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">39.33'</td>
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<td class="xl67" height="20" style="border-top: none; height: 15.0pt;">LWL</td>
<td class="xl67" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">30.50'</td>
<td class="xl67" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">30.33'</td>
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<td class="xl67" height="20" style="border-top: none; height: 15.0pt;">BMAX</td>
<td class="xl67" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">11.16'</td>
<td class="xl67" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">11.00'</td>
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<td class="xl67" height="20" style="border-top: none; height: 15.0pt;">DRAFT </td>
<td class="xl67" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">5.92'</td>
<td class="xl67" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">5.58'</td>
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<td class="xl67" height="20" style="border-top: none; height: 15.0pt;">DISP</td>
<td class="xl67" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">16,000 lbs</td>
<td class="xl67" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">15,000 lbs</td>
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<td class="xl67" height="20" style="border-top: none; height: 15.0pt;">BALL</td>
<td class="xl67" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">6,000 lbs</td>
<td class="xl67" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">6,000 lbs</td>
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<td class="xl67" height="20" style="border-top: none; height: 15.0pt;">Bal/Disp</td>
<td class="xl68" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">37.50%</td>
<td class="xl68" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">40.00%</td>
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<td class="xl67" height="20" style="border-top: none; height: 15.0pt;">S/A</td>
<td class="xl67" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">942 sf</td>
<td class="xl67" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">700 sf</td>
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<td class="xl67" height="20" style="border-top: none; height: 15.0pt;">SA/D</td>
<td class="xl69" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">23.82</td>
<td class="xl69" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">18.48</td>
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<td class="xl67" height="20" style="border-top: none; height: 15.0pt;">D/L </td>
<td class="xl69" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">252</td>
<td class="xl69" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">240</td>
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I thought it would be fun to include profile drawings of both boats for comparison. While the Alerion is slightly longer than the Cal, the extra length is concentrated in the aft overhang.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o1ARsQnLqNI/Wl2fXZN-6iI/AAAAAAAADKc/3mFHvjRya70f0CIODaRCQx1RL4IXfJCwgCLcBGAs/s1600/Alerion%2Binb%2527d%2B%2Bprofile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="381" data-original-width="956" height="254" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o1ARsQnLqNI/Wl2fXZN-6iI/AAAAAAAADKc/3mFHvjRya70f0CIODaRCQx1RL4IXfJCwgCLcBGAs/s640/Alerion%2Binb%2527d%2B%2Bprofile.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alerion 41</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b5TZuo_GWSo/Wl2gn443U1I/AAAAAAAADKo/Irwm0csi65YgEDoPd_xRuUrZukJF9YSZQCLcBGAs/s1600/Cal%2B%2B40%2Bprofile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="1600" height="222" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b5TZuo_GWSo/Wl2gn443U1I/AAAAAAAADKo/Irwm0csi65YgEDoPd_xRuUrZukJF9YSZQCLcBGAs/s640/Cal%2B%2B40%2Bprofile.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cal 40<br />
Drawing courtesy of Cal40.com<br />
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The Alerion's appendages are more modern than the Cal's but the overall proportions of the boats are, to my eye, quite similar. The Alerion will certainly be faster than the Cal due to its larger sailplan and more efficient foils, which is as it should be, but it would still be interesting to sail these boats side by side.<br />
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The Alerion comes standard with a carbon fiber mast with double spreaders and no backstay. This arrangement allows for lots of roach in the full-batten mainsail and makes handling that big sail quite easy. The optional V-shaped carbon fiber boom is lightweight and makes stowing the mainsail convenient. The jib is set on a Hoyt jib-boom which I would ordinarily not be a fan of, because they are heavy and not much fun to sail with in light air. The Alerion design team incorporated a gas spring to push the boom out when sailing with the jibsheet eased, solving that problem.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KzwMb66JOJ0/Wl2pUEsXxVI/AAAAAAAADK4/MX1iSNCtUeAtrcyqaQGdMvTbwXlkKQoMACLcBGAs/s1600/Alerion%2Bprofile.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1207" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KzwMb66JOJ0/Wl2pUEsXxVI/AAAAAAAADK4/MX1iSNCtUeAtrcyqaQGdMvTbwXlkKQoMACLcBGAs/s640/Alerion%2Bprofile.png" width="508" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big mainsail, non-overlapping jib and Harken electric "Rewind" winches make sailing the Alerion 41 simple. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BUsduxKo_6A/Wl7fGHfaLBI/AAAAAAAADLU/wJD-Yt4qefIxk-GPKgX1uL2muKbEVHRhQCLcBGAs/s1600/Alerion%2B41%2Baft%2Bview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="764" height="406" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BUsduxKo_6A/Wl7fGHfaLBI/AAAAAAAADLU/wJD-Yt4qefIxk-GPKgX1uL2muKbEVHRhQCLcBGAs/s640/Alerion%2B41%2Baft%2Bview.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A large, comfortable cockpit. Notice the single helm. There is a cleverly designed boarding platform built into the transom.<br />
Photo courtesy of Yachtworld.com<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ehchesdpClU/Wl7fmLMd33I/AAAAAAAADLc/K9YIgScElEM3JNh9UFMHZ3TuJPVqRiZOQCLcBGAs/s1600/Alerion%2B41%2Bbow%2Broller.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ehchesdpClU/Wl7fmLMd33I/AAAAAAAADLc/K9YIgScElEM3JNh9UFMHZ3TuJPVqRiZOQCLcBGAs/s640/Alerion%2B41%2Bbow%2Broller.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bow roller pivots back into the anchor locker when not in use. A gas spring provides an assist so deploying the anchor is easier than it looks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9arT7iSxaX0/WmBID0WXnOI/AAAAAAAADMI/jkr7MQZIcy0VZeoPcSl5bk0FqZKI5sD6ACLcBGAs/s1600/alerion%2B41%2Bcockpit.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1248" height="410" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9arT7iSxaX0/WmBID0WXnOI/AAAAAAAADMI/jkr7MQZIcy0VZeoPcSl5bk0FqZKI5sD6ACLcBGAs/s640/alerion%2B41%2Bcockpit.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sail controls are led to banks of rope clutches near the helm, leaving the forward part of the cockpit exclusively for lounging. Notice the beautifully varnished cap on the coamings. </td></tr>
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Going below, the first thing you'll notice is the exceptionally fine craftsmanship throughout the boat. Then you'll notice the refreshingly traditional layout of the interior components. This is a boat that has everything you need and nothing you don't need in terms of comfort and utility. A decent V-berth, a small but serviceable head and a couple of lockers occupy the area forward of the main bulkhead. The salon incorporates a large dropleaf table flanked by port and starboard settee berths. There is a hideaway chart table located at the aft end of the starboard settee. Nowadays, most navigational chores are handled by the GPS or tablet so a dedicated chart table isn't a necessity, but a desk is always desirable aboard. My guess is that most A41 owners will leave the small but reasonably adequate chart table in the deployed position.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8z0evhPeL14/Wl7qr9lfQWI/AAAAAAAADLs/EN5pXj-eamsXjewArkjkSCZjt4YNaB6cwCLcBGAs/s1600/Alerion%2Baccommodations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="968" height="178" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8z0evhPeL14/Wl7qr9lfQWI/AAAAAAAADLs/EN5pXj-eamsXjewArkjkSCZjt4YNaB6cwCLcBGAs/s640/Alerion%2Baccommodations.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional accommodations plan</td></tr>
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Aft to starboard is a quarter-cabin with a snug double berth. This will be the best place to sleep while underway. The galley is big enough for simple meals and incorporates enough storage space for local cruising.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Nn1b6Bxiw-w/WmBFoR565sI/AAAAAAAADL8/xAvKKeLP7UkS7mBFClWkRZDI_Tp05q0HgCLcBGAs/s1600/Alerion%2B41%2Bsalon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="924" height="428" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Nn1b6Bxiw-w/WmBFoR565sI/AAAAAAAADL8/xAvKKeLP7UkS7mBFClWkRZDI_Tp05q0HgCLcBGAs/s640/Alerion%2B41%2Bsalon.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alerion 41 salon, a study in simple elegance. The chart table, at right, can be lowered to extend the length of the settee.<br />Photo courtesy of Yachtworld.com</td></tr>
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While not a racer, the A41 could be raced at the club level but that's not its raison d'etre. This boat is as much a work of art as a sailboat, an elegant machine for afternoon cruises and long languorous weekends at the Island. For more information contact Walter Johnson Yachts in Corona Del Mar.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-49835138546459310842017-08-02T14:02:00.000-07:002017-08-02T14:02:03.501-07:00Transpac Start 7-6-2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Records fell in the 2017 Transpac race. It wasn't because this was a particularly windy race. It was because the boats that entered this year's race were faster than in previous years. Comanche, the 100 foot supermaxi set a new Transpac 24 hour record of 484.1 NM, which works out to an average speed of just over 20 knots. Comanche finished with an elapsed time of 5:01:55:26, beating the record set by Alfa Romeo in 2009 by over 12 hours.<br />
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We took our Albin 28, Compadre out to watch the start of the big boats, and Steve Crisafulli brought a camera. The photos below are all courtesy of him.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comanche's crew prepares to hoist the headsail.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few minutes after the start we paced Comanche at 13 knots upwind in light air. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I searched around the Internet and found a line drawing of Comanche. Note the canting keel, inward canted daggerboards with winglets, and twin rudders. The boat was designed by the firm of VPLP in cooperation with Guillaume Verdier.</td></tr>
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Just for fun I did some rudimentary calculations for Comanche based on published data and came up with a Sail Area/Displacement Ratio (SA/D) of 80.4 and Displacement/Length Ratio (D/L) of 29.50. These numbers put the boat squarely in the "Sportboat" category. Aboard Compadre, we paced Comanche at a bit more than 13 knots as the big sloop headed for the West End in a light breeze.<br />
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The other supermaxi in the race was Rio 100, which claimed the Barn Door trophy as the fastest human-powered monohull in the race, with an elapsed time of 6:17:09:09, roughly 40 hours slower than Comanche. Rio struck a UFO (Unidentified floating Object) and had to make emergency repairs while underway and finished with only one rudder.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EhS7n0_HQPk/WYItulesQ3I/AAAAAAAADI4/RmUVhifXVBkp7ibknZhC_qXXIG6t5bUxQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Transpac%2Brio%2B2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EhS7n0_HQPk/WYItulesQ3I/AAAAAAAADI4/RmUVhifXVBkp7ibknZhC_qXXIG6t5bUxQCEwYBhgL/s640/Transpac%2Brio%2B2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rio 100 a few minutes after the start. Compare the size of Rio's headsail with that of Comanche.</td></tr>
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Fifteen years ago Merlin was brought into my shop for a refit. The boat had been rode hard and treated poorly for decades and was in bad shape. Her new owner, a rancher/business tycoon from Texas wanted to remake her into something of a luxury racer cruiser, which I thought could be a good thing for the boat. I drew a nice, low slung cabin trunk and recommended that he get rid of the canting keel which was pretty useless without a daggerboard. In the end the owner opted to keep the canting keel and wanted a cabin with full headroom for himself. He was a tall man, and wore cowboy boots and a Stetson whenever he visited my shop. So we raised the cabin trunk another six inches. We opened up the transom and redesigned the cockpit, and artist Gary Miltimore gave it a dazzling paint job. Merlin finished with an elapsed time of 8:02:34:09, making her the fastest boat in Division 2.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was great to see Merlin back in action under the command of her designer Bill Lee</td></tr>
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Medicine Man is another boat that has undergone a considerable amount of surgery. This Alan Andrews design started out as a 56 footer with tiller steering. Over the years the boat received a new bow, new stern, water ballast, and gained roughly seven feet of length in the process.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medicine Man finished 4th in Division 1 with an elapsed time of 7:20:45:51.</td></tr>
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The big multihulls put on a show, with Mighty Merloe, an ORMA 60 trimaran setting a new record of 4:06:32:30.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phaedo looks about ready for lift-off. This MOD 70 trimaran finished second, three hours after Merloe.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maserati, also a MOD 70 takes aim at the Transpac record.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Gunboat 62, Chim Chim must have provided a luxurious ride to Honolulu, with an elapsed time of 7:15:01:14, which works out to an average of 12 knots for the 2,225 mile race. </td></tr>
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Back on the home front, Compadre has been undergoing lots of repairs, modifications and upgrades. I'll post photos soon.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-91856261634897907472017-03-28T17:43:00.000-07:002017-03-28T18:27:16.971-07:00Celeste 36 Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here is an interesting yacht from designer Gabriel Heyman. The Celeste 36 is a performance cruiser built on a semi-custom basis in Sweden. It combines an interesting blend of cruising and performance features in a conservative aesthetic package. This is a refreshing departure from the current trend in production cruising boats that seem to be inspired by IKEA-like styling. For an experienced cruising sailor, having a boat customized to your specific needs can be a far more interesting and rewarding experience than buying a production boat off the showroom floor.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celeste 36<br />
Moderate proportions, conservative styling and good performance potential.</td></tr>
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Let's start with the hull of the Celeste. The stem is not quite vertical and the transom is reversed about fifteen degrees. I find that having a small amount of rake in the stem is visually more interesting than a plumb bow. The sheer is gently sprung and matches the somewhat retro styling of the cabin trunk. In the plan view, the boat's narrow beam is apparent. The bow at deck level is quite full and incorporates a molded-in bowsprit. The beam at the transom appears to be about 9.00 feet which allows for a spacious cockpit as well as plenty of volume aft. Below the waterline, the hull sections are smooth arcs. I'm glad to see that Heyman resisted the temptation to add chines. This hull shape is reminiscent of Rodger Martin's Aerodyne 38, which is a very quick cruiser/racer. I would guess the Celeste 36 has a fairly high prismatic coefficient, so it won't generate large bow and stern waves when traveling at hull speed. On the other hand, with a Sail Area/Displacement ratio of 22.4 and a non-overlapping headsail it might be a bit sticky in light air. In general, narrow boats tend to have better sailing qualities than beamy ones and I think the Celeste will reward you with good speed and good manners in a seaway.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Underwater view.<br />
Note the relatively fine waterlines forward and moderately proportioned keel.</td></tr>
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Below the waterline, the Celeste incorporates a vertical fin/bulb keel that draws 6.00 feet. I am intrigued by the small skeg. There is no hydrodynamic reason for this feature, and I would prefer to see the rudder fitted right up to the fairbody of the hull. Aside from that minor detail, the hull looks quite slippery. With a displacement/length ratio of 170, this boat is light enough to provide respectable downwind performance and should be a lot of fun to drive hard upwind.<br />
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The deck is a study in conservative efficiency. The cabin trunk is low and nicely proportioned, It's rounded edges blend well with the "curviness" of the hull. To my eye, this is a welcome contrast from the boxy angularity of many modern cruisers. Side decks are wide enough and the cockpit is large enough for comfortable cruising. In the plan view below, note the long jib tracks and the transverse traveler just forward of the mast for a self tacking jib. In the windier parts of the world, the small self-tacking jib would be fine, but here in southern California, it wouldn't provide enough power so I'm glad to see the designer included the jib tracks. The deckplan below shows halyards and control lines led outboard to the edges of the trunk. At first glance this doesn't appear to be a good solution, but the builder cleverly buried the lines within the cabin trunk.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halyards led outboard and buried in the cabin trunk.</td></tr>
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The cockpit incorporates quirky hooked coamings around the seats, with spinnaker winches located just outboard of the "hooks". I'd have to try out this arrangement before passing judgment, but it looks a bit cumbersome to me, with little clearance for winch handles. The Celeste is narrow enough that a single helm is sufficient and the aft end of the cockpit is arranged to allow the helmsman to sit outboard. There is a plethora of small hatches for rope stowage etc. and a fold-down panel in the transom to create a boarding platform. I'm not a fan of this feature. I would rather see a step or platform molded into the transom.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celeste 36 deck.<br />
I like the solid bow plank, which will help keep the rode from chafing the hull when at anchor. The cockpit is busy, but well appointed for cruising.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice balance of comfort and sailing efficiency.</td></tr>
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I like the proportions of the sailplan. With the chainplates located at the sheer, the jib is limited to about 105% which means it will be easy to handle in all conditions. The mainsail is large and full-battened. It is controlled by the mainsheet led to a single block on the cockpit sole instead of to a traveler. This arrangement sacrifices a bit of upwind ability for simplicity and, given the cruising orientation of the boat, this is a reasonable trade-off. This is a powerful rig for a cruising boat and you'll want an efficient reefing system for it. The photos show a carbon fiber mast and boom, but I'm sure you can order your Celeste 36 with aluminum spars too.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celeste 36 under symmetrical spinnaker. The boat can also accommodate <br />
asymmetrical spinnakers tacked to the bowsprit.</td></tr>
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Since this is a semi-custom boat, the options for accommodations are plentiful. I've included two variations below. In the first one, the forward cabin is spacious with a large V-berth, hanging locker to port and a small bureau to starboard. Just aft of this area is a large nav station to port and enclosed head to starboard. The head features access from the salon and forward cabin. One of the compromises in the nav area is the lack of a fixed seat. Mr. Heyman solved this problem by incorporating a swing-out bar stool type seat. I tried this arrangement early in my career and discovered that it doesn't work very well, especially when underway. A better approach would be to incorporate a fold-down seat attached to the furniture built around the mast. I love the size of the chart table though.<br />
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The main salon incorporates a centerline dropleaf table flanked by port and starboard settees with outboard shelves. The settees are a bit short for my taste, but I think this is a reasonable compromise in a 36 foot boat. Aft of the settees, the galley is split, with the stove and reefer to port and the double sink and counter to starboard. This arrangement would take some getting used to.<br />
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Aft of the galley are a pair of single quarter berths. These would be quite comfortable underway and allow for excellent access all around the engine, which is located in a box behind the companionway stairs. I'm a big fan of good engine access.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salon in the split galley version.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking aft from the nav station.</td></tr>
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The accommodations plan below is more conventional. It is identical to the other plan forward of the mast, including the head and nav station. The salon incorporates a starboard settee berth that appears to be long enough to use as a sea berth. The galley is to port and there is a quarter cabin to starboard. Aft of the galley is a large storage locker accessible from the cockpit. This would be a comfortable boat for coastal or distance cruising.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All photos courtesy of Heyman Yachts.</td></tr>
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When I do these design reviews, I consider performance, comfort and practicality along with aesthetics. Overall I give the Celeste 36 high marks for originality and performance potential. As a coastal cruiser, it provides everything I would need to be comfortable. Aesthetically, I think it's a splendid example of the blending of the art and science of yacht design. While it's unlikely that a Celeste 36 is going to appear in a marina near me, if one did, I'd jump at the chance to go sailing aboard one. For more information visit www.Heymanyachts.com.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-81402044097820272562017-01-27T07:59:00.000-08:002017-01-27T15:59:04.070-08:00Albin 28<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
During our last cruise in Mexico aboard our Beneteau 423, Finisterra we began thinking about going in a different direction in our next boat. We decided it would be fun to cruise the eastern seaboard of our own country. Florida, the ICW, the Chesapeake, Long Island sound and points beyond. We knew Finisterra, with its 7 foot draft, would not be happy in the ICW or the shallow waters of many of the places we would like to visit. So after returning home from Mexico we put the boat up for sale and in April of 2016 we sold it. <br />
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The next month we flew down to St. Thomas and joined friends for a cruise in the BVI's which culminated in a passage from there to Panama. During which time we thought long and hard about what our next boat should be. Given its mission, we decided it should be a power boat.<br />
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We wanted a boat of 30 feet or less, a single diesel engine for economy, a bow thruster for maneuvering in the confines of a marina, and decent accommodations for living aboard for a week or two. Of course the boat had to be good looking and not too expensive. We wanted a boat with good speed potential, but more importantly we wanted it to be seaworthy and capable of handling the rough conditions we could expect not just off various eastern capes, but in our home waters of southern California.<br />
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In October and November of 2016 we took a trip down the west coast of South America and through the straits of Magellan and if anything, that cruise drove home the point that seaworthiness should rank at the top of the priority list. Now, there are about a zillion choices for folks looking for a 30 foot powerboat, but it was interesting to see that when we compared our requirements with what was available, the choices narrowed down to a precious few.<br />
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I like the Bertram 31. It's fast and a good sea boat with decent accommodations for its size, but its twin engines ruled it out.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bertram 31. Sweet lines and excellent pedigree</td></tr>
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We also looked at the Mainship 30. It had the right powertrain and reasonable accommodations.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mainship Pilot 30<br />
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The Mainship's hull incorporates a long keel and almost no deadrise aft, which did not appeal to me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back Cove 29.<br />
Nice boat...too expensive<br />
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We looked at dozens of other boats online and in person but didn't find what we really wanted until we came upon the Albin 28 Tournament Express. It is powered by a single 315 hp turbocharged Yanmar diesel and a bow thruster is standard equipment. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Albin 28 Flush Deck. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moderate displacement, 16 degree deadrise at the transom, protective skeg for the propeller.</td></tr>
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The Albin 28 enjoys an excellent reputation for its seaworthiness and provides just enough accommodations to meet our needs. We will stay aboard short periods of 1 - 2 weeks at a time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The accommodations include a dinette that converts to a double berth, enclosed head with shower and a compact but usable galley.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pilothouse includes helm to starboard and nav station to port.</td></tr>
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Over 900 Albin 28's were produced between 1993 and 2007. Early models were powered by a Peninsular diesel, which was replaced by a Yanmar turbo diesel of 300-315 SHP.<br />
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We found a 2005 flush deck model that had been lightly used and is in excellent condition. We are looking forward to spending the spring and summer of 2017 exploring the Chesapeake and points north.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All Photos courtesy of Yachtworld</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-21132376473055470642016-11-20T22:11:00.001-08:002016-11-20T22:11:39.270-08:00Leopard 45 Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Last spring we joined friends in the BVI's for a week of cruising among the islands and then a passage to Panama aboard their beautiful Leopard 42, Salida. It's about a thousand miles from Tortola to the San Blas Islands over what is often a boisterous part of the Sea. We had an average of twenty knots of wind on the port quarter for most of the passage but as we neared the Panamanian coast the wind left us and we motored the last twenty four hours, coming to anchor not far from Dog Island. We spent another week cruising among the San Blas Islands before heading home. It was a wonderful time with great friends aboard a handsome boat. Cruising doesn't get much better than that.<br />
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When I started looking at the new Leopard 45 the thought hit me that somewhere between the vintage 2003 Leopard 42 and the new 45, the Leopard line has evolved from sailboats to sailing condos. I am not saying this to be critical of the company or their products because there is nothing wrong with creating boats that provide truly luxurious accommodations along with less emphasis on the act of sailing them. In fact, I'm certain they have gone in this direction precisely because that's what their clients want. When I think of this evolution in those terms it's easy to understand why the new 45 looks the way it does.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leopard 42 at anchor in Panama</td></tr>
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Deisgned by the firm of Simonis Voogd, the 45 incorporates hulls that, while fairly beamy at the deck level, are deep and relatively narrow below the waterline. The knuckle of the nearly vertical bow is well below the waterline and appears to be quite fine. The maximum depth of each hull is located at approximately station 6, or sixty percent of the waterline length aft from the bow and is about 36 or 37 inches below the waterline. In cross-section the hull appears to be semi-circular at this point, fairing into a nearly flat bottom at the transom. The keel adds another 24 inches of depth, for a total draft of 5'-1". That much draft is enough to keep this boat out of some nice anchorages, but is still manageable.<br />
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Above the waterline, there is a subtle chine that starts near the bow and fairs back into the hull near the transom. This adds visual interest to the boat's otherwise slab-sided appearance. The sheer has a slight reverse spring that terminates in a sloped transom. In studying the profile view below, it appears to me that the freeboard amidships is about 5'-6". This is a tall boat.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deep draft and high freeboard in the Leopard 45.</td></tr>
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It looks like the forward part of the deck house is raked aft, but that is only along the sides of the house. Those angled features actually disguise the vertical forward face of the cabin, which allows for a spacious forward cockpit, which you can see in the deckplan below.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the forward cockpit and smallish trampoline</td></tr>
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The deckplan shows the true purpose of the L45. It is designed to be a spacious home afloat with a front porch and a large patio aft. Both of these areas are protected from the sun by the large overhanging deckhouse roof. That forward cockpit will be a nice place to lounge when conditions permit, and the enormous aft cockpit, with seating for eight at the table, will be the social center of the boat.<br />
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One of the more striking features of the boat is the expanse of windows fore and aft, as well as port and starboard. Opening the sliding window and door in the aft end of the house converts the cockpit and salon to a vast open area. Open the door to the forward cockpit and you have plenty of flow-through ventilation and panoramic views from both cockpits and the salon. To me, this is more like a vacation home than a boat.<br />
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The galley is forward, on the starboard side of the deckhouse and incorporates substantial Corian counters, three burner cooktop, oven and a large single sink as well as a two-drawer refrigerator/freezer. I would prefer to have the sink located in the middle of the counter instead of next to the stove, but that's a minor issue.<br />
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Opposite the galley is a chart table. It's big enough, but I like to have my radios and master electrical panel nearby and I don't see dedicated spaces for them. Aside from that, there is plenty of natural light and visibility here. I like that you can sit at the chart table and have a great view looking forward.<br />
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The boat is offered in three and four cabin versions. Unless you are putting your L45 into charter service you would not consider four cabins. In the three cabin version, the starboard hull is dedicated entirely to the owners suite, with a king size bed aft, a huge head with shower forward and a plethora of storage spaces and a desk/dresser amidships. Again, this is more like a very comfortable vacation home than a boat.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Leopard 45 would make a fabulous liveaboard cruiser.</td></tr>
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The port hull incorporates fore and aft private staterooms, each with a separate bath. There is a V-berth in the bow, which will most likely be used for storage unless there are small kids aboard. There are large deadlights in the hulls, giving all of these spaces lots of natural light and visibility.<br />
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Notice that the bridge deck extends nearly to the ends of the boat. This adds considerable storage space. Housed in the forward bridge is the genset, freshwater tanks and plenty of space for ground tackle. There is just enough of a trampoline there to make a nice place to lounge when underway. I watched a video of the boat under sail and it appeared to be trimmed down by the bows a bit, so keeping extra weight out of this area would be important.<br />
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I saved the rig for last. It is a basic sloop with a square-top mainsail, roller furling jib tacked to the forward crossbeam and a furling screacher tacked to a short bowsprit. It's all of conservative proportions, which is in keeping with the cruising theme of this boat. The mainsail is controlled by a mainsheet bridle instead of a traveler and all the sail controls are led to the helm station, which is an elevated post on the starboard side of the boat.<br />
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Sailing this boat would be interesting. With the large hardtops fore and aft, and all the controls led to the helm station, the crew in the cockpit is going to be hard pressed to see the sails, let alone trim them. The helmsman will do all the sail trim by pushbutton from his perch. It doesn't appear that there are any sail controls in the cockpit. This means that sailing aboard the boat will be nothing short of idyllic for the crew, but it could get a bit busy for the helmsman at times.<br />
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I will leave it to you to judge the aesthetics of the new Leopard 45. The sharp angles and squared corners are certainly in vogue these days, but I miss the elegant curves and visual delight of more artfully designed boats. With that said, if I were in the market for a comfortable liveaboard cruiser, and not necessarily an offshore passagemaker, the Leopard 45 would be on my short list of boats to see.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-85631698700911108682016-10-05T21:05:00.002-07:002016-10-05T21:05:39.928-07:00That Was Quick!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Back in July I decided to take a month off from posting here because I was busy with another writing project. Well, before I realized it, that month turned into two and then three. I can scarcely believe the time has flown by so quickly!</div>
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It was a fun summer, filled with lots of travel, hiking, biking, work projects and some sailboat racing, but now I'm back at the keyboard and will soon be posting a review of the new Leopard 45 Catamaran. In the meantime I thought it would be nice to share some photos of the high country around Mammoth Lakes, where we spent a few weeks in August and September.</div>
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It was cold the day we hiked up McGee creek. At noon a misty drizzle began to fall, eventually turning into a light, intermittent rain. There was hardly anyone on the trail except us.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McGee Creek beaver pond. The pyramid-shaped mound in the middle of the photo is the beaver lodge. This time of year the colors are spectacular.<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's hard to believe that rodents built the dam that created the pond, which I estimate to cover at least four acres.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A closer view of the lodge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a dampish hike back down the trail in the afternoon. But nature surprised us with a rainbow. A perfect first day of Autumn.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-72724728537894407562016-07-05T23:32:00.000-07:002016-07-06T22:17:41.942-07:00X-Yachts X6 Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>X6</b></td></tr>
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The X6 has finally arrived. This all-new design from Niels Jeppesen and the X-Yachts design team is the first of their new "X" line of high performance cruising yachts. It appears that the X6 is designed to provide luxurious cruising amenities combined with very high performance. This is interesting because the company already offers a high performance cruising yacht, the Xc-50, as well as a luxury racer/cruiser in their Xp-55. Therefore I thought it would be informative to compare the dimensions and ratios of all three boats.<br />
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Note that some dimensions and ratios for the X6 are estimates based on the published data for the Xp and Xc. Sail area and SA/D are somewhat inflated because I did not have actual rig measurements, but used published data from X-Yachts instead. Still, this table provides a snapshot of the performance potential of each boat relative to its siblings.</div>
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Comparing D/L ratios, notice that they are nearly the same for the X6 and Xp at 145 and 142, while the Xc weighs in at 182. The X6 and Xp will be able to surf when conditions are right, while the Xc will require relatively more energy to break free of its bow and stern waves and surf.<br />
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Most notable in these numbers is that all three boats have large rigs for their size and type. The Xp has a higher SA/D ratio than the X6, which is appropriate for the more racing oriented boat. The surprise here is that the cruising oriented Xc also has quite a powerful rig. We can think of the SA/D as power/weight ratio. A boat with a high SA/D is like a lightweight car with a big motor.<br />
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I included profiles of each boat below so you can visually compare them. The fairbody line of the Xc is significantly deeper than the other two boats, indicating a more V-shaped hull and more deadrise than the others. This shape gives the boat more comfortable motion in a seaway and allows heavy items such as tanks and the engine to be mounted below the cabin sole. Interestingly, the Xc has a higher ballast/displacement ratio than the others.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Xc 50<br />
High performance cruiser<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Xp 55<br />
Racer Cruiser<br />
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X6<br />
Very High Performance Cruiser</td></tr>
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The underwater profile of the X6 is similar to that of the Xp, but notice that it is beamier relative to its length. Another interesting difference is that the aft overhang is longer on the Xp. All of this implies that the Xp will be the faster boat in light air, but only by a little bit. I think the X6 will be faster upwind in anything more than light air. With its long waterline and powerful rig, the X6 will be significantly faster on a reach.<br />
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We are fortunate to have a lines plan for the X6. In studying it, the first thing you'll notice is that the hull is V-shaped to about station 7, then it becomes "U" shaped from that point to the stern. The hull is nearly flat-bottomed near the transom, which is not overly wide. Above the waterline there is little change in the angle of the topsides, this is apparent in the body plan. That consistent angle gives the hull a somewhat slab-sided appearance, but it is a very efficient shape. I'm glad to see that the design team didn't succumb to the temptation to add chines, which on a boat like this would be nothing but a styling gimmick.<br />
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The X6 is equipped with a vertical fin-and-bulb keel with three draft options. The shoal draft version draws 8.50 feet and the competition keel draws 11.15 feet. There are twin rudders, which ordinarily I would be critical of. But the reason for that arrangement is to allow space for a dinghy garage. In the Xp-55, the dinghy must be wrestled aboard and stowed athwartships because the rudder post is in the way. The twin rudders on the X6 allow the dinghy to be hauled aboard and stowed all in one go, a more practical system by far.<br />
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If I could afford my own X6 I would sit down with Niels and ask about a lifting keel. Nothing beats a deep keel for sailing performance, but there are lots of destinations that are too shallow for even the shoal draft version. I think a variable draft keel of six to ten feet would give me the performance I would demand it a boat like this, and access to some of my favorite coves as well.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">A new generation X.<br />
Deep draft and twin rudders.<br />
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The standard rig is aluminum and an optional carbon fiber rig is offered. Of course the winches are all electric. The mainsheet is led to a pair of blocks on the arch instead of to a traveler. For a luxury cruiser like the X6 that is a perfectly acceptable arrangement. The boat is equipped with a transverse jib track just forward of the mast that accommodates a self tacking 96% jib as well as longitudinal tracks for the 106% jib. There are no genoas on the X6.<br />
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The cockpit is large and well set up for cruising. The companionway is offset to starboard and the table is large enough for six to dine. The winches are located just forward of the helms. The controls and instruments are located on the consoles at the helms.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Laminated wood/carbon fiber wheel and pushbutton controls.<br />
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There are plenty of choices in the accommodations. I think the centerline V-berth is more convenient than the pullman type owner's stateroom. The galley, as you would expect, is large and well laid out. Guests can be accommodated in the quarter-cabins. The boat can easily accommodate three couples.<br />
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Visually, with it's truncated cabin and expansive foredeck, the new boat is a departure from previous production X yachts. This may be an incremental step in the design evolution of X-Yachts, or it may be an indicator of a changing of the guard at the company. Either way, the X6 is a stunning addition to their product line and I can't wait to see the new X4.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> All images courtesy of X-Yachts. </td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-57671794187058569172016-05-03T16:53:00.000-07:002016-05-03T21:42:46.228-07:00Dehler 38 Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Here is an interesting cruiser/racer from Dehler Yachts. As you may know, Dehler Yachts was one of many builders that were knocked out in the Great Recession. Fortunately, the Hanse Group acquired the company in 2009, so the well respected Dehler marque lives on. Nowadays Dehlers are built at Hanse's facility in Griefswald, Germany, on the Baltic coast.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dehler 38 at speed.<br />
All photos courtesy of Dehler Yachts and Yachtworld.</td></tr>
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Designed by Judel/Vrolijk and launched in 2013, the 38 is the first of the revamped Dehler line. It is a performance cruiser with comfortable accommodations wrapped in a visually attractive package. It fits in roughly the same market segment as the J/112E and the X-Yachts XP38. This is pretty tough competition.<br />
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The D38's hull incorporates a long waterline, moderate beam and, by today's standards, a moderately beamy stern. Its Displacement/Length ratio of 179 indicates a boat of medium displacement that will sail well to weather and will deliver reasonably good performance off the wind. As you know, a high Sail Area/Displacement ratio indicates a boat with a relatively large sailplan. The D38's SA/D is 21.63. By comparison, the J112E's D/L and SA/D are 152 and 25.0 respectively. This tells us that we should expect the D38 to deliver a bit less performance in lighter conditions, but you'll need to reef the J a little sooner in a breeze. This is an appropriate trade-off for the slightly "cruisier" Dehler. For the more performance minded sailor, Dehler offers the boat with a deeper keel, lighter displacement and a carbon fiber rig. That boat's D/L of 168 and SA/D of 24.67 puts it squarely in the the category of racer/cruiser instead of cruiser/racer.<br />
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Here are some more numbers:<br />
LOA .......................... 37.07 ft<br />
LWL .......................... 34.12 ft<br />
BMAX ...................... 12.30 ft<br />
Draft .......................... 6.56 ft<br />
Displacement ............. 15,875 lb<br />
Ballast ........................ 4,850 lb<br />
Sail Area .................... 854 sq ft<br />
SA/D .......................... 21.63<br />
D/L ............................. 179<br />
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Freeboard on the D/38 is fairly high and the vertical stem is balanced by the very slightly raked transom. The keel is a hydro-dynamically efficient vertical fin with a torpedo bulb, while the rudder is deep enough to provide good control. I like that Dehler opted to include a deeper, more powerful rudder on the competition model. Many builders offer competition keels but don't provide a commensurately high performance rudder. Another important detail is the hull/keel interface. Notice that the keel fin is lengthened where it meets the hull. This spreads the loads out which reduces hull flex in this area and allows for a stronger hull/keel joint. This is offset by slightly more turbulence in this area, but I think it's a good trade-off.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The standard keel incorporates a cast iron fin with a lead torpedo bulb, as does the deeper competition keel. The shoal keel is made entirely of cast iron.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High freeboard and a nearly straight sheer are offset by a highly sculpted deck.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The standard aluminum rig will provide enough performance for the average cruising sailor. End-boom sheeting, the option of symmetrical spinnakers and a 48:1 block and tackle backstay adjuster round out the D38's sailplan.</td></tr>
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Dehler put a great deal of effort into creating a beautifully sculpted deck and I think the result is well worth the effort. The cabin trunk is long and low, with the cabin sides angled at roughly 45 degrees. The center of the cabin top is recessed slightly to allow lines led aft from the mast to be enclosed. The designer thoughtfully included an instrument pod just above the campanionway hatch. Notice that the cockpit seats are angled sharply, making the cockpit a bit cramped for a racing crew. I prefer them aligned more with the centerline of the boat. The large dropleaf table will further hamper the racing crew. Aft of the cockpit seats, the mainsheet traveler is mounted on the sole and there is a pair of beautiful carbon fiber steering wheels. The transom includes a removable "tailgate" panel. I am not a fan of these folding transoms, but I do like the fact that this one can be removed for racing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">D38 looks fast even in the slings. Notice the large anchor roller. This is a necessity for boats with plumb stems. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The three windows in the hull appear to be mere slits, but they provide plenty of light and visibility,</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With the tailgate removed the D38 looks pretty racy.</td></tr>
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The accommodations plan includes options for two or three cabins. I prefer the two cabin version for cruising. The forward cabin incorporates lots of storage and a good sized V-berth. There is plenty of room to dress and the large hatch allows for plenty of ventilation.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The forward cabin has plenty of storage and shelf space</td></tr>
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The main cabin incorporates an L-shaped dinette to starboard and a long settee to port, separated by a centerline dropleaf table. The chart table is one of those convertible affairs. Using it involves relocating a couple of seat cushions and sliding the table forward. Once that is done you have a decent workspace for navigation chores.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sliding chart table. The radios and electrical panel are concealed behind the curved locker doors. <br />
I could do without the "head rests".</td></tr>
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The galley is compact but appropriate for a racer/cruiser. It is equipped with a top and front access refrigerator, which is very convenient. There is enough storage space for cruising provisions and enough counter space to make sandwiches for the racing crew.<br />
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Throughout the main cabin and galley there are top-hinged locker doors with gas springs. They give the boat a modern appearance below that is complimented by extensive indirect lighting. I am not sure this is the most practical arrangement but it is beautiful.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I like the light colored counters and the tall fiddles.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautifully styled main cabin.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The head is a versatile area. Notice in the accommodations plan that the toilet/shower room is in the forward part of the head. It is separated from rest of the compartment by a door that does double duty, closing off the entire compartment from the main cabin as well. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the view of the D38 that Dehler is hoping the competition sees most.</td></tr>
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Overall, the D38 merits high marks for design and performance. As I noted earlier it lives in a very competitive market niche and I think it's going to hold it own against the J's, X-Yachts and Salona performance cruisers. I am looking forward to seeing a D38 Competition on the starting line here in Southern California.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-6788801272534575472016-03-08T16:48:00.003-08:002016-03-11T23:24:44.116-08:00J/112 E Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's refreshing to see that J/Boats is paying more attention to style and aesthetics with their "E" series of boats. The company has always produced good looking boats but I think of them as being good looking in the sense that they are always well proportioned and functionally efficient. However, in the E series they have gone beyond their tried and true, but somewhat pedestrian "form follows function" aesthetic standards. As I look at the stylistic progression from the J/97E to the 122E and now the new 112E, it is clear that they are taking the artistic aspect of yacht design more seriously and I think that is a very good thing.<br />
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Another interesting aspect of the newest E boat is that while the 97E and 122E were both upgrades of existing boats, it appears that the 112E is an entirely new boat. When I first saw it, I thought it was based on the J/111 or J/109, but one look at the deckplan told me it was neither of those boats. I've included deck drawings of all three below so you can compare them.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">J/112E<br />
The "E" designation signifies "Elegance and evolution in performance cruising design."</td></tr>
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The hull of the 112E is thoroughly modern, but notice that it does not have chines, twin rudders or an extremely wide stern. Those things are, in many cases, design gimmicks that don't contribute materially to the boat's performance or seaworthiness. That is not to say that those design features are always wrong, but in a boat of this type they would add nothing of value.<br />
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The underbody of the 112E shows fine waterlines forward and a deep keel that incorporates a cast iron fin and lead bulb. The rudder is made of fiberglass with a stainless steel stock. With a displacement of 11,300 pounds, the 112E has a displacement/length ratio of 152, which makes it light enough to surf and husky enough to sail to weather in heavy air. Its moderate overall proportions combined with the deep keel and powerful rudder will impart good manners in a seaway and will make the boat easily handled. These are just the things you want in a cruising boat.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">J/112E Deckplan</td></tr>
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The deck of the J/112E is just about perfect for a performance cruiser of this size. The cockpit is designed for sailing efficiency and reasonable comfort, and it's nice to see that they did not try incorporate a fixed table into it. The steering wheel is fairly large and some people may want two smaller wheels, but I prefer the arrangement shown here. The mainsheet traveler is on the cockpit sole and the sheet is led to a pair of self tailing winches on the coamings. Halyards and control lines are led aft through a gang of clutches to self tailing winches on the cabintop. Everything on this deck is straightforward and simple. This boat is going to be an absolute pleasure to sail.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZorMFTCQMwk/Vt5dGzZHSFI/AAAAAAAAC4E/5OTk3QvzSP0/s1600/J111%2Bdeck.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZorMFTCQMwk/Vt5dGzZHSFI/AAAAAAAAC4E/5OTk3QvzSP0/s400/J111%2Bdeck.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">J/111 Deckplan<br />
Not quite as well designed as the 112E<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">J/109 Deckplan<br />
Not quite as well designed as the J/111<br />
I guess this is what J/Boats means by "Evolution in performance cruising design." </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cockpit looks spacious and comfortable, and I like the molded-in toe-rails. The backstay adjuster is hydraulic, which is probably okay, but I would prefer a block and tackle system for simplicity and reliability.</td></tr>
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The spars are aluminum. Performance would be enhanced by a lighter carbon mast, but of course it would also increase the cost of the boat. I'm sure you could have a carbon rig built for the boat if you wanted to seriously race it, but why not just buy a J/111 instead?<br />
The chainplates are out at the sheer so jibs are limited to about 105%. With no big genoas to trim, this is a versatile sailplan that can be easily managed by a couple, yet with a sail area/displacement ratio of 25 it's capable of delivering plenty of horsepower when needed. The boat is equipped with a retractable sprit and the sailplan drawing shows masthead spinnakers so downwind performance will be superb. <span style="color: #333333;"> </span><span style="color: #333333;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The slightly sprung sheer and stylishly shaped cabin-side windows look better in reality than in the drawing. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">E stands for elegant too.</td></tr>
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The accommodations plan looks ideal for a boat of this size and type. I lived aboard a 36 foot Beneteau with very similar accommodations for over a year and can attest to the practicality of this layout. If you only race or daysail your 112E you probably won't find the dedicated chart table very necessary, but if you actually go cruising, you'll find many uses for it in spite of the fact that nowadays you can do all your navigating and weather predictions on your IPad. The V-berth is snug for two adults but a good place for a couple of kids. The large dropleaf table in the salon will seat six for meals and offers convenient storage. The head is large for a boat of this size and includes access to the very large storage compartment under the port cockpit seat.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Practical accommodations make for efficient cruising comfort.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The salon looks like a comfortable place to lounge, and the settees appear to be long enough to serve as sea berths if fitted with lee cloths. All photos courtesy of J/Boats.</td></tr>
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J/Boats has used the SCRIMP process for molding hulls and decks for years. SCRIMP is a trade name for vacuum infusion. You can find out more about the process online, but the key things to know about it is that the process results in high quality fiberglass parts with the optimum resin-to-glass ratio and a high degree of precision in the finished part. It also has the benefit of being environmentally responsible.<br />
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I don't know what the price of the 112E will be, but if I was in the market for a new boat, this one would be at the top of my short list of must-see boats.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-86631549708766601102016-02-04T00:16:00.001-08:002016-02-20T00:07:25.182-08:00Morris M29 Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As you may know, Morris Yachts was recently acquired by the Hinckley Company. When I learned of the sale I thought it was another example of smaller boatbuilders in the US being swallowed up by the bigger ones. In my opinion this is a necessary evolution, a sign of the changing economic times. It takes deep pockets to survive in this business, and this is true not just because boatbuilding is becoming more and more technology driven. These days environmental regulations demand expensive equipment and methods, the cost of industrial space continues to rise, qualified labor is both scarcer and more expensive, insurance costs are going up every year, and the list of challenges for boatbuilders continues on. So I was not surprised to see that Morris was taken over by a bigger and financially stronger company. In fact, you may recall that Hinckley itself was acquired a few years ago by Scout Partners, LLC an investment firm based in New York. It could be argued that absentee ownership of these companies does not bode well for the creativity and innovative drive of these companies, but I don't think that is necessarily so. It takes money to innovate, experiment and develop new products, and I think enlightened ownership that is dedicated to preserving and supporting companies like Hinckley and Morris can help them maintain the levels of excellence they have been known for. At least that's my hope. </div>
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I thought it would be fun to take a critical look at one of Morris's current products, the M29. This boat was designed by Sparkman & Stephens in 2008 and is the smallest of Morris's M line, which includes 36, 42 and 52 foot models. I have to say I'm partial to this baby sister of the bunch because in my opinion, it comes closest to delivering the pure, undistilled essence of sailing pleasure. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morris 29<br />
Could anything be sweeter than sailing this little gem on a Sunday afternoon?</td></tr>
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Here are some numbers:<br />
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LOA: 29'-2"<br />
LWL: 20'-10"<br />
BMAX: 7'-4"<br />
Draft: 4'-6" or 3'-8"<br />
Disp: 4,735 lb<br />
Ballast: 1.958 lb<br />
Sail area: 395 sf<br />
D/L: 214<br />
SA/D: 23.6</div>
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In studying the hull of the M29, notice that the waterline length is about 70% of the overall length. Those long overhangs in the bow and stern, combined with the narrow beam will give this boat a very easy motion in a seaway, but more importantly in a boat of this type, give it lovely proportions. It will not sail nearly as fast as a modern 29 footer with a plumb bow and wide transom, but it will sail more beautifully. And while speed is important, so is beauty.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">M29 reaching under mainsail and asymmetrical spinnaker.<br />
Photos courtesy of Morris Yachts</td></tr>
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The M29 looks like a classic yacht above the waterline, but below it has fairly racy features including a deep fin keel and carbon fiber spade rudder. The mast is also made of carbon fiber, clear indications that Morris is taking performance seriously in this boat.<br />
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The deck is of classic proportions, with a short cabin trunk and graceful coamings around the generously proportioned cockpit. With such a small cabin trunk, a sliding companionway hatch becomes problematic. There's just not enough room for it, so it has to be made removable. I've grappled with this problem on several of my smaller designs over the years.<br />
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Morris has done away with winches on the M29, using 2:1 purchase on the main halyard and a block and tackle system for the jib sheets. This limits jibs to the small self tacking unit shown in the drawing above. This is probably a good trade-off, given the boat's very generous sail area. The jib sheet is led under the deck to a bank of cam cleats built into each cockpit coaming. I have not used this type of arrangement before so I can't attest to its efficiency, but it does make for a very clean deck layout.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Headsail controls built into the cockpit coamings</td></tr>
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Back in the 1970's, when I was in the early years of my career as a yacht designer, I was commissioned to design a similar boat and it was amusing to pull the old drawings out of my archives and compare them to the M29, The design brief was for a traditional sloop of 26 feet, to be built of cold-molded mahogany. The client wanted the boat to have classic lines but was not particularly concerned with what it might look like below the waterline. So I designed the boat with traditional looks and a fast underbody. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XhVCXpzPHtA/VrK18TnyCyI/AAAAAAAAC2Y/KB-uaKMMzW4/s1600/Cinnamon%2BGirl%2BPDF-page-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XhVCXpzPHtA/VrK18TnyCyI/AAAAAAAAC2Y/KB-uaKMMzW4/s640/Cinnamon%2BGirl%2BPDF-page-001.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gryphon 26, "Cinnamon Girl" circa 1979<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The M29 embodies the same approach as the G26 about thirty years later.</td></tr>
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The Morris M29 has a basic accommodations plan that includes a pair of settee berths and a Porta-Potty, which is all that's necessary for this daysailer. I like the reliability of the inboard diesel.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just enough accommodations for an overnight</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cinnamon Girl<br />
The boat was given a deeper keel and rudder in 2003<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cinnamon Girl <br />
Still going strong in 2014</td></tr>
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The deep keel is probably a bit much for this boat. </td></tr>
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Morris also offer an M29x version, which includes a bowsprit, deeper keel and more sail area. According to data I've seen, the model x is about 18 seconds per mile faster than the standard M29. This boat reminds me of 1969 Jaguar XKE roadster. It's exquisitely beautiful with plenty of horsepower straight out of the box. The extra deep keel and tall rig are a bit like replacing the Jaguar's beautiful 3.8 liter engine with a Chevy 327 V-8. It'll be faster but not quite as perfectly balanced as the original.<br />
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The M29 a wonderful example of classic design and very high quality execution. It's expensive, but what a sweet ride! </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-86521319766225729802015-12-27T21:30:00.002-08:002016-01-16T18:51:28.476-08:00Beneteau Oceanis 38 Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A few weeks ago we were sailing off Long Beach, California and noticed a new Beneteau Oceanis 38 sailing along on a similar course to ours. It was the first time I had seen one under sail and I must say it moved along nicely on a close reach in about ten knots of wind. We bore off onto a parallel course and sailed for a quarter mile or so with them. The boat looked good and moved well under what appeared to be a 105% jib and roller furling mainsail. I regretted that I didn't have my camera at the time.<br />
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In studying the hull, the first thing I noticed is that it's quite beamy and slab sided with hard chines running nearly the length of the hull. The sheer is straight and it appears that the waterlines below the chines are finer than the plan view of the boat would suggest.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With its straight sheer, vertical transom and stem, the Oceanis 38 looks husky and seaworthy. Unless otherwise noted, all photos courtesy of Beneteau.</td></tr>
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The hull was designed by the firm of Finot/Conq which has vast experience with this basic hullform, including the Pogo 12.50 and other very successful offshore racers with very wide beam and hard chines.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pogo 12.50, also designed by Finot Conq.Notice that the boat is heeled about 15 degrees and the starboard rudder is almost completely out of the water. Photo courtesy of Finot-Conq. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-goFY9sJI2yA/VnuDLJxRR_I/AAAAAAAAC0M/PNfWrormuvA/s1600/Ben%2B38%2Bstern%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="394" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-goFY9sJI2yA/VnuDLJxRR_I/AAAAAAAAC0M/PNfWrormuvA/s640/Ben%2B38%2Bstern%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stern of the Oceanis 38, a more conservative approach to hard chines than the Pogo.</td></tr>
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The Oceanis 38 is offered with shoal, deep and lifting keels. Upwind performance will suffer with the shoal version. Both of the fixed keels are cast iron with a molded-in bulb. This is another boat with a very large fold-down transom panel. I like the looks of the Pogo a bit more, but given the intended purpose of the 38, it's probably better to have the "Tailgate".<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iyYJ_uWqOlE/VnuE-3w-OKI/AAAAAAAAC0Y/n3HpNTnAdhI/s1600/Ben%2B38%2Bkeel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iyYJ_uWqOlE/VnuE-3w-OKI/AAAAAAAAC0Y/n3HpNTnAdhI/s640/Ben%2B38%2Bkeel.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This view shows the slippery proportions of the hull below the waterline along with those of the shoal keel. The rudders look bigger than shown in the drawing. I like the way the boot stripe is terminated about four feet forward of the transom. Photo courtesy of Yachtworld.com</td></tr>
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The deck design of the Oceanis 38 incorporates some interesting innovations. The cabin trunk is fairly low and sleek, with hard edges and squared off windows that complement the squarish proportions of the hull. The arch at the aft end of the cabin trunk provides a base for the mainsheet and support for a dodger and bimini. With this arrangement there is no need for a mainsheet traveler and the sheet is led to a cabintop winch.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vUNJZDMbXQE/VnuJPh5eKvI/AAAAAAAAC0k/TbM64cA4hsk/s1600/Ben%2B38%2Bsailing%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vUNJZDMbXQE/VnuJPh5eKvI/AAAAAAAAC0k/TbM64cA4hsk/s640/Ben%2B38%2Bsailing%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Oceanis looks husky under sail. I think it will show good speed reaching and running, but suffer a bit going hard on the wind.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wrS9efskOyo/VnuKOaCXWcI/AAAAAAAAC0w/csEXWp3XGe4/s1600/Ben%2B38%2Bdeck.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wrS9efskOyo/VnuKOaCXWcI/AAAAAAAAC0w/csEXWp3XGe4/s640/Ben%2B38%2Bdeck.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With over 13 feet of beam there is lots of room on deck and the cockpit is huge.</td></tr>
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The cockpit is a study in straight lines and hard edges. Notice the cockpit table. It's massive and incorporates large drop-leaves and plenty of storage capacity. Instrument displays and engine controls are located at the helms. Having the mainsheet blocks located up on the arch opens up the cockpit for lounging and entertaining. It could also be considered a safety feature since there is no chance that a guest would get fouled in the mainsheet or hit by the boom. Jib sheeting angles are wide, but that's probably alright on this boat because its proportions are designed more for comfortable cruising than sailing hard on the wind.<br />
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The mast is deck stepped and, with the chainplates out at the sheer, it will accommodate jibs of up to about 105%. The standard mainsail is set up with a stackpack arrangement, with in-mast furling optional. Notice that the backstay is split with an adjuster on the port side. The stemhead fitting is designed with the anchor roller about 18 inches forward of the stem of the boat, which probably isn't far enough to prevent the anchor from bouncing off the hull occasionally.<br />
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Beneteau offers three main interior options, Daysailer, Weekender and Cruiser. The daysailer includes a V-berth, galley sink and refrigerator but no stove, a head, chart table, a large quarter berth platform without a mattress and plenty of storage space. There are no bulkheads between the companionway and the forward end of the v-berth, so the boat is pretty wide open. I'm not sure who this configuration would appeal to, but it does offer the possibility of starting out with a bare bones interior and adding more later.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L6EQOuZhAvQ/VnxqmsrNlJI/AAAAAAAAC1A/73JUiM4O3ds/s1600/Ben%2B38%2Bdaysailer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L6EQOuZhAvQ/VnxqmsrNlJI/AAAAAAAAC1A/73JUiM4O3ds/s640/Ben%2B38%2Bdaysailer.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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The Weekender comes in two or three cabin arrangements. The galley is the same as the Daysailer, but I believe you can order the stove with this version. The major difference is the inclusion of the quarterberth. Again, this is a wide open layout.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tdwx-hQb-S8/Vn1oFCR1pzI/AAAAAAAAC1g/wnC0BEYQL_w/s1600/Ben%2B38%2Bvberth%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="566" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tdwx-hQb-S8/Vn1oFCR1pzI/AAAAAAAAC1g/wnC0BEYQL_w/s640/Ben%2B38%2Bvberth%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weekender version is wide open from the companionway to the bow.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o566V1CjWIw/VoDCZA_OfaI/AAAAAAAAC18/_wX5x-9fC6Q/s1600/Ben%2B38%2Bcruiser.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o566V1CjWIw/VoDCZA_OfaI/AAAAAAAAC18/_wX5x-9fC6Q/s640/Ben%2B38%2Bcruiser.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two-cabin Cruiser version incorporates a bulkhead between the salon and V-berth as well as a full galley</td></tr>
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The cruiser version also comes with a single aft cabin or twins. I'm not sure who would buy the fairly sedate Daysailer version of this boat. At 38 feet, I would want my boat to be capable of spending at least a week at the island, and I don't see why you couldn't day sail the Cruiser just as easily as the Daysailer. It would be interesting to know which version of this boat is the best seller.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fr0PqB18wEM/Vn2Rba7sQWI/AAAAAAAAC1s/muemzt_USgk/s1600/Ben%2B38%2Bsalon%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="488" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fr0PqB18wEM/Vn2Rba7sQWI/AAAAAAAAC1s/muemzt_USgk/s640/Ben%2B38%2Bsalon%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the Oceanis 38 Cruiser version a bulkhead divides the forward cabin from the salon. </td></tr>
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The Oceanis 38 offers an interesting contrast to the Varianta 37. In this boat Beneteau seems to be trying to appeal to a variety of customer types, ranging from bare bones to full cruise by the use of multiple furnishing and outfitting options. The Varianta went for a basic but fully outfitted boat with much more limited options. As the number of choices for boats in this size range increases, each brand must find ways to differentiate itself from the competition. It will be interesting to see how the Oceanis fares in this competitive market segment.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-5834412510361264582015-12-04T22:04:00.002-08:002016-03-27T08:14:21.632-07:00ClubSwan 50 Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
For roughly the last fifty years Nautor's Swan yachts have represented the epitome of quality and performance. Their yachts tended to be a bit heavy for my taste but always embodied classic elegance of design, very respectable performance and very high quality construction. In 1998 the company was acquired by an investor group led by Leonardo Ferragamo, a director of the fashion empire of the same name. I think that since he came aboard, the Swan brand has reached new levels of style and elegance.<br />
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In the early years Swan relied on the firm of Sparkman and Stephens to produce their designs. Later they turned to German Frers for the majority of their boats. It was a good choice since Frers had been with the S&S firm at the time they were engaged with Swan, and was arguably their best designer.<br />
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Frers left S&S in 1968, eventually returning to his native Argentina where he took over the family design firm while Swan engaged Ron Holland to design their boats. In the 1980's Frers reconnected with Swan and since then has produced a long string of beautiful designs for them, including the 45' and 42' one-design racer/cruisers and the elegant Swan Regatta 60. So it is somewhat of a surprise to me that Swan turned to Juan Kouyoumdjian for their newest design.<br />
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Interestingly, Juan K, as he is known, is also an Argentine, although his design firm is located in Valencia, Spain. I had heard a few months ago that he was working on a new design for the company and expected it to be an incremental development of their current design trend of lighter racer cruisers with plumb bows and elegant appointments. I was wrong.<br />
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Swan unveiled the new design a couple of months ago with a series of drawings and renderings which I downloaded and include below. As you can see, the new boat is a significant, one might even say radical, departure from what we think of as the Swan Style. The ClubSwan 50 is intended to be a high performance one-design racer with accommodations for distance races and, as Swan calls it, sports cruises.<br />
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Let's start with the hull. The first thing that catches the eye is the reversed bow and sheer. Students of yacht design know that reversed bows have been used on racing catamarans for the last fifteen years or so. The purpose of this shape is to maintain maximum waterline length while reducing the weight and windage of the bows. This makes a lot of sense on boats that frequently fly the weather hull or, as in the case of the AC72 cats, simply fly. This shape is harder to justify on a ballasted monohull, especially when it is fitted with a large bowsprit that pretty much negates any weight or windage savings. Regardless of any performance benefit, the reversed bow profile is certainly a strong aesthetic statement that is complimented by the reversed sheer. The reversed sheer enables the designer to keep the freeboard at the bow and stern minimal yet still provide enough headroom amidships with a cabin trunk of minimal proportions. This is a design feature more often found on smaller boats than the CS50. There is a pronounced chine aft that appears to run nearly to the bow in the renderings. Bear in mind that we are dealing with renderings and not photos of an actual boat, so the finished product may be different from what we see here. Notice the flare in the aft topsides. I don't know what hydrodynamic principle would require this shape but, again, it makes a strong aesthetic statement.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qMoM-MctkQ8/VlaS3TjS2PI/AAAAAAAACx4/gDwKTsoMJBQ/s1600/swan%2B50%2Bbow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qMoM-MctkQ8/VlaS3TjS2PI/AAAAAAAACx4/gDwKTsoMJBQ/s640/swan%2B50%2Bbow.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Club Swan 50. A bold step forward for Nautor.</td></tr>
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The fairbody line of the the CS50 shows a very shallow hull with the knuckle of the bow just at the waterline, while the stern is lifted slightly above it. In the stern view, notice the arc-like shape of the hull at the transom. I think this boat will surf easily and leave a very clean wake when driving upwind. I'm not a huge fan of twin rudders unless they make a meaningful contribution to the performance of the boat. In the CS50, they are relatively small so that when heeled, the weather rudder will usually be out of the water, so at least it won't be much of a drag most of the time. Still, if I were to order a CS50 for myself, I'd ask them to show me the hydrodynamic data that prove twins are better than a single centerline rudder. The keel is exactly what we would expect on a boat of this type, a deep carbon fiber fin with a lead torpedo shaped bulb.<br />
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Here are some numbers:<br />
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LOA: 50.00'<br />
LWL: 45.93'<br />
BMAX; 13.78'<br />
Draft (deep): 10.50'<br />
Draft (shoal): 7.22'<br />
Disp: 20,503 lb<br />
Ballast: 7,496 lb<br />
Sail Area (upwind): 1,527 sf<br />
Sail Area (downwind): 3,185 sf<br />
D/L: 94.47<br />
SA/D: 32.74<br />
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With a SA/D of nearly 33 and a D/L of 94, there is no doubt that the CS50 will be as fast as it looks. I am intrigued by the rig proportions. Notice that the three-spreader carbon mast is located significantly further aft than we usually see on high performance boats. I don't have any rig numbers but the "J" dimension is clearly longer than "E", which means that the jibs on this boat will be quite large relative to the mainsail. In the sailplan below, the boom doesn't quite reach the transom and the traveler appears to be at least a couple of feet forward of it, but in other drawings and in the literature, the traveler has been located all the way aft. Either way, this is a powerful rig that will take a full crew to get the most out of. On the other hand, the brochure states that when it's just the husband and wife aboard, they'll hoist the main to the second reef and unroll just the small jib, which should provide adequate performance for a leisurely daysail. Of course all the winches will be electric so the hoisting and trimming will all be done by pushbutton. With the main hoisted to the second reef the square top of it will pass inside the twin running backstays so you won't have to ask the wife to scamper over and tend them when you tack. Sounds pretty civilized to me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yqVVPPtgmM8/VmEfSW0k0rI/AAAAAAAACy4/4XuaOJWGzwc/s1600/swan%2Bsailplan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yqVVPPtgmM8/VmEfSW0k0rI/AAAAAAAACy4/4XuaOJWGzwc/s640/swan%2Bsailplan.jpg" width="452" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interesting proportions of the CS50 rig.</td></tr>
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The deck of the CS50 leans more toward racing than cruising. There are minimal coamings from the companionway to the aft end of the seats.Aside from that, I don't see any concessions to cruising comfort on this deck except for the short cockpit seats. The transverse jib tracks are located on the cabin top and the chainplates are all the way out at the sheer, leaving the decks uncluttered. There doesn't appear to be a provision for leading jib sheets to the cockpit winches so I assume they are led to the cabintop winches. I was aboard a new Swan 60 a few months ago and on that boat many functions such as vang, outhaul, traveler controls, etc. were managed by pushbutton. Indeed, the panel of buttons at the helms was extensive. This kind of arrangement might free up those cabintop winches for the jib sheets but I think a better solution would be to move the tracks to the deck and use barber haulers to move the jib clews inboard and out, and lead the sheets back to the cockpit winches.<br />
The cabin is wedge shaped and somewhat reminiscent of the old Swan wedge decks. Somehow I can't quite picture an inflatable dinghy stored on that foredeck even though there is certainly plenty of room for one.<br />
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The cockpit is huge, with plenty of wide open space for the working crew. The companioway hatch is sloped at about 45 degrees. I'll wager that the production model may well end up with a more conventional sliding hatch and seahood. The aft part of the deck is basically cantilevered out from the hull with sharp radii where it joins the hull. This is not a particularly strong arrangement and there appears to be a strut that that supports the aft-most part of the deck. Notice that this bit of deck supports the mainsheet and spinnaker sheet winches. I'm sure J&J Design, who are listed as the project engineers, carefully analyzed this area and designed the laminates and geometry to resolve the high loads this area will experience when the boat is pressed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Asol4twb_64/VlaXzAk9MxI/AAAAAAAACyg/l5mbD7mbd6U/s1600/swan%2B50%2Bstern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Asol4twb_64/VlaXzAk9MxI/AAAAAAAACyg/l5mbD7mbd6U/s640/swan%2B50%2Bstern.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The transom is wide open with the traveler located as far aft as possible. The companionway hatch is set at an angle and the aft end of the weather deck appears to be supported by a strut near the transom. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vS4uLMJWrxc/VmJzsXJfjnI/AAAAAAAACzI/wdwyiywIKdw/s1600/swan%2Bdeck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vS4uLMJWrxc/VmJzsXJfjnI/AAAAAAAACzI/wdwyiywIKdw/s640/swan%2Bdeck.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beam is carried straight aft to the transom. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QKOWWV2cv7w/VlaVfSH_OEI/AAAAAAAACyE/MjHZFuzL8wc/s1600/swan%2B50%2Bprofile-page-001%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QKOWWV2cv7w/VlaVfSH_OEI/AAAAAAAACyE/MjHZFuzL8wc/s640/swan%2B50%2Bprofile-page-001%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice how small the rudders are relative to the keel. They appear to be no more than about 50 inches deep and are angled outboard about 20 degrees. They will probably be deeper than that in the production boat. In this drawing the boom extends well beyond the twin running backstays. </td></tr>
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Accommodations in the CS50 are Spartan by Swan standards but I would feel quite comfortable spending a month or two living aboard this boat. The head runs the full width of the boat, or more precisely, is split by the centerline passageway, with the toilet and sink to port and a nice large shower to starboard. I really like this arrangement. In the bow you'll find what appears to be a queen size berth along with lockers and shelves. Notice that it is set roughly eight feet aft of the bow, forward of which appears to be a crash bulkhead and lots of empty space. Swan states that all of the forward cabin furnishings can be easily removed for racing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ygKIOuLopGE/VmJ1JvujLYI/AAAAAAAACzY/MNP_eowSMDs/s1600/swan%2Binterior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ygKIOuLopGE/VmJ1JvujLYI/AAAAAAAACzY/MNP_eowSMDs/s640/swan%2Binterior.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simple, efficient accommodations.</td></tr>
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The main salon is wide open, with very large settees to port and starboard, and a decent sized dining table on the starboard side. If I owned a CS50 I'd want to entertain a lot, so I'd have Nautor make sure the table will accommodate at least six diners. Aft to port is a smallish galley suitable for basic meal preparation. Notice the generator just aft of the galley. I think it might be a good trade-off to eliminate it and expand the galley a bit. Opposite the galley is a quarter-cabin with what looks like a king size berth and a hanging locker. This will be the nicest place to sleep when the boat is underway. The nav station is...well, there doesn't seem to be one on the CS50. I think this is because in a daysailer and weekender, you really don't need a nav station because all your navigation tools are in the multi-function screens at the helm stations. Still, I'd like to see a chart table/desk on the boat. I don't use the nav station aboard my Beneteau 423 for navigating, but it's a perfect all purpose place to work the SSB radio, manage ships papers and do all those mundane things I do at my desk at home.<br />
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I really appreciate that venerable, conservative Nautor has gambled on a truly new design for the 50. Having been a lifelong fan of German Frers' designs, I would like to have seen what that firm's answer to this design brief would have been, but Juan K got the nod instead. This is a bold step for Nautor and my hope is that it will be a huge success for them. I can't wait to see hull number one hit the water. For more information about this boat visit www.clubswan50.com.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-86524933880342549682015-11-07T09:15:00.000-08:002015-11-07T09:20:58.224-08:00Sydney GTS43 Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The GTS43 was designed by Jason Ker and is intended as a racer/cruiser. It's pretty clear that by racer/cruiser they mean racer that has enough amenities below to accommodate the family for an occasional weekend cruise. But make no mistake, this boat is really all about performance. It caught my eye because the designer and builder have collaborated to create a unique and distinctive yacht that I think is going to attract a lot of attention among those who need a few amenities in their race boats.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-56XrNYLcq5c/VjWRzXI_pRI/AAAAAAAACvU/nJ2QjmS74YM/s1600/sydney%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-56XrNYLcq5c/VjWRzXI_pRI/AAAAAAAACvU/nJ2QjmS74YM/s640/sydney%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The GTS43 looks fast under main, kite and stays'l.</td></tr>
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Jason Ker is not a household name in the USA but over the last twenty years this British designer has built an enviable reputation with his IRC racing yachts. The builder, originally based in Australia, has contracted with AD Boats in Split, Croatia to produce the GTS43 as well as the new GTS37. As you may know, this company also builds the Salona line of yachts. AD is owned by the Prevent Group, a multinational manufacturing corporation based in Wolfsberg, Germany that serves a variety of commercial and industrial markets. I think this is a business structure that we will see more of in the future. Yacht building has become so technology driven and capital intensive that for all practical purposes, the small independent boat builders are finding it harder and harder to survive.<br />
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The GTS43 represents a very different approach to hull design than more conventional racer/cruisers such as the Beneteau First or Elan lines. In the plan view it looks similar to other IRC inspired racer/cruisers, with a fine bow and wide stern. The same can be said of the boat in the profile view. But where those boats have full, or chined stern sections, the 43 has radically flaired sections aft.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4ewrKNbYr0Q/VjZBMNOyo4I/AAAAAAAACwA/hybD3L7BXPk/s1600/sydney%2Bfirst.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4ewrKNbYr0Q/VjZBMNOyo4I/AAAAAAAACwA/hybD3L7BXPk/s640/sydney%2Bfirst.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beneteau First 40. This Farr design incorporates what we think of as a conventional stern shape.<br />
Photo courtesy of Yachtworld.com</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elan 400 sports the currently fashionable chines.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V9ak3mbNHZY/VjZB29G5r5I/AAAAAAAACwI/Kj222D6hZNM/s1600/sydney%2Bstern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="414" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V9ak3mbNHZY/VjZB29G5r5I/AAAAAAAACwI/Kj222D6hZNM/s640/sydney%2Bstern.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flaired stern on the GTS43. </td></tr>
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Why, you might ask, has Ker designed this boat with a stern that is so different from the more conventional Beneteau and Elan, or most other IRC racers. I think the answer may lie with his interpretation of the IRC rating system, or he may simply like the looks of this stern. I don't have a lines plan for this hull but we can make some judgments based on the photos. Let's deal with the stern first. The hull near the waterline is actually relatively narrow by today's standards so there is not a lot of reserve buoyancy there. This, combined with the somewhat slab sided midship sections of the hull leads me to think this boat may have a lower prismatic coefficient than a typical IRC racer. This means the boat will not require a lot of horsepower to get up to speed, but is likely to generate a bigger stern wave, which we refer to as induced drag as it moves through the water at hull speed. One benefit of the very wide stern is that the crew weight can be placed well outboard and aft, where it does the most good in heavy air. Here are some statistics:<br />
LOA: 43 feet<br />
Beam: 13.78 feet<br />
Draft: 9.02 feet<br />
Displacement: 15,320 pounds<br />
Sail area (IJ+PE): 1,029 sq. ft.<br />
Disp/Length: 86.0<br />
SA/D: 26.8<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-87ynBPrg3rA/Vj03OOEbAdI/AAAAAAAACwk/ZDvY1GLvndk/s1600/sydney%2B9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-87ynBPrg3rA/Vj03OOEbAdI/AAAAAAAACwk/ZDvY1GLvndk/s640/sydney%2B9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This view provides an indication of the fine waterlines forward and the extreme flair aft. Photo courtesy of Sydney Yachts.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3bO-gfD4gyA/VjWSmzQoMNI/AAAAAAAACvY/FJdJ3OxiNs4/s1600/decklayout43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="182" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3bO-gfD4gyA/VjWSmzQoMNI/AAAAAAAACvY/FJdJ3OxiNs4/s640/decklayout43.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maximum beam is carried all the way to the transom. The cockpit is spacious and side decks minimal. </td></tr>
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The high SA/D and low D/L indicate a powerful sailing machine that will demand a good helmsman and solid crew work when the breeze is up, but in return it will deliver stellar performance. Of course when it's just you and the wife out for a sail, you may want to tuck in a reef and put the small jib up, which is a small compromise for such a high performance boat.<br />
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The cabin trunk is an interesting blister shape, with the aft ends of the cabin fairing into the wide cockpit coamings. The seats are tucked behind the cabin trunk, leaving lots of room in the aft half of the cockpit for working crew. The twin helms are located well aft, but it looks like there is enough space there for the helmsman and tactician. The mainsheet traveler is located on the cockpit sole just forward of the helms, with the mainsheet winches within easy reach. This is another boat with an Admirals cup type mainsheet arrangement.<br />
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The rig incorporates a carbon fiber two spreader mast. The mainsail luff length is about 60 feet and the foot is 19 feet. This is a big sail that will require some muscle to handle. The jibs are non overlapping so tacking will actually be fairly easy. Notice the long, fixed bowsprit. It does not include an anchor roller so you may want to ask them to work on that when you place your order for a new GTS43.<br />
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I don't have any drawings or photos of the underbody of the boat, but Ker states that the keel incorporates a thin fin and bulb. My guess is that the rudder is also thin, deep and very efficient.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y820MRvG_2A/Vj094QqXUZI/AAAAAAAACw0/m7p9izbSA_E/s1600/sydney%2Bkeel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y820MRvG_2A/Vj094QqXUZI/AAAAAAAACw0/m7p9izbSA_E/s640/sydney%2Bkeel.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the keel on a Ker designed 46 footer. You can assume that the keel on the GTS43 is similar. Photo courtesy of Yachtworld.com</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cvBVBzllok4/VjVdltNzvxI/AAAAAAAACuU/7w2bwmyHyfU/s1600/Sydney%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="468" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cvBVBzllok4/VjVdltNzvxI/AAAAAAAACuU/7w2bwmyHyfU/s640/Sydney%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bowsprit is not retractable.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZEyealFPCms/VjWWyZhKooI/AAAAAAAACvw/9fhQjFV4O0Y/s1600/sydney4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZEyealFPCms/VjWWyZhKooI/AAAAAAAACvw/9fhQjFV4O0Y/s640/sydney4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The GTS 43 is what I call a "live ballast" boat, which derives much of its righting moment from crew on the rail as shown here.</td></tr>
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This boat has reasonably livable accommodations that would make cruising for a week or so tolerable for the family. The forward end of the boat has a snug v-berth which might be a good place for kids.<br />
The dinette in the salon is smallish and offset well to port and the settee opposite is also situated well outboard. This leaves plenty of room amidships for packing chutes, which is important on a boat of this type. There are provisions for pilot berths above the dinette and settee. The nav station is large and has lots of storage space. The galley, opposite the nav station, is small for a 43 foot cruising yacht, but almost luxurious compared to the typical race-boat galley. There is a pair of private quarter cabins aft, each with a hanging locker and a pilot berth. Overall, while this is not what I would call a pretty interior, it is very functional. I could imagine spending a week or so aboard.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2a3oKQ8lqtY/Vj4mtlBiVaI/AAAAAAAACxE/jqilQHeuKvg/s1600/sydney%2Binterior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2a3oKQ8lqtY/Vj4mtlBiVaI/AAAAAAAACxE/jqilQHeuKvg/s640/sydney%2Binterior.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jIAPvBk326Q/Vj4oKN1tF5I/AAAAAAAACxQ/SS2lOgLO-rY/s1600/sydney%2Bvberth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jIAPvBk326Q/Vj4oKN1tF5I/AAAAAAAACxQ/SS2lOgLO-rY/s640/sydney%2Bvberth.jpg" width="412" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The v-berth looks fairly tight.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-acygSudWjF4/Vj4oWNF5iII/AAAAAAAACxY/mg1a-YaJs8w/s1600/sydney7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="468" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-acygSudWjF4/Vj4oWNF5iII/AAAAAAAACxY/mg1a-YaJs8w/s640/sydney7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of light and space in this limited but functional interior.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aSkZb3AXEcs/Vj4oh78o2iI/AAAAAAAACxg/7TydHJB5Z2M/s1600/sydney%2B6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aSkZb3AXEcs/Vj4oh78o2iI/AAAAAAAACxg/7TydHJB5Z2M/s640/sydney%2B6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A single sink, two burner stove and limited counter space. </td></tr>
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It seems to me that the racing world is becoming more separate from cruising. These days there are many forty foot daysailers on the market that make no pretense of being cruise-able. This was almost unheard of twenty years ago. I give Sydney Yachts credit for attempting to bridge that gap and producing a racer that can be cruised even if it's just for a week at the island. For more information about the GTS43 visit Sydneyyachts.com<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-64051975544716540692015-10-05T12:06:00.001-07:002015-10-08T22:44:25.943-07:00Alaska Cruise<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We've been home a couple of months and the time has flown by. It took a couple of weeks to get settled back in Costa Mesa. During that time we had to contend with the the passing of Woody, our English Setter. It was a sad time around the house, but he lived to the ripe old age of 14 and certainly enjoyed a pretty good life. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5Zob7-H_IFA/Vg36U6-_nNI/AAAAAAAACkU/3B3HlgIzge4/s1600/Woody%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5Zob7-H_IFA/Vg36U6-_nNI/AAAAAAAACkU/3B3HlgIzge4/s640/Woody%2B2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Woody<br />
2001-2014</td></tr>
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As soon as that little ordeal was over we took a road trip to Vancouver, BC where we met up with friends for a cruise to Alaska aboard the MS Noordam. But before we boarded the ship, we spent a couple of days touring the city. One of the highlights of our tour was hiking up Grouse Mountain. The hike is known as the Grouse Grind, 2,800 feet of vertical ascent in about 1.8 miles. There are actually two ways to do the grind. The first and most commonly used route is the staircase, which consists of 2,830 stairs. It sounded kind of boring to us so we chose the secondary route, a trail through the forest. Both routes are unrelentingly steep climbs but you are rewarded with beautiful views of the city at the summit. For more information visit <span style="color: blue;">www.grousemountain.com/grousegrind.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-odvLBBRHtPk/Vg8DYTu84MI/AAAAAAAACk4/gLpVLUI3nok/s1600/van%2B1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-odvLBBRHtPk/Vg8DYTu84MI/AAAAAAAACk4/gLpVLUI3nok/s640/van%2B1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The weather was a bit hazy but the views from the top of Grouse Mountain were spectacular.</td></tr>
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After hiking the Grind we made a side trip to the Capilano Suspension bridge.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="CapilanoBridge.jpg" height="390" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/CapilanoBridge.jpg/1024px-CapilanoBridge.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Capilano Suspension Bridge is 450 feet long. It spans a river of the same name, some 220 feet below. It's privately owned and is the gateway to several nature trails on the far side. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.</td></tr>
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We boarded the Noordam on Saturday morning, September 12th at the cruise ship terminal in downtown Vancouver.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gnV-KHfxA1w/Vg4iYChOP3I/AAAAAAAACko/Y7eg07xrydk/s1600/van%2B26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gnV-KHfxA1w/Vg4iYChOP3I/AAAAAAAACko/Y7eg07xrydk/s640/van%2B26.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Noordam</td></tr>
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The Noordam was built in Italy and christened in 2006. Here are some dimensions:<br />
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LOA: 936 feet<br />
Beam: 105.8 feet<br />
Gross tonnage: 82,500 tons<br />
Power: 84,000 horsepower<br />
Passenger decks: 11<br />
Capacity: 1,916 passengers and 800 crew<br />
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The ship is powered by a CODAG-Electric (Combined Diesel and Gas) system of diesel and gas turbine powered generators that drive Azipods instead of conventional propellers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="424" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/Mackinaw_WLBB-30_Azipod_thruster.jpg/300px-Mackinaw_WLBB-30_Azipod_thruster.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An Azipod consists of a propeller and electric motor unit installed where a conventional propeller and rudder would be on the ship. "Azipod" is a trademarked name for ABB Group's version of this type of propulsion system. The Noordam is equipped with twin Azipods. <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.</span><br />
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The diesel and gas turbine engines don't actually turn the propellers through shafts like a conventional boat, but drive large generators that supply power to the enormous electric motors encased in the Azipods. Pretty cool stuff.<br />
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After boarding the vessel and settling into our stateroom on deck 4, we went through a lifeboat drill while the crew cast off the dock lines and the Noordam puttered out into the channel. The stateroom was quite spacious, with a king size bed, sofa, shower/tub in the head and, best of all, the wall facing outboard was all glass, giving an excellent ocean view. Actually it was an excellent view of the 40 foot motorized lifeboat that was stowed just outside the glass, but we still had a pretty fair ocean view. Our first destination would be Juneau, Alaska, which we would reach on Monday around noon. To get there we transited most of the Inside Passage, which stretches from Washington state to Skagway.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PUilytzQngY/VhFRIYU_hNI/AAAAAAAAClQ/DysapZ9NFN4/s1600/van%2B5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PUilytzQngY/VhFRIYU_hNI/AAAAAAAAClQ/DysapZ9NFN4/s640/van%2B5.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DowntownVancouver viewed from the stern of the Noordam. The cruise ship terminal is the white structure on the left.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lions Gate Bridge, viewed from the bow of the Noordam.</td></tr>
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The Noordam headed northwest, passing under the beautiful Lions Gate Bridge and entered the Strait of Georgia, doing about 20 knots in fairly calm and balmy conditions. The Strait separates Vancouver Island from the mainland. It is about 150 miles long and varies between 11 and 34 miles wide. That sounds pretty spacious but it is actually full of islands and narrow channels, especially in the northern part of the strait. I was told that the Noordam's crew includes three navigators, so the vessel trundled along at 18-20 knots night and day through the narrow parts as well as the wide parts of the channel.<br />
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The scenery in the Strait is beautiful. Evergreen forests cover the rugged terrain and surround the occasional small towns and villages on both sides of the channel. Whales were plentiful in this region and we saw orcas and what appeared to be humpbacks from the observation deck as well as from our stateroom.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DqdH6tJCJDU/VhKVTovLqZI/AAAAAAAACm4/QNxz27Ocepo/s1600/van%2B8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="326" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DqdH6tJCJDU/VhKVTovLqZI/AAAAAAAACm4/QNxz27Ocepo/s640/van%2B8.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lighthouse near Vancouver. </td></tr>
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<br />
In the early hours of the next morning the Noordam passed into Discovery Passage, which is a narrow channel that connects the Strait of Georgia to Johnstone Strait by way of Seymour Narrows.<br />
The Narrows is an interesting place for big ships, or small ones, because it's about 3 miles long and averages about 750 yards wide. It is a place with strong currents, sometimes up to 15 knots.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lwEuDqqeU_Q/VhHvtTVfkHI/AAAAAAAAClw/jtvf-R9Y-WA/s1600/Seymour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lwEuDqqeU_Q/VhHvtTVfkHI/AAAAAAAAClw/jtvf-R9Y-WA/s640/Seymour.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seymour Narrows with a rough approximation of the Noordam's course.</td></tr>
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Unfortunately it was quite dark when we passed through the Narrows and I really couldn't see much of it. Back in the 1790's when Captain George Vancouver was exploring this region he is reputed to have described the narrows as "One of the vilest stretches of water in the world." There used to be a serious navigational hazard near the south end of the Narrows called Ripple Rock, which consisted of two submerged peaks rising to a depth of about nine feet below the surface. These rocks had quite a career, sinking 119 vessels between 1875 and the 1950's. By 1956 the government had seen enough of the Rock, so they spent over two years tunneling into it and packing it with 1,375 tons of high explosives. On April 5th, 1958 they blew it up. At that time it was the largest intentional, non-nuclear blast in North America.<br />
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The Noordam transited the narrows without mishap, and passed into the Johnstone Strait and then the Queen Charlotte strait, which carried us to the northern end of Vancouver Island and into Queen Charlotte Sound. The Sound is roughly 100 nautical miles long and is exposed to the Pacific Ocean, so the Noordam rolled just barely enough to feel it for about five hours. Then we were in the Hecate Strait which runs about 140 miles northwestward to Dixon Entrance. It averages about 45 miles wide and we seemed to be going right up the middle of it so there was little to see. The Noordam passed from Canadian to US territorial waters at the northwest end of Dixon Entrance. <br />
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We headed out toward the open sea from the Entrance and reentered protected waters at the southern tip of Baranof Island. From there it was another 150 nautical miles to Juneau by way of Frederick Sound and Stephens Passage. The Noordam tied up to the dock around noon and shortly after that we went ashore.<br />
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Juneau is the capital of Alaska and boasts a population of around 33,000 people. It is located on the mainland coast of Alaska but the surrounding terrain is so rugged that no roads have been built to the rest of the state, so the city must be supplied by boat or air. Most residents of Juneau work for the government, but there are lots of locals working in the tourist trade and fishing industries as well.<br />
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Instead of signing up with an expensive tour company our group of six hiked into town from the terminal and found a taxi driver that would take us out to see the Mendenhall Glacier and falls.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--pBeSEs7BQE/VhIByamtdQI/AAAAAAAACmA/CaHqr2Bknrc/s1600/van%2Bmendenhall%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--pBeSEs7BQE/VhIByamtdQI/AAAAAAAACmA/CaHqr2Bknrc/s640/van%2Bmendenhall%2B2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was drizzling rain most of the time we were at Mendenhall, but the grandeur of the glacier was impressive anyway. In 1958 the glacier came right up to the trees in the foreground. Since then it has receded 1.75 miles, creating Lake Mendenhall.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M_k-oN5_Lso/VhIC-3PYFRI/AAAAAAAACmM/4VS99HwJlJQ/s1600/van%2B13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="274" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M_k-oN5_Lso/VhIC-3PYFRI/AAAAAAAACmM/4VS99HwJlJQ/s640/van%2B13.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Growlers on Lake Mendenhall. It was here that I learned that a growler is a tiny iceberg that rises no more than 3 feet out of the water. A bergy bit is larger, rising 3 to 13 feet out of the water.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-neG_GzVNg4I/VhIEV71K1FI/AAAAAAAACmY/u5SyUIBXIpg/s1600/van%2B10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-neG_GzVNg4I/VhIEV71K1FI/AAAAAAAACmY/u5SyUIBXIpg/s640/van%2B10.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mendenhall Falls.</td></tr>
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By dusk we were back aboard the Noordam. Dinner aboard the ship was always a fun time. Our group, Wolf and Judy, Vic and Susan, and us always shared a table and usually had a pre-party in one of our staterooms. The food was consistently very good and we had each brought a couple of bottles of wine in our luggage, so the drinks were quite good as well.<br />
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The Noordam cast off at 2200 hrs. that night, bound for Skagway. It was a cold and overcast night and I was glad to be aboard a large and well heated ship instead of the Finisterra. The ship arrived around 0600 the next morning and we went ashore just after breakfast and boarded the narrow gauge White Pass/Yukon train. It's basically a tourist train that takes you directly from the dock to White Pass, which lies at an elevation of 2,865 feet. I couldn't help comparing it to El Chepe, the train that took us up to Copper Canyon in Mexico. The main difference is that there is no bar car on this train. We all agreed that it could use one. Aside from that, it was a pleasant ride up to the pass and the narrator who talked constantly over the loudspeaker was only a little bit annoying. The train was full of tourists snapping pictures of the passing scenery. Somehow it made me not want to take any photos myself.<br />
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The town of Skagway isn't much. It has a year round population of around a thousand souls, which doubles during the tourist season. It was founded in 1887 by one Billy Moore, who thought it would be a good jumping-off place for miners seeking gold. Sure enough, gold was discovered in the Klondike region of the Yukon Territory and miners flooded into Skagway. By 1898 the town had swelled to a population of around 9,000 and was the largest city in Alaska. That lasted a couple of years and by the turn of the century Skagway's economy collapsed.<br />
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Nowadays tourism is the primary driver of the town's economy, with about a million tourists per year arriving, mostly by cruise ship. The few streets in town are lined with tourist shops, a few bars and restaurants, and not much else. We reboarded the ship in the afternoon, having seen pretty much all there was to see in Skagway. The dress code for dinner that evening was coats and ties for the men and dresses for the ladies. I hadn't worn a tie since I retired a couple of years ago, but the formal attire did not detract from the excellent steak and lobster that was served so I didn't grumble too much about it, and the women all looked beautiful as well.<br />
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The Noordam sailed for Glacier Bay while we were enjoying dinner. At dawn the next morning the ship came to a stop at the head of the bay and, using its rotatable Azipods and 7,500 horsepower bow thrusters, executed a 360 degree turn in place, so the passengers could all get a good look at the glaciers and sea life there. Earlier a ranger from Glacier Bay National Park had boarded the ship and she described the wonders of the region over the loudspeakers as the boat rotated. The bay is populated by fifteen glaciers, including Margerie, Grand Pacific, Johns Hopkins, and McBride.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mE_4TJ9clQ8/VhKlOw_7GBI/AAAAAAAACnI/5nsFthk4Cdo/s1600/van%2B16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mE_4TJ9clQ8/VhKlOw_7GBI/AAAAAAAACnI/5nsFthk4Cdo/s640/van%2B16.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Johns Hopkins Glacier deposits massive amounts of rock and debris into the bay. It is roughly 12 miles long, a mile wide and 250 feet high at the water's edge. It is one of the few in the park that is not receding. It travels at around 8 feet per day.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EVXZ5_uLnJQ/VhKnr3E94GI/AAAAAAAACnU/yaOiUNo5330/s1600/van%2B21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EVXZ5_uLnJQ/VhKnr3E94GI/AAAAAAAACnU/yaOiUNo5330/s640/van%2B21.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The icy face of the Johns Hopkins</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3yGHQqQjyBM/VhLA6iyG4II/AAAAAAAACn0/_5ca-d1SPgI/s1600/van%2B12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3yGHQqQjyBM/VhLA6iyG4II/AAAAAAAACn0/_5ca-d1SPgI/s640/van%2B12.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For a chunk of floating ice to be officially categorized as an iceberg, it must rise out of the water at least 16 feet, with an overall thickness of 98 to 164 feet and cover an area of at least 5,382 square feet. These are bergy bits.</td></tr>
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The Noordam stayed in Glacier Bay until about 1800 hrs, then headed southeast toward Ketchikan, arriving at 1000 the following morning. We'd heard that there were lots of bears here and the shipboard tour company as well as a dozen or so tour operators on the dock were most anxious for us to see them. They were shouting at the tourists as we came off the ship offering special prices and guaranteeing that we'd see bears and eagles up close and personal for only a hundred dollars per person. They all seemed disappointed in us because we failed to take advantage of their offers.<br />
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Instead, we wandered down the street and found a taxi van whose driver who looked like he was doing nothing but texting on his I-phone, so I approached him and we struck a deal. For $140 bucks he'd take us to Herring Cove, where the bears go to catch salmon and pose for the tourists. He turned out to be an amiable sort and spent three hours with us while we lingered at the cove watching the occasional bear emerge from the forest a couple of hundred yards away. The best part of the excursion was hearing his stories of his life in Ketchikan. After an hour or so, the place started filling up with tourists so our driver took us back to town, stopping to show us various points of interest, which were not many, along the way. It was a pretty good tour at a bargain price.<br />
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Ketchikan is fairly cosmopolitan compared to Skagway, with a population of over 8,000. Many Ketchikanians fly south for the winter, but our driver stays on. He said it's much more peaceful after the hubbub of the tourist season dies down. I believe him.<br />
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We sailed from Ketchikan around 1800 hrs. bound for Vancouver. The weather forecast was for strong southerly winds and the ship veered away from a direct course and we sailed through a labyrinth of narrow channels instead of bucking bigger seas in Queen Charlotte Sound. The Noordam arrived in Vancouver at 0700 Saturday morning and we were back at Wolf and Judy's home by noon where we played Mexican Train all afternoon.<br />
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The next day we visited friends Howard and Lynn at their flat on the 33rd floor of the Shaw building in downtown Vancouver. The views from their balcony were breathtaking. By mid-afternoon on Sunday we were back on the road, headed south. I wanted to get past Seattle to avoid the traffic gridlock that usually plagues the I-5 freeway between Lynnwood and Tacoma on weekdays, so we didn't stop until we got to Olympia.<br />
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We got back on the road around 10:00 the next morning and headed south at a leisurely pace. The plan was to check out a few wineries between Portland and Corvallis in the early part of the day, then visit Lisa's alma mater, Oregon State University. With football season in full swing she needed a new flag and some flannel pajama bottoms with the OS logo on them. She's still an avid fan of the fighting Beavers. Unfortunately, they aren't doing too well this year, with a 2-2 record. She has high hopes for the upcoming game against Arizona though.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WpDW7RuQq9A/VhK60gr8j5I/AAAAAAAACnk/24qaR4E7-1w/s1600/van%2B28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WpDW7RuQq9A/VhK60gr8j5I/AAAAAAAACnk/24qaR4E7-1w/s640/van%2B28.JPG" width="592" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's harvest time in the Willamette Valley.</td></tr>
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We wanted to visit Crater Lake on this trip so from Corvallis we drove to Roseburg, where we spent the night. We had an excellent dinner at Dino's Italian Ristorante and chatted with our waitress who was a student at Umpqua Community College. As we drove back to our hotel we remarked on what a sweet small town Roseburg is, unaware of the tragedy awaiting the people here. Our hearts are grieving for them. It's obvious that no amount of senseless carnage is going to change the minds of people who treasure their guns and would rather continue on the path of killing than adopt reasonable gun laws. It's a uniquely American malady that we will probably only cure when we discover a cure for stupidity.<br />
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We turned off of I-5 in Roseburg and drove for miles along the beautiful Umpqua river. We stopped occasionally to wander along the banks of the river, where we spotted the occasional fisherman standing on a rock in midstream, fly rod in hand. Idyllic scenes. We arrived at Crater Lake a little before noon and spent the afternoon hiking and enjoying this pristine natural wonder.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d0u--LFtqaQ/VhLCxVjb4iI/AAAAAAAACoA/JhEirx8-BNI/s1600/van%2B29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="472" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d0u--LFtqaQ/VhLCxVjb4iI/AAAAAAAACoA/JhEirx8-BNI/s640/van%2B29.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos can't quite capture the beauty of this lake.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ch5KOIR2zrI/VhLDGTOZaeI/AAAAAAAACoI/HwSP8mRfR9k/s1600/van%2B32.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ch5KOIR2zrI/VhLDGTOZaeI/AAAAAAAACoI/HwSP8mRfR9k/s640/van%2B32.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wizard Island</td></tr>
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The lake was created when a volcano named Mt. Mazama collapsed in on itself around 7,700 years ago, creating a caldera or bowl over 4,000 feet deep in the middle where the peak used to be. Over time, rain and snowmelt filled the bowl, creating the lake. No rivers or streams flow into the lake so its only source of water is rain and snow. Over the next several hundred years there were more eruptions within the caldera, creating several cinder cones, one of which eventually rose out of the water and became Wizard Island.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gTKmgSUSyoo/VhLF-oI2ssI/AAAAAAAACoU/Q_lR8Pa-jd8/s1600/van%2B31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gTKmgSUSyoo/VhLF-oI2ssI/AAAAAAAACoU/Q_lR8Pa-jd8/s640/van%2B31.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is a crater in the top of Wizard Island.</td></tr>
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We got back on the road in the late afternoon and continued south, spending a night in Redding, California before heading up into the Sierras to visit family in Nevada City. It's always fun to hang out with Brian and Karen at their beautiful home nestled in the hills above the town. We stayed long enough to spend a day soaking up sunshine as we floated on tubes in the Yuba River, then got back on the road.<br />
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We drove south to Paso Robles where we spent the night and did some wine tasting in the surrounding area, and picked up some wine that had been waiting for us since last November. From there we headed home, arriving around 9:00pm, all safe and sound.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-14995006871518772452015-09-01T10:58:00.002-07:002015-09-01T22:53:39.510-07:00Varianta 37 Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Back in 2011 I was wandering around the docks in the marina in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, and came upon a Varianta 44. The thing was beautiful in a stark and business-like way, with pure white decks and minimal deck hardware set off by a tall carbon fiber rig. I didn't know it at the time, but I was destined to follow that boat, named Olas Lindas, around the buoys in a number of races over the next few years, much to my chagrin.<br />
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The Varianta 44 is built by Hanse Yachts and they have followed up on it with a 37 footer based on the same concept of a plain vanilla racer/cruiser with an excellent turn of speed. The idea behind these boats is an interesting one in that the hulls are actually from the molds of older successful Hanse models. In the case of the 37, its predecessor is the Hanse 370, of which over 900 were built. The Varianta 37 incorporates a new deck design, all new interior and a more economical price tag. The result is a simple, sleek and Spartan cruiser/racer for the budget minded sailor.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6t5xLXMuvjQ/Vd6b_PoNTPI/AAAAAAAACic/MIMZ8Z5p68Q/s1600/varianta%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6t5xLXMuvjQ/Vd6b_PoNTPI/AAAAAAAACic/MIMZ8Z5p68Q/s640/varianta%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Extremely clean lines on the 37</td></tr>
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The original Hanse 370 was designed by the Judel/Vrolijk design firm so I assume they are responsible for the conversion to the Varianta. The hull is a conventional shape and appears to be designed with IRC measurements in mind. With fairly high freeboard and minimal fore and aft overhangs the hull looks beefy. This look is accentuated by the skinny boot stripe and lack of a cove stripe. It's not particularly stylish, but it is economical, and stripes add nothing to performance. Below the waterline we find a standard T-bulb keel of 6'-4" draft. With much of the keel's 5,060 pounds located in the bulb, the V37 should be stiff and weatherly. One of the benefits of a bulb keel is that a boat can have a relatively low ballast/displacement ratio and still go upwind well. The V37's B/D is 33%. Of course, the downside of this type of keel is that it's prone to snagging kelp and other floating stuff. The rudder is a big spade that looks like it will steer the boat very efficiently. A rudder this size will also generate considerable lift to weather if the boat is well balanced.<br />
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In studying the deck drawing below, note that the bow is full-ish at the deck level, but the photos show a finer shape closer to the waterline. The fullness allows plenty of room to maneuver on deck without sacrificing the fine entry near the waterline. The stern is wide, but not nearly as wide as the latest 38 footers from the likes of Beneteau. There is plenty of flare in the aft sections and no chines. This is going to be a slippery and well behaved yacht in a seaway.<br />
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The cabin trunk is low and nicely proportioned in the profile view. It is wide and allows for just enough room to walk forward on the side decks. With non-overlapping headsails the chainplates are located at the sheer and jib tracks are mounted on the cabin top. The photos show the jib sheets led through a pair of rope clutches to the cabin top winches. My guess is that this arrangement won't last long. A better solution would be to mount the tracks alongside the cabin trunk and lead the sheets to the cockpit winches. You can easily rig up a set of barber haulers if you really want that jib in tight.<br />
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I like the way the cockpit coamings fair into the cabin trunk, accentuating the clean lines of the boat. The drawings show six winches, which would be necessary for serious racing, but the photos show just four, which is sufficient for cruising. The cockpit is large enough for shorthanded cruising, but will be snug for a racing crew. The deckplan shows a short mainsheet traveler mounted on the cockpit sole. It's short enough that it would not provide much better control than a single point for the mainsheet and I believe the production boats are leaving the factory with just the single point. Racers may find that annoying but you won't miss the traveler at all if you're cruising.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vxpmLAcIx_Y/VeaHNtrlP8I/AAAAAAAACj8/TUXn_7_ny2E/s1600/varianta%2B10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vxpmLAcIx_Y/VeaHNtrlP8I/AAAAAAAACj8/TUXn_7_ny2E/s640/varianta%2B10.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cockpit looks comfortable and spacious enough for a cruising family. Notice the instrument displays on the aft ends of the coamings. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VFoInIOOvxU/VeKGkgw6maI/AAAAAAAACis/eMEi78ubfr8/s1600/VARIANTA37_Deckslayout_low_082013-2f9a6%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="368" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VFoInIOOvxU/VeKGkgw6maI/AAAAAAAACis/eMEi78ubfr8/s640/VARIANTA37_Deckslayout_low_082013-2f9a6%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b3NX-y0rzEc/VePSWUkoy6I/AAAAAAAACi8/q4koe8uQCRg/s1600/Varianta%2B7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="336" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b3NX-y0rzEc/VePSWUkoy6I/AAAAAAAACi8/q4koe8uQCRg/s640/Varianta%2B7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plenty of freeboard and cabin-top jib tracks.</td></tr>
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The sailplan of the V37 incorporates aluminum spars in a fractional rig. With a sail area/displacement ratio of 21.2 there is plenty of power for racing. The mainsheet is a simple six-part tackle led to a the end of the boom. For racing you'll want to rig up a coarse/fine trim system instead. The sailplan shows a masthead asymmetrical spinnaker with the tack located a couple of feet forward of the bow. I'm not sure if the plan is for a short bowsprit or some kind of pole arrangement for it, but I would vote for a bowsprit that also incorporates an anchor roller and chock. The combination of a nearly plumb bow and the bow roller shown in the photos pretty much guarantees that the anchor is going to bounce off the stem occasionally.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_5fmaTQMKIA/Vd6aRSyQs8I/AAAAAAAACiQ/L6F2zaK3uNM/s1600/Varianta_37_Segelplan_4_high-a65cc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_5fmaTQMKIA/Vd6aRSyQs8I/AAAAAAAACiQ/L6F2zaK3uNM/s640/Varianta_37_Segelplan_4_high-a65cc.jpg" width="432" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice proportions</td></tr>
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, <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3SWydajuJw/VeUlOctvrtI/AAAAAAAACjM/6rTkdt3DZU4/s1600/VARIANTA37_HUll_Drawing_092013-82f33%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3SWydajuJw/VeUlOctvrtI/AAAAAAAACjM/6rTkdt3DZU4/s640/VARIANTA37_HUll_Drawing_092013-82f33%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All of the photos and drawings here are courtesy of the Hanse Yachts/Varianta web site.</td></tr>
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The accommodations plan for the V37 is fairly ordinary for a racer/cruiser. Twin double quarter berths are located aft, each fitted with a hanging locker and enough space to dress. The head is fairly large and the galley smallish but adequate for coastal cruising. A pair of 6'-8" long settees flank a dropleaf table in the salon. Outboard of the settees are cloth bins for storage. The forward cabin incorporates a rather snug V-berth and a pair of lockers. There is just enough wood here to add a bit of style. My sense is that the layout is quite workable, while the styling is a bit stark for my taste. Of course we have to keep in mind that this boat is built to a strict budget, so plain white surfaces and square corners are understandable.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vcr5gmqPPn4/VeZ4kg-hDTI/AAAAAAAACjc/RgtDfPLDgCo/s1600/VARIANTA37_Interior_layout_low-c3328%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vcr5gmqPPn4/VeZ4kg-hDTI/AAAAAAAACjc/RgtDfPLDgCo/s640/VARIANTA37_Interior_layout_low-c3328%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MEXDtqU8wqc/VeaBtFXEtDI/AAAAAAAACjs/xlNu0dx7NsE/s1600/varianta%2Binterior%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MEXDtqU8wqc/VeaBtFXEtDI/AAAAAAAACjs/xlNu0dx7NsE/s640/varianta%2Binterior%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of white laminate and square corners make the accommodations look right at home in the Ikea Catalog.</td></tr>
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In the final analysis we have to decide whether this boat will meet the owner's objectives. If you're searching for a boat with an excellent design pedigree, good performance and reasonably good build quality at minimal cost, this boat should fill the bill quite nicely. Aside from those qualities, it's a very nice looking boat. Hanse just might be on to something with this type of econo-yacht.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-24597115261032196572015-08-16T22:22:00.000-07:002015-08-16T22:22:21.539-07:00Back in the USA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We stayed in Ensenada about ten days, then just after midnight on July 6th we took our last departure from a Mexican port, bound for San Diego. It was a cool and uneventful trip, and we arrived at the customs dock just before noon. We waited 45 minutes for the inspectors to show up and when they did, it took all of about five minutes to clear the paperwork. We took a berth at Southwestern YC where we stayed four days. During that time we plugged in to American phones, changed the boat insurance policy, and had a grand time with friends.<br />
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Our plan was to head for Dana Point, where we anchored in the west basin. It was pretty crowded in the little anchorage and around 1700 a powerboat came in and tried to anchor next to us, fouling our anchor in the process. After that little adventure we met friends for dinner at the Yacht Club, being careful to take a table with a view of our boat, just in case. The next morning yet another big powerboat came in and tried to anchor in a sliver of space next to another sailboat. They promptly got into an argument about who was crowding who. The powerboat won, forcing the sailboat to move. After watching this drama we decided to leave immediately for Catalina.<br />
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It was a beautiful day, light air and crystal clear skies so we were happy to be underway. A few miles off the island we caught a pair of 30 pound blue fin tunas. They were a bit too big for our appetites so we released them.<br />
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We picked up a mooring at Two harbors and spent the next week relaxing and enjoying the Island. One day we hiked up the ridge that overlooks Cat Harbor and encountered an Island fox just above the Banning House. The Catalina Island fox is a distinct subspecies and is specific to Catalina Island. It has close relatives that live on five of the other Channel Islands, all of which are descendants of the mainland Gray Fox. The Catalina fox is believed to have arrived on the island 800-3,800 years ago.<br />
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The Catalina Island fox has had a rough time over the last 25 years. In 1998 a canine distemper epidemic swept through the population, killing 90% of them. Not long before then, Golden Eagles began to arrive on Catalina as a result of the depletion of the Bald Eagle population on the island.<br />
Bald Eagles are fishing birds, while Goldens prefer to feed on land dwelling prey. The state and island authorities have made efforts to rebuild the Bald Eagle population on the island, which has had the effect of chasing the Golden Eagles back to the mainland. According to the latest statistics, there are approximately 1,300 foxes on Catalina, up from around 150 fifteen years ago. I collected all of this information from Wikipedia.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-huiw2ia4ULA/VdFglm_L1CI/AAAAAAAACgw/g_kKxZRNXug/s1600/fox%2B1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-huiw2ia4ULA/VdFglm_L1CI/AAAAAAAACgw/g_kKxZRNXug/s640/fox%2B1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Usually shy and elusive, this fellow lingered long enough to for me to get a photo.</td></tr>
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A bit further along the trail we encountered a bison relaxing in the morning sun. We passed within 60-70 feet of this big bull and continued up the trail where, just around a bend we encountered a group of hikers coming from Little Harbor. We stood and watched as they rounded the bend and caught sight of the bison standing nearly in their path. They stopped and took pictures, then gingerly picked their way around the bull.<br />
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We continued up the ridge and near the top found that an artist had hung a metal sculpture on the barbed wire fence next to the trail. We'd seen it reflecting the afternoon sun the previous day from Cat Harbor and had been wondering what it was.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ASU6suApvLk/VdFrZfhUtfI/AAAAAAAAChU/E2F1EjQsJ1o/s1600/Catalina%2Baug%2B%252715-6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="466" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ASU6suApvLk/VdFrZfhUtfI/AAAAAAAAChU/E2F1EjQsJ1o/s640/Catalina%2Baug%2B%252715-6.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheetmetal sculpture that reflected the afternoon sunlight.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A flying boat lands just outside the moorings at Two Harbors</td></tr>
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After a relaxing interlude at the Island, it was time to head for the mainland. Finisterra is now in her new berth in San Pedro while we get reintegrated into life ashore.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-63235364320775496012015-06-30T18:01:00.000-07:002015-06-30T18:01:51.791-07:00Los Cabos to Ensenada<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We waited patiently for that weather window and it finally materialized on June 19th. We departed San Jose del Cabo at 0830, motoring into a 3 or 4 knot headwind under a gloriously sunny sky. It's about 17 miles from San Jose to San Lucas, and during that time the wind increased to about 17 knots and the sea temperature plummeted from 82 to 70 degrees.<br />
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We rounded the point at San Lucas around noon in a building breeze. By the time we reached Cabo Falso, about 4 miles further on, the wind was a steady 27 knots on the nose, with gusts to something over 30. Staying close inshore, we rounded Falso and headed northward along the coast and by 1500 the breeze had dropped to about 12 knots and the rough seas were replaced by easy westerly swells. Late in the afternoon the breeze dropped even further, and we motored for the next twenty four hours over glassy swells and almost calm wind.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L_oCBEG22CY/VZMyDPCQW4I/AAAAAAAACfs/8A4SbPY8rFI/s1600/cabo%2B-%2Bbsm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L_oCBEG22CY/VZMyDPCQW4I/AAAAAAAACfs/8A4SbPY8rFI/s640/cabo%2B-%2Bbsm.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Route from Los Cabos to Turtle Bay.</td></tr>
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We arrived at Bahia Santa Maria, about 200 miles from San Jose in the early afternoon of June 20th and anchored about half a mile off the beach in the northwest corner of the bay. We were hoping to go ashore here and explore the beaches and nearby sand dunes, but there was enough of a southerly swell running to make a dinghy landing untenable. Instead, we got the anchor up and headed out of the bay and into a favorable wind. We sailed all afternoon and into the night until the wind shut off completely around 2100. We arrived at Turtle Bay at dawn on June 22nd. It was a pleasant, quiet day and we spent it catching up on sleep while we waited for Enrique to deliver some fuel, which he did in the late afternoon.<br />
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The favorable conditions we had been enjoying were forecast to end soon, so we got underway just after sunrise on June 23rd. Choosing to go up the east side of Isla Cedros, we motored into a very light headwind and flat seas as far as the Dewey Channel, which lies between Isla Natividad and the mainland. There we encountered rough, confused seas until we reached the southern tip of Cedros which provided protection from the northwest wind and seas. The easy conditions lasted until we reached the northern tip of the island. Once beyond the lee of the island we had 20-25 knots of wind on the nose and 5 foot seas for a couple of hours, then the wind moderated but the swells remained big and steep. We slowed to 4 - 5 knots for the next 50 miles to keep the boat from pounding in the unfriendly seas. Throughout the passage from Cedros to Sacramento reef we were bucking a current that sometimes reached a knot and a half.<br />
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On the morning of June 24th we passed about 10 miles west of Sacramento reef and found the counter current here to be around half a knot. The rest of the passage to Punta Banda consisted of motoring into 3 to 8 foot seas and overcast skies. We rounded the point around noon on June 25th. With a fair wind, we doused the engine and sailed the last ten miles to Ensenada where we took a berth on gangway A in the Cruiseport Marina. The plan is to stay here until after the Fourth of July holiday, then head north to San Diego for a few days.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wxfBoOpmXvc/VZMzTfUMtxI/AAAAAAAACf4/VjRlxrk79qs/s1600/turtle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wxfBoOpmXvc/VZMzTfUMtxI/AAAAAAAACf4/VjRlxrk79qs/s640/turtle.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turtle Bay to Ensenada</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SQqWajxOkZE/VZM0QzsSEUI/AAAAAAAACgE/ipzupGdEuZY/s1600/Orcas%2B2%2B%25281024x731%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SQqWajxOkZE/VZM0QzsSEUI/AAAAAAAACgE/ipzupGdEuZY/s640/Orcas%2B2%2B%25281024x731%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few miles south of Punta Banda we were joined for a few minutes by a pod of Orcas. I was so fascinated looking at them, I didn't get many photos.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GdgynXeub_Y/VZM1GfzKbpI/AAAAAAAACgM/5gLJSgVHynI/s1600/Orcas%2B1%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GdgynXeub_Y/VZM1GfzKbpI/AAAAAAAACgM/5gLJSgVHynI/s640/Orcas%2B1%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are females. Males have taller, more vertical dorsal fins.</td></tr>
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While here in Ensenada we were immediately among friends and have been spending our time socializing and cleaning up the boat after the long bash from Los Cabos. A couple of days ago I decided to put a couple of coats of varnish on the cap rails. The first coat went on the starboard rail perfectly, but today, about an hour after I finished putting the second coat on, a squall passed through, dropping a sprinkling of rain. I thought my varnish job was ruined but luckily it survived intact.<br />
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Ensenada is our last destination in Mexico, so I've been taking some time to reflect on all we learned about this beautiful country on this voyage. We saw so many beautiful sights and enjoyed the company of lots of friends, both Mexicans and foreigners, it's hard to name one specific thing that stands out as special. I guess the main impression that I'm taking with me is that Mexico is getting better. The people seem to have a continuously improving standard of living. The roads, schools, cities and infrastructure all seem to be getting better. Economic activity and industry are vastly better than they were when we cruised here aboard Honcho five years ago. But one thing that hasn't changed is the wonderfully friendly people of Mexico. In my opinion they are among the nicest in the world.<br />
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When we arrived here in Ensenada we learned of the recent supreme court decisions in the USA regarding health care and gay marriage. Good health care available to everyone, and tolerance for diversity among our people are worthy goals, so it's a nice feeling to know that we are returning to a better USA.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-12044739779736397782015-06-18T18:35:00.001-07:002015-06-18T18:44:42.804-07:00Waiting for a Window<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We arrived at Puerto Los Cabos Marina a couple of hours before sunset on June 12th and were assigned to our old berth at the end of gangway L. The daytime temperatures here have been hovering in the high eighties, with light southerly winds and intense tropical sunshine every day. The humidity index has also been in the eighty percent range which makes life aboard a bit sticky and sweaty. So I broke out the air conditioner which brought the temperature and humidity inside the boat down to 78 degrees and 50% humidity. The air conditioner is a little 5,000 BTU window unit that fits neatly in the companionway, and stores in the starboard cockpit locker when not in use. It has made life bearable here while we wait.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rSrJ24fFiZQ/VYM9U_u1crI/AAAAAAAACew/j11UpRbuZlk/s1600/air%2Bconditioner%2B%25281024x768%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rSrJ24fFiZQ/VYM9U_u1crI/AAAAAAAACew/j11UpRbuZlk/s400/air%2Bconditioner%2B%25281024x768%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only problem with the air conditioner is that it makes you want to stay inside the boat from about noon to dusk.</td></tr>
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San Jose is rapidly turning from a town to a city. In 2010 the town had a population of approximately 70,000. Combined with the tourist mecca of Cabo San Lucas a few miles down the road, this area hosted over 900,000 hotel guests in 2011. I remember visiting here in the 1970's when San Jose was a little town that no one went to and Cabo was just becoming popular as a sportfishing destination.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XCmgI-NuFTM/VYNwjeZq3VI/AAAAAAAACfc/IBgeZRzTYUI/s1600/puerto%2Blos%2Bcabos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XCmgI-NuFTM/VYNwjeZq3VI/AAAAAAAACfc/IBgeZRzTYUI/s640/puerto%2Blos%2Bcabos.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marina Puerto Los Cabos. </td></tr>
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Here's something for the history buffs out there. Back in 1847, during the Mexican American War, a force of 24 American marines and sailors landed with a 9 pounder carronade and took up a position in the old mission San Jose. There, with a reinforcement of twelve men from California, they fought off an assault by a Mexican force under the orders of one Capitan Pineda Munoz. A couple of months later a larger Mexican force returned and laid siege to the American outpost. The seige lasted about a month and was finally lifted when a strong American naval force arrived. Nowadays we don't remember much about our 19th century conflicts, except for the Civil War, and a bit about the War of 1812. At least I've never seen anyone doing a Mexican American War reenactment.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gUS5g9_cVQA/VYNm3GulJ7I/AAAAAAAACfA/imsOO_Ta0c8/s1600/9%2Bpounder%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gUS5g9_cVQA/VYNm3GulJ7I/AAAAAAAACfA/imsOO_Ta0c8/s640/9%2Bpounder%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">9 Pounder Carronade. It fired a 4" diameter cannonball. As far as I can determine, this is a British gun dating form the early 1800's, but it's probably fairly similar to the one used at San Jose. Photo courtesy of Gunstar.co.uk</td></tr>
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As you can tell, we've had some time on our hands while we wait for that weather window to open, but it's been fun meeting new and interesting fellow cruisers. A couple of days after we arrived the pretty little Eastward Ho 24, named Molly, with Eric and Christine aboard tied up on our gangway. They sailed Molly down from Portland, Oregon and spent the season cruising in the Sea of Cortez. They left San Jose on Tuesday, June 16th, bound for Mag Bay, where we hope to catch up with them in a few days.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bR9QWehphDg/VYNsXozeD6I/AAAAAAAACfQ/21NPFZ1Qb_0/s1600/eastward_ho_24_drawing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bR9QWehphDg/VYNsXozeD6I/AAAAAAAACfQ/21NPFZ1Qb_0/s640/eastward_ho_24_drawing.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Eastward Ho was designed by the venerable Walter McInnis and is a pretty salty seagoing vessel.</td></tr>
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The weather forecast is for light southerly breezes for the next few days, so we will head out early tomorrow morning for Mag Bay.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462669320971303420.post-31174368358787977432015-06-14T12:22:00.002-07:002015-06-15T06:45:03.030-07:00La Paz to San Jose<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2XPnmFW0DcM/VX3UKA_XSLI/AAAAAAAACeg/ZFQeIyvHuKg/s1600/muertos%2B5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2XPnmFW0DcM/VX3UKA_XSLI/AAAAAAAACeg/ZFQeIyvHuKg/s640/muertos%2B5.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fishermen head out at dawn from Los Muertos.</td></tr>
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We planned to leave La Paz around June 6th but circumstances got in the way. The exhaust mixing elbow on the engine was showing signs of corrosion so I removed it for an inspection and, sure enough, it had deteriorated to the point where it could have started leaking salt water onto the engine.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RtQi4xJXIzI/VX2RRwJHt0I/AAAAAAAACdA/8Mj60uTUVGE/s1600/elbow%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RtQi4xJXIzI/VX2RRwJHt0I/AAAAAAAACdA/8Mj60uTUVGE/s640/elbow%2B2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Made of stainless steel, the elbow injects seawater from the heat exchanger into the exhaust, which is why water comes out of the exhaust pipe of your engine. The water is injected through the small tube and mixes with the exhaust gas in the larger tube. Photo credit: Marine Power Ltd.</td></tr>
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I did not have an elbow among my spare parts so the only option was to repair the old one by welding up the areas where corrosion threatened the integrity of the part. It took about ten days to get it back from the welder, but when it was finished it was as good as new. While waiting for the elbow to be repaired another yacht transport ship arrived and Rob Cross and I delivered two more boats to be hoisted on deck and shipped to Canada.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x8eRVDHD7zk/VX3CnRnHWqI/AAAAAAAACds/yULiFqHok6I/s1600/tiberborg%2B5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x8eRVDHD7zk/VX3CnRnHWqI/AAAAAAAACds/yULiFqHok6I/s640/tiberborg%2B5.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tiberborg's deck was already half full of boats when it arrived from Panama. In La Paz eight more boats were loaded. It's becoming more popular to ship boats to Canada instead of bashing roughly 2,000 nautical miles up the coast, or sailing the clipper route.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZgbYe8lgxFI/VX3GPJhDJSI/AAAAAAAACd4/QivUM_t_lr8/s1600/tiberborg%2B6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="464" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZgbYe8lgxFI/VX3GPJhDJSI/AAAAAAAACd4/QivUM_t_lr8/s640/tiberborg%2B6.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the diver in the water. His job was to position the slings under the boat. The last time we loaded a boat on a ship, there were two divers with SCUBA tanks. This fellow just had a mask and fins, yet he worked faster than the first two guys.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lUBuLXrNVZs/VX3HLHFpOcI/AAAAAAAACeA/dhRfIsHrvyY/s1600/tiberborg%2B4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lUBuLXrNVZs/VX3HLHFpOcI/AAAAAAAACeA/dhRfIsHrvyY/s640/tiberborg%2B4.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tiberborg's slings were lengthened to accommodate this 45' catamaran. I was told that the cost to ship a 35 foot monohull to Chemainus, BC is around $12,000. That might sound expensive, but if you factor in wear and tear on boat and crew, provisions, fuel, etc. for sailing there, its pretty reasonable. Chemainus is located on Vancouver Island, about 50 miles north of the city of Victoria.</td></tr>
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By the time the elbow project was done, hurricane Blanca was bearing down on the Baja Peninsula. At this time of year hurricanes usually fizzle out or head out to sea before they reach Baja, so I wasn't concerned about Blanca. The folks that experienced last year's hurricane Odile were pretty worked up about it though. So throughout the harbor, people were taking down canvas biminis and awnings, securing dinghies and lashing down anything that looked like it might fly away in a wind. I didn't get concerned until I saw the local restaurants being stripped of sun covers and awnings. So we secured Finisterra for storm conditions, doubled up our dock lines and made plans for a hurricane party the night before Blanca was scheduled to hit La Paz.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hNH9DvYPhOs/VX2VlKpiBjI/AAAAAAAACdM/WMgashwSXyU/s1600/Blanca%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hNH9DvYPhOs/VX2VlKpiBjI/AAAAAAAACdM/WMgashwSXyU/s640/Blanca%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storm track for Blanca. In the last 24 hours before it arrived in La Paz it was downgraded to a tropical storm. Intrepid mariners that we are, we refused to cancel the hurricane party in spite of the downgrade.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UbEBFnuJcBA/VX2eYB41_xI/AAAAAAAACdc/2UFlk9eT5Ac/s1600/blanca%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UbEBFnuJcBA/VX2eYB41_xI/AAAAAAAACdc/2UFlk9eT5Ac/s400/blanca%2B2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cinnabarbarians<br />
Sylvia & Tom of S/V Cinnabar enjoying fresh blackened yellowtail at the hurricane party.</td></tr>
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Saturday, June 6th, the weather was hot and still, with humidity hovering at about 80%. Sunday afternoon the wind began to blow out of the east, rising to about 20 knots. By that night we were seeing a few gusts to 30 knots. The predawn hours of Monday brought the heaviest winds, with gusts up to 47 knots. We expected heavy rain but, surprisingly, none fell. Instead the air was full of fine dust and by the end of the storm Finisterra was covered with a thick coat of Baja real estate. Monday afternoon the storm left town and we surveyed the damage around the waterfront. In the marina there was little to report except a blown out window in a restaurant and one of the dock cleats that Finisterra was tied to came adrift. Closer to La Paz, a couple of boats broke free from their anchors and at least one fetched up on the beach on the Mogote Peninsula. Once the wind abated we got busy and washed the grime off the boat and made final preparations to head for San Jose del Cabo, about 150 miles to the south, our jumping off point for the trip up the peninsula to California. We departed on Tuesday morning, June 9th.<br />
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Our first stop was Puerto Balandra (again!) where we planned to do some snorkeling. The night before we left we went out for dinner with friends, and I picked up a mild case of food poisoning. So instead of swimming, I spent the day recovering. The next day I was feeling better and we left Balandra, bound for Ensenada de Los Muertos (Bay of the Dead). Over the last few years the local hotel operator there has been struggling to get the name of the place changed to Bahia de Los Suenos (Bay of Dreams) and I think the new name is beginning to stick.<br />
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We arrived a little before sunset on June 10th. The water was clear enough that I could see the anchor hit the sandy bottom 22 feet below the surface. For the next two days we snorkeled among the extensive coral beds on the southwest side of the bay, marveling at the variety and colors of sea life there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pXmf5YIcP9s/VX3PWTjXJzI/AAAAAAAACeQ/7z12kazs368/s1600/muertos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pXmf5YIcP9s/VX3PWTjXJzI/AAAAAAAACeQ/7z12kazs368/s640/muertos.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Los Muertos is a beautiful bay with a rocky point to the northeast and a long sandy beach. You can just make out the coral beds in the southwest corner of this shot. Conditions here were perfect for snorkeling, with hot temperatures and plenty of sun. When we tired of snorkeling we hiked the short distance up to the Hotel del Suenos and sipped margaritas and swam in the pool.</td></tr>
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On June 12th Finisterra departed Los Muertos at 0300, and motored in calm wind and flat seas to the marina in San Jose del Cabo where we are making final preparations for the next leg of our journey.<br />
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