Wally wrote:

Jim Cate wrote:


What's a "depth-knot"?

It tells me when we have "40-not" winds.


Where does the depth bit fit into this? Faceitiousness aside, what sort of
handling do you expect from the 26M in a 40kt wind? How much reef would you
put in the main, and what size of jib would you use? How much heel would you
expect when going to windward?

Since I plan occasionally to go offshore in moderate conditions, I have
ordered the boat with several accessories relating to safety, etc. -
These include three reefing points in the main, roller furling, all
lines let aft to the cockpit, depth and knot meters, gps chart readers
(plus paper charts and compass), and auto steering. The depth and knot
meters are desirable in the Galveston bay area in view of the fact that
much of our bay waters are relatively shallow, and some of the channels
are narrow and not kept in good condition.

When going offshore, I plan to reef early and severely, and to sail with
the water ballast filled. The exact preferences for reefing, keeling,
etc., for going to windward, or reaching or running will have to be
derived and fine tuned from actual sailing experience over several
months on the boat. However, I understand that the boat makes better
speed if you keep it relatively upright rather than heavily keeled.
Again, I'll have to do some experimentation to arrive at preferred
reefing points, heel angles, sail configurations, etc., for various
conditions.

Jim