Wally wrote:

Jim Cate wrote:


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, ...


70 knots is not 'moderate'.



I
have ordered the boat with several accessories relating to safety,
etc. - These include three reefing points in the main, roller
furling,


Is that roller furling or roller reefing? If the former, how do you propose
to bend on a small jib?


The plan is to reef the working jib before going offshore. Or, if the
winds may be severe, to hank on a storm jib in place of the working jib.




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,


How does a knot meter help in shallow water?


The knot meter tells me whether I'm making too much headway for safety
when navigating a narrow and silted channel. It also gives me a means
for estimating how far I have traveled, and what my position is. It's a
backup to the chartreader.


and some of the channels are narrow and not kept in good condition.


What do you mean?


They aren't dredged often enough to maintain their reported and charted
depth depth and width.


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.


I asked:

1. What sort of handling do you expect from the 26M in a 40kt wind?

The boat should be fairly stable in 40Kt winds if sufficiently reefed.

2. How much reef would you put in the main, and what size of jib would you
use?

As previously noted, these parameters would be determined empirically,
through an extended series of sea trials in varying conditions.



3. How much heel would you expect when going to windward?

Depends on the degree of reef in the main and furling of the jib.


And your answer is, in effect, "I don't know". Yet, you're planning to go
out in 70kt winds.

Nope. You, again, have it bass ass backwards. - If I told you that I
would expect 27.5 degrees of heel, with a particular set of sails
deployed, THAT would be a joke. - What I told you was that I would be
conducting a series of sea trials using varying combinations of sails
and reefing points in varying winds. That series of tests, when sailing
under varying conditions, is the only way I would want to rely on to set
the sails under heavy weather conditions.

Of course, everyone recognized that you thought you were throwing me a
"gotcha." You intended to trip me up. But ultimately, YOU are the one
who demonstrated how stupid you really are.

Jim